Turn Your Customers Into Fans with Promotional Items

 One of the most important factors to understand when using promotional items is this: when you convince one of your customers to use, wear or carry an item with the name of your company on it, you are making them your partners in advertising. That’s right – if you can get your customers to display your logo or your company name on their person, you have created an advertising venue.

That may sound crass, as if I’m suggesting that you think of your customers as walking billboards, but that’s not quite it. The point of gifting your customers with promotional items is to cement your relationship with them, to turn them from customers into fans. You certainly can’t accomplish this with promotional gifts alone, but they are a key part of letting your customers become your biggest fans. This is something that the entertainment industry has always understood. They’ve understood it so well that selling promotional items to fans has become one of the major income streams for nearly all entertainment businesses. Wouldn’t you love to have a business that is so loved by customers that they’ll pay you for the privilege of advertising your products? Here are some steps you can take to help you turn your customers into fans using promotional items.

1. Develop a brand image that inspires passion.

In order to convert customers to fans, you need to find the qualities that make your product unique and inspire your customers to become passionate advocates for your brand. What message are you sending that your customers can embrace?

Ex. Life Is Good is a company that sells sports equipment and apparel. They invest no money at all in advertising. The word is spread through the sale of promotional items like t-shirts, hats and other clothing carrying the Life is Good message. What their customers are passionate about: the message, the quality of the products and the company’s commitment of their resources to various charities.

1. Define your market.

You can’t be everything to everyone. Who are you? Who are the customers that you want? Brand marketing is in part a matter of defining your niche market and dedicating yourself to satisfying the needs of that market. The more closely you fit the needs of your chosen market, the more likely it is that you will gain not customers, but loyal fans of your products.

Ex. Trader Joe’s is a US based market chain owned by the same company that owns and operates Aldi. The original owner of TJ’s, as the chain is affectionately known, created his own little niche market – upwardly mobile young professionals with a commitment to healthy eating and gourmet foods. The quirky marketing style used by the store has created a fan base so devoted that communities regularly solicit the chain to locate new stores nearby so that they can shop there. They also buy Trader Joe’s branded items, wear Trader Joe’s t-shirts, purchase Trader Joe’s shopping bags and passionately invite their friends to try out the market.

1. Get to know your customers.

Once you’ve defined your market, really get to know them and make yourself known TO them. Your marketing solution should include more than just offering promotional items. Make a connection with them through blogs, web sites, direct mail marketing and other communications medium. Give your company a face and a voice that your customers can identify with.

1. Give them quality promotional items that they’ll be proud to use.

When you’re ready to choose promotional items, choose high quality items that are worth having and using. Remember that they represent your company and that your customers want to show off your name. If you choose t-shirts, choose t-shirts that will last. If you choose pens, choose pens that are comfortable to use and distinctive. Give them your best, and they’ll give it back to you in spades.