Using promotional merchandise is a wonderful way to market your brand and create meaningful connections. When used correctly, it can really open up possibilities for finding new customers. Not only that but merchandises can be given as corporate gifts for suppliers, communicating “thank you” in a memorable way. This seems great but where do you begin? How do you ensure you’re effectively using promotional merchandise for your business? Let’s go through few of the basic steps to help you get started.
Step 1) Examine your target market
First things first, you need to understand your target market to craft products they will love and actually use. Consider your target market’s:
- Common interests
- Daily life style
- If applicable, gender
- Age range
- Hobbies
- Preferences
This will ensure the merchandise you create is used and naturally incorporated into the customer’s daily life. In addition, you should also narrow down your target market. There’s no point giving your merchandise to 100 people who will never even buy from your business. You should rather be focusing on the 10 people with a higher chance of interacting with your business.
Step 2) Establish a purpose
Setting a goal is crucial to any marketing plan. You should spend a good amount of time planning for a reasonably achievable goal and the purpose of releasing a promotional merchandise for your business. Start by answering the following questions:
- What do you want to achieve with your merchandise?
- What are your business’ top 3 core values? How will you ensure the merchandise is used in adherence to these values?
- Why is there a need for merchandise?
- How long will this merchandise be available for? Is it limited-edition?
Step 3) Choose widely used products
Not only should your merchandise be made in consideration of your business’ values, purpose and customers’ interests but it should also be practical. Your logo should be getting seen and noticed. For example, if you have a Fitness related business, a water bottle that highlights your brand logo and colour scheme can be easily carried around, exposing your brand logo to more people. If you have a coffee shop business, a reusable coffee cup with your brand name and logo is also a great idea to increase brand awareness.
That’s not to say that you shouldn’t be creative! You should be unique and willing to take risks but just remember to consider the core purpose of creating a promotional merchandise.
Step 4) Adapt to feedback and engagement
Find out what works and what doesn’t. Receiving feedback from your customers is always a great idea to assess their needs. For larger companies, conducting a market research can give you a clear insight into the customer’s needs. Alternatively, you can carry out a quick satisfaction survey or simply request customers to rate the merchandise. You can also assess this by comparing which merchandise is performing the best in terms of the purchase rate. As a business owner, you should have an open mindset and be willing to adapt according to your customers’ needs and trends.
Key Takeaways
Promotional products can help increase brand awareness when used effectively. Remember to carefully understand the needs and interests of your target market first. Then, you can consider the purpose and goal of releasing a promotional merchandise. Is to draw in new customers? Is it to increase sales? You must establish your main goal. Now you can start thinking about the type of product you want to create. It should be practical and widely used for effective promotion! Lastly, ensure you adapt to the feedback your customers give and stay in trend.
Be creative and have fun!
