4 ways to Promote your business on a shoe-string budget.

4 ways to Promote your business on a shoe-string budget.

 Guest Blog Post by John

Printed merchandise is one of the most effective forms of promoting your business.  It can ensure quick response and brand loyalty in a much better way compared to conventional advertising. Everyone loves freebies or promotional products and if you print the name of your company, your website, logo and such other information on them, people will tend to recollect them more than a random advertisement that they may see on the web or television.  For instance, a promotional product like a calendar that has your company information provided on it, will gain maximum visibility because there is a high degree of chance that the calendar will be hung on the wall of your prospect and he or she will see at least once daily. The barrier now, is the cost – if you have a shoe string budget, is it possible to promote your company through printed merchandise?  The answer is ‘yes’.

Here are some ways in which you can promote your company through printed merchandise.

1. Business Cards –  If you are serious about your business, it is better to invest in business cards because they are a professional identity of what you do, and is sought for by your clients, customers and by people in general .  You can invest in some creatively designed businesses cards and include your company logo, web page address and contact details in it. You can also include a QR code in your business card which leads to your Facebook Page or YouTube page or a part of the website where you put up attractive offers.
2. Bumper sticker or decal on your car – Using a bumper sticker at the back of your car or a trendy decal on the body of your car with your company name, logo information about your business on the QR code can help promote your business at negligible cost. In a busy street or at the parking lot, many will chance upon your company  name, logo and QR code and use their smartphone QR reading app to know more about your business
3. Email newsletters – You can send newsletters to your prospects with information about your company, the latest products and your new offerings for the festive season. You can also tell them about the discounts on your products by redirecting them to the page of your website where there are QR codes that contain discounted offers, which can be availed when printed out and presented at your outlet. Alternatively, you can direct your customers to the section of website or Facebook Page, where people can download and take a print-out of those coupons to be presented at the outlet.
4. Eco Friendly Products – You can set up an eco-friendly website that may be an extension of your website. You may also set up a Facebook Page, which talks about a better environment. If you know someone who is promoting an eco-friendly campaign or launching an initiative, you can tie up with them and offer eco-friendly merchandise like disposable cups, bags, napkins and pens with your company information printed on them.
5. Pens and highlighters – Custom printed retractable pens, pencils, highlighters do not cost much but are a great-away to market your business.  Distribute them in a school, hotels, and banks and see how effectively, your business grows through word-of-mouth publicity.
6. Promoting your products in a trade-show – You can increase the brand identity of your business on a shoe-string budget by doling out badges, lanyards, bottled water with your slogan and company name or logo.
7. Offering awareness products – Key chains, pens, highlighters, ribbons and bracelets are great giveaways for an awareness cause.  While you show solidarity to the cause and promote awareness, you are also making people familiar with what you do. People who form a part of the awareness campaign would keep these products as souvenirs and would be your loyal customers.
8. Offer a gift for your purchase – Wouldn’t you like to buy a product if it comes with a free gift? Sales are known to steamroll when there is a freebee backing up a purchase.  You may as well offer a printed eco-friendly shopping bag, bearing your company logo and website name and customer would be happy to take it.
9. Promoting your business through your employees- You can give incentives to your employees for a job well done, in the form of a professionally engraved metal pen, an umbrella or a printed T-shirt bearing you company name and logo.  This work in three ways – you reward the employee handsomely for a job well done. Secondly, the other employees strive to do better. Thirdly, your employees build your brand resulting in better exposure to your company.
10. Be active on social networking sites – Being on social media sites costs nothing, the only thing you have to invest is your mind and exercise your marketing strategy in a smart manner. You can run a contest and ask people to upload their pictures, videos on social networking sites and tag their friends. Offer a prize which includes printed merchandise to the winners.  There are several other methods in which you can promote your company through the power of social media. For instance, you can go to a conference and talk to people on the topic that you are an ace at, and then ask people to join your Facebook Page and subscribe to your newsletters. You can offer them printed merchandise like stickers which contain QR codes to your website or Facebook Business Page.

For more information visit Everyone loves freebies or promotional products