Not Another Calendar! - Choose Advertising Specialties That Sell


As I was searching through a kitchen drawer the other day, I found dozens of pens, pencils, letter openers, sticky-note pads, oversized paper clips, rulers, dental floss, calendars, magnets, whatsits and thing-a-ma-bobs, each with the name of a business on the front. In looking through my "collection" I discovered some things I love and use and others that I can't imagine why I picked them up. Some, I'm not even sure what they are!

They are all advertising specialties. You know, those giveaways that are going to bring customers swarming to your door. Advertising specialties can put your name in front of prospective customers and keep it there. That way, your name will be on their minds and in front of their faces when they decide to buy. But too often, they don't work the way you expected them to.

The trick to using advertising specialties effectively is to understand who your customers are, what they value, how they will use your giveaway, and where they will be when they make a buy decision.

Pizza delivery restaurants give out lots of refrigerator magnets. Where are you when you decide to order a pizza? You probably just looked in the fridge for something to fix for dinner, didn't find anything and are closing the door. At that moment, you spot a magnet and say, "Pizza!" Some of the magnets even come with detachable coupons.

Where will your customers be when they make a buy decision? At home, at the office, in their cars, on the phone, at the computer . . .use a specialty that will be in front of them there.

Or maybe you just want something that they will use a lot to keep your name in their minds. A mug. Or something like a wall calendar where your name will be in front of them 365 days. (366 in a leap year!)

However you hope to influence your customers, make sure you choose an item they will actually use. Will they want another ball point pen, pocket calendar, or stress ball? How many wall calendars do they get from other sources? Will yours be one they are willing to put up on the wall? Does your item look or feel "cheap" or of poor quality? If so it won't give a good impression of your business.

If you use advertising specialties, choose something that is unique, doesn't look cheap, will be used by your customers, and will be nearby when they make a buy decision. That doesn't mean you have to give away expensive items. A couple of my favorites are ball point pens. One, from British Airways, has a clip that folds out to look like wings on a plane. It's not great to write with, but it's really cute. Will the pen cause me to fly British Airways? Probably not, but it is one more positive impression I have of their airline.

Want to try something a little different? Why not get tote bags, t-shirts, sports bottles, or other items made up and sell them. If you have a clever logo or slogan, people might be willing to pay. For example, the National Museum of Funeral History in Houston (yes, a museum about funerals) sells mugs and more with their slogan, "Any day above ground is a good one." If you are actively creating a brand people respond to, you might be able to start a whole new product line. One source for image products is http://www.cafepress.com/.

Oh, one last thing about using advertising specialties. You have to actually give them out. Buying them and leaving the box in the closet won't bring you a single customer.

Copyright Cathy Stucker. As the Idea Lady, Cathy Stucker can help you attract customers and make yourself famous with inexpensive and free marketing ideas. Get free tips, articles and more at http://www.IdeaLady.com/.

More Resources

Imprinted Promotional Items - Their Many Marketing Applications
There are many uses for promotional items. This means that they are just not used as freebies for a grand opening special.
The Inside Secrets Of Free Publicity For Your Business
Product publicity is the "secret pathway" to business success everyone wants. In simple terms, product publicity is a kind of advertising that costs you nothing, yet brings in the orders for you.
When Advertising Wears Out
One of the challenges facing marketers is determining the most effective level of advertising exposure for a brand, while maintaining a given budget. Conceptually, the media planner could choose continuous advertising (even exposures spread over a period of time) or follow a strategy of pulsing ("on" for some months and "off" for others).
Attention-Grabbing Fixes that Make Your Yellow Page Ad Leap Off the Page
Stand Out in Ways that Matter to Directory UsersA Yellow Page directory presents a difficult challenge foradvertisers. All the competitors are packed together, withinthe space of a few pages.
How To Create Instantly Compelling Ads Every Time
Use This Quick 3-Question Evaluation Process, So You Can Be Sure Your Message Will Sell!EVALUATION #1: "Well, I Would Hope So!" When you make a claim, don't think about it in terms of words coming out of your mouth. Think of it in terms of words entering your prospects ears.
Non-profit Coupon Books and Coupon Mailers for Small Businesses
Many groups like the Chamber of Commerce, ASB at the local high school, etc. will ask if their members can get a discount if they shop in your store or use your service.
3 Inside Secrets To Making You Richer Using Direct Mail!
Making money using direct mail isn't easy. And anyone who tells you it is, is lying.
Power Headlines for Promotion Success
Do you send email to your Online audience to let them know about an upcoming teleclass, your service or your book? Do you have a seminar "flyer" on your web site? The biggest mistake professionals and entrepreneurs make is to announce, rather than promote themselves. Each piece you send or put on your web site should begin with the #1 copywriting winner--the headline.
Create Your Own Business Cards, Part 1
In this lesson, we will create a business card, using Microsoft Word. I created a new template for my business card.
Advertising For The Long Haul and Not the Short Term Gains
New Age Media Concepts issues its first article of many that will focus on the advertising and marketing industry. "If a young man tells his date she's intelligent, looks lovely, and is a great conversationalist, he's saying the right things to the right person and that's marketing.
Secrets to Profitable Mail Order Products
The most profitable mail order products are simple 3-to-5 page informational reports such as this one. Once you've got your act together, these 3-page reports can be produced for $10 per hundred or less, and sold for at least $200 per hundred.
Do You Really Need a Brochure?
Traditional brochures typically tell the story of your company, i.e.
Free Internet Advertising: 6 Proven Ways To Prevent Your Competitors From Stealing Your Customers
It is getting harder daily to generate traffic.And when you succeed in getting new customers, you shoulddo all that is possible to avoid losing them to yourcompetitors.
Trade Writing - For Cash!
Often considered as "plain Jane's" of the print world, trade magazines prove that there is more to a market than just a pretty face.Trade magazines are written for a specialized audience and typically focus on one specific area or industry.
Did You Know That Most Advertising Does Not Work
There's a buzz going around the marketing world at the moment that "Most advertising does not work".
11 Ways To Make Your Business Cards Work For You
1. Spend money on decent quality business cards.
10 Simple Techniques To Make Your Ad Get Powerful Attention
1. Make your ad's keywords and phrases standoutby enlarging the text.
Scrolling LED signs
Scrolling LED signs is type of LED signs that displays Scrolling text and can be used as outdoor and/or indoor outlet. Wide variety of businesses uses this equipment to spread news and other information quickly and efficiently.
Create Your Dynamic Elevator Speech
So, what's an elevator speech, and how do you get one?What Is It?An elevator speech is a short (15-30 second, 150 word) sound bite that succinctly and memorably introduces you. It spotlights your uniqueness.
Harness the Power of Direct Marketing - More Small Business Power Tools
One of the most powerful tools available to small businesses is direct mail. By this I don't mean electronic, Internet-based mail, but the old-fashioned kind that requires a stamp and a trip to the post office.

More Advertising Information:

Related Articles

The Secrets of High Money Classified Ads
When used effectively, classified ads can be one of the quickest and most inexpensive ways to increase your sales. A well written classified ad can generate thousands in sales, yet could cost you pennies to write and run.
Direct Mail = Your Money, From Printer to Mailbox to Trash!
I did a quick, very unscientific survey of 25 of my friends. I asked them to put the mail that they do not open or read in a specific trash bag.
Non-profit Coupon Books and Coupon Mailers for Small Businesses
Many groups like the Chamber of Commerce, ASB at the local high school, etc. will ask if their members can get a discount if they shop in your store or use your service.
Send em to the White Pages
Your business is listed in the Yellow Pageswhether you buy an ad or not. Your business islisted in the Yellow Book and the other phonebooks, too, no purchase necessary.
Write Attention Getting Advertisements
The most important aspect of any business is selling the product or service. Without sales, you aren't generating any income and your business will die.
In Advertising Bigger isn't Always Better
If you have been following the recent advertising news you will notice that more and more major advertisers are looking to smaller ad agencies to handle their campaigns.Is it because they feel bad? Is it because they are cheaper? Or is it because they see the level of creative talent of smaller agencies?Lets take a quick look at why this is happening and how this is good for the consumers and the advertisers.
Information Gathering & Delivery May Never Be The Same!
Give Us The Bottom Line!If you are like most people, you may have skipped down to the bottom to see how much we charge. Well we don't! That's right, the free customized information product we give away is totally free.
Ads Dont Sell - People Do !
More about advertising by BIG Mike McDanielAdvertising is not a substitute for good salestechnique and superb customer service. Insertingan ad in a handy newspaper to call attention to aline of goods will not sell those goods unless youcan back it up with intelligent, well directedsales efforts in the store.
4 Ways to Double the Power of Your Business Cards
Sure, everyone needs business cards. But why not make your business card do double or triple the work of an average business card.
What Colors Make Your Services Most Attractive?
This information is based on the principles of Laws of Attraction, Law of Allowing and Law of Deliberate Creation. And the Universal Laws of Energy (like attract likes) proven by Quantum Physics.
Pros and Cons of Establishing an In-House Ad Agency
There have been several ads promoting books and reports on thissubject, or included as part of the contents in several mailorder books stating: "SAVE UP TO 17% ON ALL YOUR ADVERTISING" It's legitimate, practical and effective, but like so many otherpromises, there are pros and cons involved. The pros are fairlyobvious.
Mortgage Marketing - Broadcast Advertising vs Direct Advertising
Do you know how to design and deploya marketing campaign?Even if your ad budget is small you should still plan and measure the results of you advertising. This process is the key to your ultimate success.
Advertising Copy: What's Really Important?
You labor long and hard trying to create the perfect advertising piece but only about 20% of your copy is going to get read. The rest will simply be scanned.
For All Those People Who Struggle With Benefits and Features
For Everyone Who Has Ever Struggled Sorting Out Benefits From Features - "SWAT Them!"SWAT is not actually an acronym. It is a compaction of the question "so what?"You see, one of the biggest problems that even experienced copywriters and marketers fall into is being clear on what benefits their product or service actually delivers to their customers.
Juice - Scam of the Decade or Opportunity of the Century
If you are an ardent web surfer and MLMer like I am, then I am sure you would have seen the sales pitch "Give away free broadband and earn £27 GBP each time". Depending on which side of the fence you are, this product is either God's gift to freebies enthusiasts, MLMers and all paying ISP subscribers or it is the biggest scam yet, bar none.
Cable Ads 5 Bucks!
Cable has grown from 13 houses connected togetherin 1948 to coverage of nearly 70% of allhouseholds in the U.S.
Advertising Inserts
One of the best and easiest ways to advertise without having to worry about shelf life of those who would most likely use your services or buy the products from your small business is to use inserts in your local newspaper. A marketing piece might also be to insert our flyers in the daily newspaper.
Small Business Image
The single easiest way to increase sales is to look professional. People believe what they see.
Business Plan Appeal - Five Rules For Writing Attention Grabbing Headlines
The success of a business plan stands or falls on its ability to get potential investors to take a moment to read it. Nothing works better for doing this than well-written headlines designed to interrupt and engage investors.
The Skinny on Billboards
Several years back the billboard people put a bigpicture of "Sharlene Wells, Miss America" onbillboards all over town. She was everywhere.