It may seem as if every other business in your industry has promotional merchandise figured out. Still, there’s no reason to feel left out. You may be struggling to find exactly what you’re looking for and are getting overwhelmed with ideas that may or may not result in your business thriving. The team at gopromotional.co.uk knows that they struggle all too well, so here are their best hacks for finding promotional products that get you the desired results!
Keep Researching The Latest Trends
Consider what the current trends are in the promotional products industry. Is everyone after the ideal bags that will turn heads whenever they’re carried up and down the street? How about eco-friendly products like recyclable notebooks and cups? With everyone so worried about the state of our environment, could this be the trend you ought to follow?
Following trends is sometimes necessary here, but it’s not wise to just copy what others are doing. Even if it’s other businesses in your industry, you don’t want to only emulate their promotional efforts but actually set your company apart and make it instantly recognizable!
To that end, knowing more about current trends is vital in this day and age. But remember that research will get you further than simply taking someone else’s idea.
By remaining in the know on the latest trends, you will get a glimpse of the next big thing and have a chance to get those promotional products out before any of your competitors. Delving deep into social media and, in general, the online realm should give you a larger insight into the branded merchandise industry, too — and thus on the best product ideas for your business!
Consult The Suppliers
Knowing exactly how many colors to print, what kind of artwork would work on specific products, and how large the printing area should sound ideal. But it’s rare that any business owner already knows the answers to these questions!
Does that make your company any worse than your competitors? Of course not. You can (and should) rely on suppliers that can explain the printing processes and all the jargon you don’t understand to ensure you make all the right decisions.
Essentially, what we want from you here isn’t anything too complicated. We want you to confidently ask questions you were once shy about and seek more knowledge about branded merchandise!
The right supplier will know how to advise you to enable you to pick the right products and printing methods. They will tell you what worked for other businesses, how you might want to change your artwork, and even product choices to fit your ideas better.
Ideally, they may not even want to charge you for the product design if you order a significant quantity. But even if that’s not the case, you can always ask them to show you how the product would look for free or even refund the nominal design fee once you place your order!
Learn Everything You Can About Your Target Audience
Finally, consider how well you know your audience and if there is more to find out about them that would help you pick the perfect products. After all, trends change fast, and so does the sheer popularity of some merchandise.
Back in the day, most people would have been impressed with quality mugs and pens. Now, they may be after something more impressive, like tech gadgets!
It’s your job as a business owner to know who your branded merchandise is for and what kinds of products would resolve both needs and wants of your target audience. And if finding that out entails asking the audience directly — so be it.
Whatever you can do to find out more about the products they use in their daily lives, do it. At the very least, you’ll immediately learn which products you can scratch from your list. At best, you will work out which merchandise would get daily use among your audience and give you the brand awareness surge you’ve longed for!
Concentrate On Eco-Friendly Products
The year 2024 is the time to be aware of the environmental and sustainability concerns, which is essential for any marketing campaign’s success, particularly if you’re targeting a group.
Choose eco-friendly promotional items by choosing eco-friendly promotional products. You will be able to assist your company in combating climate change and also build brand loyalty. It’s an all-win scenario.
The most well-known examples of eco-friendly products include:
- reusable water bottles
- travel cutlery
- reused T-shirts
- bags made of cotton, hemp or other organic materials
Remember The Season
This is not something to overlook when you are deciding on promotional products. If you are looking for promo products that can be used for winter events or summer events, plan ahead.
Let’s say you give away a promotional item that compliments the weather. Your audience will be more likely to appreciate and want the product. Imagine how excited your players would be to see a fleece headband branded for their sports store. You could request that the players complete a survey for the promotional item.
Take Advantage Of The Power And Potential Of Social Media
You’ll be familiar with the potential profile-building power of Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and other social media platforms, regardless of whether you work for a large bank, medium-sized charity or local church. Imagine organizing a major sporting event like a marathon. Lots of people may be wearing T-shirts with your logo on them. If photos of the crowd are shared on social media, this is a huge advertising opportunity. You can really increase your company’s visibility by leveraging it.
Make sure your branded merchandise stands out on social media. Use your official accounts to create hashtags and promote posts about the event.
Conclusion
It doesn’t matter if you work for a company, a tech start-up, a charity or an NFL team. Understanding your customers’ needs and finding products that fit them is the key to ordering promotional products.
While every audience is unique, these hacks can help you choose promotional merchandise that customers love and keep for a long time.
