Small business owners need every possible edge when it comes to competition, but the marketing budget of a startup might be relatively thin. Making your marketing resources go as far as possible is a great way get a lot of “bang for the buck,” but how exactly can you do that?
Promotional Marketing Offers Many Advantages for New Businesses
Promotional marketing – that approach that puts physical items into the hands of prospective customers – actually delivers a serious punch. Recent studies have shown that the majority (52%) of prospective customers who receive promotional items from a company will do business with that company, and the other 48% said they would be more likely to do business with that company than they would have otherwise. Net result: promotional products make a positive impact for your company on virtually everyone who receives an item.
Still not convinced? Exhibit Surveys’ recent research showed that traffic at trade show booths where giveaways were present received 176% more traffic than comparable booths without promotional marketing products. That’s fine, but what if your business doesn’t do trade shows? You can still benefit from a promotional marketing approach.
If you’re familiar with the concept of the “long tail,” you should know that promotional marketing items have what might possibly be the longest tail of all. L.J. Market Research conducted surveys of business travelers in airports across the United States and found that more than 7 of 10 business travelers had received promotional marketing products in the previous 12 months. That’s not shocking, nor even the least bit surprising. But here’s what is: of the travelers who had said they’d received promotional items in the previous year, one-third had those products with them in the airport when they were surveyed.
Even better, promotional marketing items have a virtually unlimited ability to make impressions. Print, video and radio advertising can make impressions only when they’re distributed or broadcast. When the campaign ends, the impressions stop. Promotional marketing items make impressions each time they’re used or displayed, and the audience who sees them changes constantly. A sizable population of prospective customers carries and uses promotional marketing products, and since these prospective customers tend to associate professionally (or personally) with others who are likely to have similar business needs, the number of impressions your promotional marketing items can make goes on and on and on.
If you would like more information about promotional marketing, and how it can help your business, please contact our Creative Director, Dave Ramsell or give Dave a call at (330) 243-0651 to set up a consultation.
Photo Credit: Egahen, via FreeImages.com
