Every business needs some form of advertising to enhance brand recognition, increase customer reach, and promote the benefits of its products and services. The type of marketing you choose determines how long your message will be conveyed to the public and how fast they will act on your call to action. Promotional products and print advertising are common marketing strategies used by businesses to boost their brand visibility. However, small businesses and startups are more likely to grow and expand faster with promotional items compared to print advertising. In this article, we will discuss the differences between these two types of marketing and why promotional products could be better than print advertising.
What are promotional products?
Promotional products are branded items that have a company logo and slogan, often distributed by a business to their audience in trade shows and giveaways. The message can be printed on a variety of items such as t-shirts, baseball caps, stationery, mugs, water bottles, and many more items. Anyone walking around with a branded t-shirt or water bottle can help advertise your business to potential customers without the effort of verbal communication.
Promotional products can be used to advertise your business!
Promotional items made of high-quality materials can advertise your business all year round making it a cost-effective marketing strategy.
What is print advertising?
Print advertising is a form of advertising that can be printed on a specific type of material and shared with the public to create awareness. This includes posters, banners, flyers, and other flexible surfaces that you can touch. This form of advertising can help you target more specific audiences who are present or pass through a certain area. The ability of potential customers to take action on print advertisements relies on the quality of the material used, the appeal of colors, and the combination of fonts that relays the intended message to the public.
Reasons to choose promotional products over print advertising
- Provides greater exposure
An advertisement on a banner, poster, or flyer takes a few seconds for someone to read through and understand what action to take. It’s quite different from promotional items such as branded t-shirts, pens, and water bottles that are in use most of the time and people move with them everywhere they go. Compared to a stationary billboard, you are more likely to gain massive exposure for your brand with a promotional item that people carry with them to different places. For example, a person wearing a branded baseball cap or t-shirt in a crowded area like a stadium is likely to spread the word around faster than someone walking around with a single flyer.
- Offers added value to end users
Anyone who receives a branded gift item is more likely to take it because of the value it adds to their daily life or routine. For instance, a branded water bottle still fulfills its purpose of carrying water while boosting your brand’s visibility. The same can be said for a branded t-shirt, baseball cap, mug, or stationery. Compared to print advertising like flyers, promotional products go beyond advertising and marketing by adding practical value to people who use them. Business owners need to invest in premium quality gift items since customers hold onto them for a very long time.
- It is more cost-effective
Since customers tend to hold onto their freebies for a very long time, they are more likely to advertise your business all year round without added effort. Most print advertising materials tend to fade off as quickly as you release them because of the time people hold onto them. Purchasing promotional products in bulk saves on production costs but delivers a high impact on the recipients. The production cost of print advertising varies depending on the chosen medium for marketing but could end up being costly in the long run if very few people act on your call to action.
- Generates higher leads and customer loyalty
People who receive promotional items are more likely to remember where they got them or who gave them to them. It is easier for people to forget billboards, magazine ads, or flyers unless they are repetitive. Because promotional products are extremely memorable, they are more likely to generate higher leads and increase the number of customers who are loyal to your brand. People are more likely to rush for gifts offered in public than flyers, which creates a long-lasting impression of your company.
Many small businesses and startups are using promotional products to increase their brand visibility and separate themselves from other competitors. You can incorporate both promotional products and print advertising in your marketing strategy. However, if you intend to invest in promotional products for your business, you should invest in high-quality gift items that can create a long-lasting impression.
