The 5 Most Effective Promotional Products For The Chicago Area

GARBAGE GARBAGE GARBAGE!

The average American produces 4.3 pounds of garbage a day!

You don't want your promotional products to end up in that statistic, for the obvious reason of you don't want to have your money thrown away.

And more importantly for the long haul: because we all need to work together to lower the amount of waste we produce as individuals, or cause to be produced.

So how do you make sure not to choose promotional products that end up in a trash pile?

It's important to first and foremost make sure that you are representing what your brand is with any promotional product you use.

If you are a screen-printing shop for example (don't be that though, I don’t want more competition! …kidding!) you probably don’t want to hand out branded pens.

What does that have to do with screen-printing?

People might use it and see the company name, but that doesn’t mean conversions.
They likely aren't going to follow through with any form of contact, and it’ll probably end up in a garbage can sooner or later with other random promotional products.

A better option might be to hand out stickers with a design that people love, making sure to include your business info on the outside of the image space.

This way the sticker can be used to create a visual presence while also offering ways to connect for more creative designs via your social media channels or website.

The sticker offers value, it pleases people aesthetically, thereby grabbing their attention and causing them to wonder, “Hmmm… I like this. I wonder who made it. I wonder where I can get one?”

So what are the the top 5 most effective promo products that won’t end up in the trash and will lead to conversions? Here ya go...your cheat sheet to success is here!

1. Apparel

   If you offer apparel that’s simple, clean, and comfortable, it doesn’t matter if the person wearing it doesn’t turn into a client, they will at least wear it and become a walking billboard for you.

   Standing in line at the grocery, people will read it. When that person waits on a red light from their bike, people will read it. Sitting in a restaurant, people will read it.

   That is mobile marketing!

   No need to spend too much to make this happen, either. For more info and to learn why promotional apparel doesn’t have to be plain, check out my previous post.
   
   

2. Stickers

   Clearly we are biased because we offer stickers as a service, but there are some really fun marketing strategies that make these a no brainer when it comes to promotion items.
   
   For one, they are pretty affordable and won’t break the bank as a free giveway.

   But moreover, you can easily create fun and unique marketing campaigns with them.

   Example: if you have a sticker and stick it somewhere (legally) that people will see, then take a picture and tag the business on your social feed, we will give you X percent off.
   
   We offer 10% off for this usually (which pays for itself by providing incentive to come back and take advantage of the discount).

   This is a really effective marketing strategy to create the visual presence that all businesses need to grow.

3. Business Cards

“Wow, thats nice”...is what I hear when I hand out a business card and they feel the thicker cut material and see the simple clean design.

Is that what you are getting as a response? If not...then you are making more trash that will be in the garbage pile instead of creating an order or an email.

There are lots of ways to achieve a good reaction to the business card while properly showcasing your brand identity.

Knowing how to do this all comes down to using the right decorator to make sure you have the proper “WOW” factor.

4. Banners / Signage

Sticking to the trend of not creating trash items, think about things like banners and signage.

Making an impact is crucial. At an event, a banner is the first thing people will see. That’s your real chance to draw them in so that you and your products have a chance to impact them.

If you don’t have smart, simple, well-designed, and properly made banners and signage, you will lose before you begin and the event won’t be as effective for the growth of your business.

The same goes for parades, local event and organization sponsorships, craft fairs and markets, literally anything you have a chance to market your brand.

5. Window Cling / Decals

If you have a brick and mortar, you probably have a window, and in this case you should definitely be using some sort of signage.

Maybe you have a logo on one window and some information on others. But how about a rotating window that has sales and other key pieces of information on it?

This is another marketing opportunity that is much cheaper than a billboard.

You can have full color printing on one side of a perforated vinyl that allows you to see through it if you are on the inside of the window. This means you can still see people as they walk by and they see the image you want them to see.

Or, depending on what your business is, you can even put this on your car windows and not sacrifice the ability to safely see out your windows!

Over the last 2 years as the digital world has really taken hold, we are seeing and printing more and more of these types of signage.

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Now that you have the cheat sheet to successfully creating Chicago’s top 5 promotional items, all you have to do now is tell us what your business is and what your call to action is supposed to be and we will get the design and quote process under way!

Contact us now to start making a real lasting impact and avoid being another throwaway brand.