Common Mistakes to Avoid When Using Promotional Products for Small Business

One of the most common mistakes business owners make with promotional products for small business is to rush in and buy things without thinking ahead. They forget to consider their actual objectives or strategy.

To avoid this, ask yourself some questions before ordering any products. What’s your aim? What benefits do you want to get from these promotional products?

Looking to raise brand awareness? In that case, opt for items that people will use regularly, like tumblers. Want affordable but useful freebies to boost customer loyalty? Then maybe pens or coasters are a good choice.

If you’re running a small business, it’s perfectly natural to be cautious with your budget. You might be fearful of overspending or wasting cash unnecessarily, which can lead you to look for savings absolutely everywhere.

However, while it might be tempting to order super cheap promotional products for small business to save some money, that’s usually not the wisest choice.

The cheapest items tend to be of the lowest quality. That means that they probably won’t last for long and might even annoy or disappoint your customers. And the last thing you want is for people to associate your brand with sub-standard supplies.

There are lots of potential promotional products for small business to pick from. You’ve got the classics, like T-shirts, mugs, and pens. Then, you’ve got the more creative and quirky items, including everything from aprons to napkins, towels, patches, and packs of stickers.

Choosing from such a wide selection can be tricky, but it’s important to make the right choice. Don’t make the mistake of picking something that your audience won’t actually have much interest in.

The average customer, for example, might not have much desire to wear a T-shirt with your brand logo on. But they might appreciate a useful everyday item, like a bottle opener, can cooler, or stress ball.

These days, we’re used to getting what we want pretty quickly. We can place an order online and have our items delivered the very same day, or tap the screen of our phones to enjoy instant access to a world of entertainment.

However, some things still take a little time. And that includes promotional products for small business. Even the best providers may take a couple of days to design and create your items before shipping them out. And you usually have to factor in some time to get a sample and fine-tune your designs, too.

So, don’t leave it to the last minute! It’s much better to order your products at least a couple of weeks before you plan to hand them out.

If you want to get value out of your promo products, you have to distribute them effectively. And that means you need a solid distribution strategy.

Far too often, companies forget all about this. They order a box of mouse pads or some other item, and then that box sits on a shelf somewhere, gathering dust.

To avoid this, make sure you spend some time formulating a smart and cost-effective way to distribute your products. Perhaps a trade show is on the horizon, for example, and you could give out goodies from your stand. Or maybe you plan to reward your most loyal customers with some fun freebies.

To make a positive impression on customers or prospective leads, your promotional products need to have attractive, engaging, and informative designs. Ideally, they should feature your brand name, logo, and some contact info, giving people a way to get in touch or learn more about your business.

They definitely shouldn’t have any typos, grammatical errors, or obtuse design elements that detract from the overall aesthetic.

So, make sure you don’t rush the design. Take your time and double-check everything. Many of the best promo product suppliers will also offer to make samples for you to check out before beginning work on the final batch – this is a simple, affordable way to spot possible flaws in your designs.

If you can avoid the mistakes above, promotional products for small business could provide amazing value for your brand. They can help with lead generation, brand awareness, sales, and customer loyalty. To get the best results, however, you need a promotional product partner you can count on.

That’s where Imprint Now comes in. Imprint Now is a trusted provider of custom promotional products. From trade show goodies to drinkware, apparel, office items, and more, we offer a massive selection of items for you to design and decorate however you like!

• Easy Customization: Imprint Now makes it easy to customize your promotional products for small business – in just a few quick steps, you can create brilliant branded goods.
• Lots of Options: Imprint Now doesn’t just limit you to T-shirts and mugs. We offer dozens of products for customization, from tumblers and water bottles to lanyards, mouse pads and totes.
• Great Value: Overspending won’t be an issue when you shop at Imprint Now – we offer affordable prices and big discounts for bulk orders.

If you want to help your brand get ahead with promotional products for small business, head over to Imprint Now and start creating your products.