How to Find the Right Promo for Your Trade Show
Having an effective brand presence can make all the difference in your sales. Business promotional items at trade shows are an excellent way to get your brand out into the world. Considering that eight in 10 people own promotional items and 53 percent of them use those items every week, it’s important to get your trade show promotion right. Here’s how to choose the right promo for your industry’s most important trade show.
Understand Your Customer
The single most important step to choosing the right promo items for your trade show is to understand your audience. If you’re trying to reach a tech-savvy client base, branded golf balls might not be the way to go. However, a branded wireless phone charging bank could be the hit trade show gift you are looking for.
Ask the question: What does my main client base need and use on a daily basis? Select strategic items that will get a lot of use and therefore stay on your customer’s radar. A new piece of tech will inspire others to chat about your brand, especially if they use that item almost every day.
Consider Where People in Your Industry Work
Giving away sweet swag requires some ingenuity to stay above the rest. Think about where your main market base works. Do they spend a lot of time outside in the field? Then a nice pair of personalized sunglasses make a perfect promotional item. Drinkware is always a popular choice. Who doesn’t love getting a free custom company mug, can cooler, or water bottle? Instead of simply branding it with your company’s name, stand out by emphasizing graphics, like your company’s logo, or a creative tag line in order to create a fun, functional item that sports your brand in a more understated way.
The Right Wearables
Wearables or promotional clothing are all the rage these days. However, steer clear of simply doling out the same custom business shirts with your company’s name. Again, keep it interesting by utilizing just your logo or a fun slogan instead. People will be more apt to wear your promotional item, not to mention it add intrigue and style to your swag. You’ll get added brand recognition with more wearers.
Go Luxe
High-end promotional giveaways at trade shows are often real showstoppers. If you have the budget, give away something extra awesome like a duffle bag or technology gift set. These might not be something you want to give away to everyone who passes by, but it’s always a nice gesture for more targeted individuals who are likely to invest in your product or service.
Bring on the Leisure
Let’s be honest, who doesn’t like free stuff? When it comes to trade shows, whoever has the best promotional items gets much more traffic to their booth. Many people and new potential customers will visit booths simply for the swag. Give them something to get excited about by giving away promotional items centered around their leisure time. Items like soft, fleece blankets, steel tumblers, and even branded Bluetooth speakers make excellent giveaway items. Your brand will get plenty of face time both in and out of the office.
Solve a Problem
Don’t let your promotional items get thrown in the trash. Instead, aim to solve a problem. If you’re at a tradeshow for events coordinators, give away handy eco-friendly custom company notebooks and planners that attendees can start using immediately, if needed. That way, you’ll give away something that your industry actually relies on to do their job.
Keep your solutions simple and specific to your niche or go for a crowd-pleaser that appeals to everyone. It doesn’t matter what your lifestyle is; you can always use a promotional bag, especially at a trade show where you’re grabbing extra items. These catch-all promotional items are great because they can be used in a variety of situations and solve a simple storage problem.
Keep it Classic
There’s a reason everyone still gives way branded retractable pens. This is because, despite an increasingly digitized world, everyone needs to write something. The handy branded pen still has a place in trade show swag, although they are best coupled with another unique and fun item to drum up a buzz at a trade show.
When it comes to trade show promotional items, there are endless options for innovative ideas that showcase your brand. The key to a successful promotional item is to make it something people want to use. That way, you’ll maximize your brand awareness not only at your next big tradeshow but throughout the year, too.