Promotional products are everyday products that you have personalized with your business name, logo, slogan, website address, or some other personalized greeting.  You may even have some promotional items lying around your house from other businesses, such as coffee mugs, calendars, magnets, pens, and key chains.

Using promotional products in your marketing methods is a very smart move.  People love to receive free items and will generally hold onto your item for a long time.  Every time they see your item, they are getting a reminder about your business.  The following are a list of places to give away your product, and the reason behind it.

* Your website: To generate some buzz, opt to hold a monthly giveaway on your website for one of your promotional products.  To be effective, think about your target market and what they may like.  If you have a website with information on cooking, you can give away an apron, a measuring cup, or a recipe holder.

* Other people’s websites: In addition to holding a monthly giveaway on your own site, find other non-competing websites and offer one of your products as a giveaway for their site.  To be effective, the site should have a similar target market.  It doesn’t make much sense to contact a bass fishing website and offer them an apron as a giveaway.

* Upgrade orders:  Use promotional items to entice your customers to upgrade their orders.  Going back to the cooking website example, you could offer a free apron to anyone who purchases two recipe ebooks.  Send the ebooks as digital delivery, and simply send the apron through snail mail.




* Best customer: Another twist on this idea is to surprise your best customers with the promotional item.  Go back through your records from the past year and send anyone who spent over $100 a little gift.  This will show your appreciation and your customer will be so flattered they will continue to buy from you again and again.

* Best affiliate:  If you have an affiliate program, sending your top affiliates a promotional item as a “thank you” is a great gesture.  Your affiliates will be touched, and will work even harder to promote your products and services.

* Non-competing businesses: Non competing businesses can be a great source of referrals and word of mouth advertising. A non-competing business is a business with a similar target market as you have, but is one that doesn’t sell the same products as you do.  For example, a virtual assistant and a graphic designer are non-competing businesses, as are hair stylists and make-up artists. 

* Trade shows: Keep an eye out for any trade shows that may be coming to your local area.  For example, a graphic designer or web designer may want to attend a computer show.  You don’t have to rent a table; simply get a batch of personalized pens and hand them out instead of your business card when you meet a new person.

* Local businesses: Another idea is to make a list of local businesses you would like to work with and hand deliver them a promotional item, along with your resume, cover letter, and prospectus. 

* Local media:  Don’t be afraid to send some promotional items to your local media, such as your local radio and television stations.  Go the extra mile and add some cookies or donuts.  They may say an on-air thank you, and you will get some local exposure.

* Vacation spots: If you are heading out of town, grab some promotional materials and leave them in your hotel room, rest areas, and any other place you can think of.  When you return home, you may have requests from every town you visited.