Whether you’re a freelance writer like me or you run some other kind of business, it’s important to consider the different marketing strategies that you can utilize to garner interest and attract new clients. I find that the majority of my business comes from referrals and word-of-mouse marketing. This includes contests that I run here on Beyond the Rhetoric.
Many different business make use of various promotional products that they hope increases their brand presence in the marketplace. The trouble is that many of these products end up being forgotten or stuffed away in the back of desk drawers. There’s not much visibility in the dark confines of some random cabinet, right? That’s why it is important to utilize promotional items that people will actually use.
For me, given my chosen career path as a freelance writer, it made sense to invest in some promotional pens. You may have noticed some of these pens included in my contest prize packages. If you entered my E3 swag giveaway or my CES contest, then you’ll know about those pens. People use pens every day, so my brand is right there, close at hand.
Another viable possibility is the promotional t-shirt, but so many companies go about this in entirely wrong way. They take a generic white shirt and iron their logo onto the front. Guess what? No one wears those. If that’s what you’re going to do with a promotional shirt, you’re throwing your money away.
By contrast, consider the great t-shirt from Affiliate.com shown above. There are at least three things that they have done right with this shirt:
- It features a trendy design in the front that doesn’t scream out that it is a free promotional t-shirt. This is something that someone might actually wear when they go out some place. The “distressed” look adds to this sense of style.
- Not only is the shirt available with a conventional (male) cut, but they took the time to make a ladies’ cut too. The female demographic is often neglected when it comes to these kinds of promotional items. (On a side note, the male shirt has a king instead of a queen.)
- The shirt is not white. I’m sorry, but white t-shirts tend to scream out how cheap they are. Go with a colored shirt of some kind to further the more premium appeal.
If you prefer, you can even take the humorous route with a more inappropriate design. This can garner all kinds of added interest too, because it helps you stand out from the crowd. The Affiliate.com shirt isn’t funny, per se, but it’s certainly eye-catching.
Promotional products need to do just that: promote your company. If they get lost in a trash bin full of stickers and buttons, they’re not really doing their job.
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