Recognize Your Target Audience
Identify your target audience by focusing on the objective of your promotional giveaway. This should make it clear to you who you would like to target as recipients. In doing so you may also find that it may be beneficial to have different promotional gift ideas and giveaway items depending on the recipient. For example it is often helpful to segment your recipients into prospects, new customers, and returning customers, and choose your items accordingly if necessary.
Goal Setting
Again, with your objectives in mind…what are you trying to accomplish? Try a brain storming session with a diverse group of people in your organization. Your giveaway should be aimed at doing the following: increase brand recognition, convey a message, prompt the recipient to take an action, all of which will ultimately increase sales. It is important that both your message and your premium are working toward the goal at hand…which brings us to the item itself.
Select the Perfect Item(s)
With the vast array of options available, choosing the perfect item may be one of the most difficult parts of putting together your promotion. There is no “right and wrong” way to select your item, but keep in mind that the item will be representing your brand. Quality and perception of the item will be a direct reflection on your brand. Also, the item itself can work in synergy with your message to enhance your theme, so choose carefully. Consider consulting colleagues who have had past successful promotions, or take to the web to research award winning promotions. If you are still struggling with choosing an item, contacting a promotional specialist may help to ensure you have made the right choice.
Stop Selling on Social Media
Avoid using social media as part of your sales force. While it is totally acceptable to alert your followers of the occasional promotion; when your content serves no purpose other than to make grabs at their wallets, your audience tends to tune out. Instead, focus the majority of your efforts on providing information, and being a value-add. This will go a long way to building customer rapport and long term clients.
Lay Out Your Message
This step typically seems to be the simplest; however, do not overlook the small details of your imprinted message. Be sure that your logo/text is consistent with your corporate colors and overall brand image. Also remember to include things like your contact information and web URL. Your goal here is also to be memorable! As simple as this all sounds, it is surprising how many promotional efforts fall short due to lack of pertinent details.
*A great example of making an impactful message
Use Quantity to Your Advantage
With the wide range of product options available comes an equally wide range of prices. The quantity and quality of the items play the biggest part in cost, so these are important variables to decide upon when budgeting for your promotional giveaway. If this is an item that you may use throughout the year at several events or shows, consider ordering a higher quantity in order to bring down your unit price. When doing so, be sure that your imprint does not include dates, which decrease the impact of your message once they have passed.
Set Qualifications
Will your recipients need to qualify in some way for your giveaway? Here are a few examples of how to use qualifiers. Use your giveaway items as incentives to participate in contests which will boost your brand awareness. Give them as an incentive to provide you with information such as their email address. Or more simply, just give them as a “Thank you” for checking out your exhibit at an event or trade show. However you decide to use your giveaways, be sure that you follow up with your prospects in a timely manner. You may even consider two tiers of giveaways depending upon your assessment of the prospect.
Track Your Results
Incorporate a method of tracking your giveaways and their results. For instance if your objective was to use the giveaway to promote a sales incentive, have the customer use a specific promo code from your giveaway item when they place an order. Another more straight forward method of tracking results could be as simple as following up with recipients after the event to see if they remember receiving your giveaway item, if it was well received/useful to them, and get a feel for their overall impression of your brand.
