Marketing

The problem with some companies giving out promotional merchandise is that they expect something in return. In a way, it’s understandable. You spend money on the promotional campaign, so you expect something in return. Besides, any other marketing campaign would need a target result; otherwise, you can’t determine if the strategy is effective.

However, you need to understand that promotional merchandise is different. It’s not the usual advertising strategy where your primary goal is to convince people to buy. It’s different because your goal is to win people’s hearts. You want to create an image that you’re not only after people’s money. You want to give them something without expecting anything in exchange.

People will feel used

If you’re too obvious that you’re only giving out items because you want something in return, your target audience will sense it. They will feel that you don’t really care about them. Accepting the free stuff would mean they eventually have to spend more. Whether you’re advertising to existing customers or you want to expand your target audience, you want them to feel that you’re sincere in your efforts; otherwise, your strategy could backfire and make people move away from you.

It puts pressure on the marketing team

Your marketing team can come up with creative ways to advertise. They can also think of ways to boost your company using promotional merchandise. However, if you set expectations for them when they decide to use this strategy, they might feel under immense pressure. They can’t think of the best way to give people what they deserve since their minds will focus on how to increase sales. You need to give them freedom in deciding how to warm people’s hearts.

People will buy if they feel like doing it

When you want to give out free items, just give them. If people buy something later, they will do so. Besides, they have other factors to consider in their decision-making process. You can’t dictate to them what they need to do and how they should feel towards your brand. If they see the sincerity of your company and you show it in various ways, you can win them over.

Don’t forget that the quality of your products also matters a lot. You can’t expect people to change their decision if they see no reason for doing it.

Think about the best strategy

The use of promotional merchandise is effective, and it’s been around for years. You need to determine the right strategy to ensure that you can give to the people who deserve the items most. You also need to check how you can partner this strategy with other ways to boost your brand.

Again, it’s only one of the many marketing plans you can use to improve your popularity. If you feel like you did the right thing, you have to wait for the results. Be patient since it takes time for some people to decide which items to buy.

In the world of business, trade shows have become prime events for new companies to network with industry experts, media personnel, and customers. But if it is your first time participating, not only do you need extensive planning, you also need to ensure that you avoid these common mistakes that many rookie exhibitors make.

Going for the big booth

Biggest is not always best in trade shows, especially if you are new. It makes more sense to get a small or medium booth and invest in a high-quality and well-designed exhibit. But the type of trade show exhibit you choose depends on what your business needs. If you have been participating for a long time, you can start scaling up and experiment with different methods of marketing your products and services.

Inadequate planning and goal setting

For trade show veterans, planning for an exhibit is already second nature to them. They know what works for them and how to achieve their goals. New participants do not have the same luxury of experience. For first-time exhibitors, it is crucial to spend time planning and identifying specific goals for the trade show. Activities during the trade show need to ultimately lead to achieving these goals.

Cluttered display graphics

Your displays and exhibition display stands should not be cluttered. Company branding and logos need to be prominently displayed, yet should not be too distracting to the main message you want to convey. High-quality exhibits are great, but keep them to a minimum. There needs to be enough space for your staff to move around and entertain booth visitors.

Ineffective promotional giveaways

It’s always great to give away items to promote your company, but these are too common at trade shows, and attendees are likely to forget about them when they leave. What you need to do is ensure that the promotional product you choose is unique and on-point with your brand. Some excellent examples include a company involved in financial services which gives away handy calculators or a software company raffling off a free version of their product.

Untrained booth staff

Before the event begins, you need to train your marketing staff. Not only do they need to have extensive knowledge about your company and the products you are selling, but they also need to have exceptional customer services skills. Exhibiting at trade shows is more than answering the questions of visitors, but also being able to anticipate their needs.

Failing to network during the event

Trade shows are not only meant to achieve brand recognition, but it is also the perfect time to network with potential business partners, investors, competitors, and suppliers. Focusing too much on prospective consumers is not an effective use of your trade show time. In addition to achieving your marketing goals, you also want to take the opportunity to learn from other businesses. There may be products or services which could benefit your business or trends that you are overlooking. Taking time to strike a friendly conversation with other exhibitors will give you valuable insight into what you can do to improve your company.

To read more on topics like this, check out the marketing category.