There are so many benefits to using promotional items to increase your business. They are a fantastic way to market your products and services continually at very affordable prices.
Advertising and marketing can cost a company a hefty portion of its budget and may not always reach their target. On the other hand, as we said on a previous occasion, wearable promotional items – such as tote bags for instance – turn users into walking ads and billboards for your business in the most natural ways.
Here are seven reasons why you should choose wearable promotional items as a form of marketing your business.
#1 Giving Back to Your Community
Being a part of your community is important. People will use your products or services if the business is an active part of their community. It's important to attend local expos, trade shows, health fairs, community service events, charity events, or fundraising events. This will help people realize you want to give back to your community and that will sit well with potential customers. Promotional items are the ideal thing to have when attending these events because the attendees will be able to take something home with them that represents your business.
Let’s say your brand organizes an event with plenty of attendees. Giving to your community means more than just offering them a learning opportunity or a few moments of entertainment. It means really giving something to them to remember you and promote your business in their turn because you made an impact.
Offering them goodie bags – branded with your logo or brand motto – is always a good place to start. Goodie bags for adults as promotional items at events are nothing new. The crucial aspect here is to fill up the goodie bags with stuff that is useful and outstanding. If you want more inspiration on this topic, we recommend you to read our guide on how to turn promotional tote bags into memorable goodie bags.
Moreover, if you are organizing a conference or a charity event – or you are one of the guest participants to such events – handing out conference bags filled with interesting items is a must. Unfortunately, people are not huge fans of paper flyers or outdated/cheap items nobody uses anymore. Instead, check out our guide for fun conference bags ideas that all attendees will love and take home, talking about your brand months after the event is over.
#2 Advertising
Of course, the main purpose of a promotional item is to get your name in front of potential customers. Nowadays, you have tons of promotional items you can choose from, such as custom canvas bags, T-shirts, pens, watches, baseball caps, USB sticks, mugs, notebooks, calendars and so much more. Depending on the item you choose, the ones who attend the event and receive the gift will continue to advertise your business for you by using the item they received. So, you really want to consider what promotional items will gain you the most exposure.
As a piece of advice, we would like to mention the fact that in this day and age, people don’t use many pens anymore, nor paper notebooks, as everybody has smartphones, tablets, and laptops that cover all their needs. In other words, you should address your tech-savvy clients or potential customers by offering promotional items that offer them even more comfort to work and live in this highly dynamic and technologized world:
- Cool cyber backpacks that fit in laptops and other gadgets for the urban professional dwellers of our times;
- Modern laptop-friendly messenger bags for the young generation of college students, professionals, and corporate workers who know how to mix style with functionality;
- Cool lunch bags for stylish “eat at work” moments;
- Duffel bags for the dynamic men and women who are always on the move, either for business or for pleasure.
- Transparent bags and backpacks if you address a young audience that is a regular at concerts, events, some schools following the clear bag policy, and so on.
#3 Increase Customer Loyalty
Promotional items are a great way to reward your customers. You can give these items as rewards for things such as the number of referrals the client has given you or a certain amount of purchases they have made. This is a great way to reward your loyal customers and tell them to thank you for helping your business succeed.
Take an example from the sports/gym industry. Gyms and athletic centers have solid reasons for handing out promotional drawstrings bags to both established and new customers. Besides brand awareness and advertising, such promotional sports bags increase not only the brand’s reputation, but also allow customers to engage with the brand in a natural way.
When it comes to turning your clients into loyal returning customers and organic brand promoters, nothing beats tote bags. As part of sustainable marketing strategies, more and more companies – regardless of their industry or business department – offer organic cotton tote bags or recycled bags to promote their business.
Eco-friendly promotional products can boost a brand’s reputation tenfold. Besides the fact that we live in a time when eco-conscience is stronger than ever, eco-friendly tote bags are in full compliance with the global trend of ditching plastic shopping bags, for one.
Secondly, environmentally sustainable promo/advertising products speak of your company’s efforts to become eco-aware, use fewer resources, protect our waters and air, and address those who are an active part of the global green movement.
If customer loyalty is what you seek, and your audience is young and fiercely socially active, eco-friendly promotional items should become a priority for your business.
#4 Boost OfflineTraffic
Since you took the time to set up a booth at an event, it is always a good idea to provide some promotional items. This will help generate more traffic to your booth, and customers will be able to learn more about your products and services.
You should also think about the traffic you will gain at your actual place of business. Besides branded backpacks for your gym, you can also consider promotional bags containing whimsical items that will “convince” your audience to visit your hotel or eat in your café/restaurant. Do we even have to mention bookshops and publishing houses and their absolutely amazing promotional book bags?
Besides specialty shops, book shops, gyms, and other brick-and-mortar businesses, the hospitality industry is a trendsetter when it comes to offering promotional items with a flair of the unique and original.
Spreading the word on paper is an outdated marketing practice and the young generation frowns upon it – as we said, Millennials are the ones speaking truth to power when it comes to eco-friendliness, also being the ones willing to spend money on sustainable products or pledging their loyalties to sustainable brands. If this is your main audience, switching from paper flyers and notebooks to tote bags containing useful yet “green” items may take you one step closer to your business goals.
#5 Celebrating an Anniversary or Grand Opening
When a company is celebrating an anniversary or a grand opening, promotional goods are a terrific way to give an extra special touch. Keepsake status will be bestowed onto the promotional goods distributed during these occasions. It will be a watershed moment in the history of your company, and there is no better way to ensure that your clients don't forget it than to provide them with a free gift they can keep as a memento of the occasion. It is also an amazing way to say "thank you for your business over the years" or "thank you for supporting the establishment of my business in your neighborhood." Both of these expressions are great ways to show appreciation.
"Welcome bags" or "thank you bags" full of outstanding and extraordinary products that people will wear or use in the future to further improve your business's good name should be included in the ideal opening or anniversary celebration. These bags might be called "welcome bags" or "thank you bags." Check out our guide to some of the greatest welcome and thank you bags for unforgettable occasions if you're looking for some ideas and cool inspiration in this area.
#6 Show Appreciation for Employees
Let's face it, a significant percentage of your company is comprised of your workforce. Providing your staff with promotional products is a wonderful way to show them how much you value their contributions to your company. Give out presents that people can put to good use, such as reusable tote bags, water bottles, or T-shirts. You can choose to hand them out at the annual workplace picnic or on the occasion of the firm's anniversary. When it comes to workers, even the smallest of actions may go a long way.
One of the most effective and cost-effective approaches of expressing gratitude to staff members for their contributions. By demonstrating that you respect them and appreciate the work that they do in such a symbolic manner, you can transform them into willing company promoters. One way to do this is to provide them with branded messenger bags that are tailored to their individuality, occupation, and sense of style. To put it another way, you help spread the notion that the contributions of your employees are very important to the operation of your company. The distribution of messenger bags to staff members can be the most effective form of advertising and public relations, provided that the logo on the bags is not offensive. In addition, it is a demonstration of respect and gratitude toward your fellow employees.
#7 Introduce/Promote New Products
With the assistance of promotional materials, a new product or service that you are marketing can get off to a flying start and become very successful. This is a fantastic strategy for acquiring even more fame since it enables you to speak to a larger audience than before. You may give the tote bags not just to members of your employees but also to customers who meet certain criteria, such as being one of the first people to purchase a recently introduced product.
If you are selling a new product that can be carried in a bag, the most effective marketing method is to use custom canvas bags. Canvas tote bags, in addition to making a strong statement and being environmentally friendly, are the ideal versatile advertising environment for the personalization of brands. When we talk about personalization, we're talking about logos, embroidery, screen-printing/digital print of mottos, images, and quotes, as well as other options. They are not only something that can be worn, but they also tell volumes about your company, which helps establish loyalty and construct a tale that will not be forgotten.
#8 Demonstrate Your Manifestation
Besides advertising your company by appearing with your name on the tote bags, another efficient way to display your motto, motivation, and mission is demonstrating your manifesto on the bags. This means, your promotional bags shall also present the principle idea underlying your profession. Aphorisms, punch-lines, or maxims in inviting and original font sizes are most likely to be catchy. However, they might appeal only a limited audience in this digitalized world.
You may therefore consider creating your original signature with a particular image that articulates your motto in a symbolic language. This may be in the form of a single yet complicated image or a set of images that tell a story. In doing so, you also address the imagination of your customers and show that the motivation behind your initiations are quite novel in the market. Note that you do not always come up with new words or meanings, but you can also refashion the old mottos by presenting them in such new ways.
Bottom Line
Given the 8 reasons, it is apparent that tote bags or promotional products have a profound influence in shaping your audiences’ and customers’ views about your business. They are promotive, inviting, and enable you to articulate your creativity. Note that there are numerous other ways of utilizing tote bags. Have you ever considered using wearable promotional items for your business? If so, don’t forget to check out our collection of eco-friendly affordable tote bags, backpacks, messenger bags, and other specialty bags for your customers, employees, and business partners!