For small businesses looking to maximize their marketing budgets, the pressure to get the most out of a restricted or limited budget can be daunting. Every dollar counts when you’re running a small business, and marketing can feel like a wasted cost if it has failed to produce in the past. Many small businesses opt to allocate a budget for digital advertising, but the difficulty there is playing in an oversaturated media arena without the massive dollars to push your advertising ahead of the rest.
What often can feel like a minor marketing strategy but actually is a strong impacter are promotional items. Depending on the item, your business can keep its spending low with bulk pricing from suppliers and reap all the long-lasting benefits of sharing promotional items with your consumer base.
One thing that promotional items win against any other marketing tactic is the category of long-lasting impressions. According to information shared by the American Marketing Association, “approximately 81 percent of consumers keep promotional products for more than 12 months,” ensuring your brand is seen and remembered for a year by not only the person who took the promotional item in the first place but by those around them.
Promotional items don’t have to break the bank, either. Here are six budget-friendly promotional items to consider:
Branded Pens:
If your customers have to sign something or write something down at any point, even if it’s just their receipt at the register, branded pens are an excellent low-cost promotional item to stock. Keep them at the counter or on desks for clients to use and take with them. They’ll be reminded of your brand every time they use the pen.
Lanyard/Keychain:
Never underestimate a lanyard or keychain. The most brand-loyal customers will want to add your brand to their key ring, especially if it serves a dual purpose as a utility tool or bottle opener.
Lip Balm:
Self-care items are always happily taken by consumers. Lip balms tend to get misplaced, so it’s always nice to be able to pick up a spare. Include your logo and phone number or website on the label so they always know how to contact your business over the months they use the lip balm.
Alligator Clips/Carabiners:
We put these in the same listing because both alligator clips and carabiners are everyday tools that come in handy. Whether it’s needing a clip to keep a bag of chips fresh or a clasp to hold your keys, they’re a welcomed item by many. They come in an array of colors and styles, so you can certainly find one that matches your branding.
Microfiber Cloths:
Whether your customer wears glasses or not, microfiber cloths come in handy to clean the various screens we use in our daily life, from our phones to our tablets and in-car displays to our sunglasses.
Ball Marker Hat Clip:
A perfect item for the avid golfer. This is perfect to brand and get noticed while on the course or not, as many golfers clip a ball marker to their hats, and there it stays wherever they wear their hat.