Being an entrepreneur is hard work. We lead busy lifestyle; late nights brainstorming fresh ideas, attending to client work around the clock, getting the books in order and making sales. And that’s not even half of it. For many business owners, promoting and marketing your own business can be an afterthought. When your to-do list is unravelling out the door and you’re tied up with all the ‘essentials’, finding the time to dedicate to branding is challenging. But it’s 100% necessary.
Well crafted promotional materials are powerful. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a small start up business or a large corporation, branded materials – yes, even print materials, are a must have. Tangible promotional materials allow people to see your brand, pick it up and use it. They create an influential marketing platform that encourages an association between consumers and what defines your brand.
Doing business is tough. But it’s also equally rewarding. To grow your business, keep ahead of industry competitors and continue on the path to be a successful entrepreneur, you need to invest in the right tools. Printed and online promotional materials do more than enhance your business – they help drive it. Here’s how you can boost your business and sales through business branding and marketing:
Builds Recognition and Initiates Loyalty
Amid the massive number of marketing campaigns fighting for the attention of consumers, a brand’s identity can often be overlooked. Promotional materials are one of the best ways to gain the trust (and attention) of your consumers by providing them with something tangible to remember your business by. This significantly increases brand recognition and initiates loyalty.
According to the industry statistics through APPA, marketers spend more than $1.34 billion dollars a year on promotional materials because they know they work. Out of those surveyed, 76% recall the name of the business advertised on the promotional product and nearly 50% will use it on a daily basis. From a loyalty perspective, having something extra to grab your client’s attention, like branded promotional materials, is a smart marketing tactic. Distributing branded gifts to your existing and potential client base enhances the chance of brand loyalty long after the communication is over.
Gives You a Competitive Edge
Cutting edge designs across professionally designed printed promotional materials give your business a competitive edge. Flyers, brochures, printing stationery, posters, banners and presentation folders are all powerful materials that help drive your business. Despite marketing moving forward at an alarming rate, with new strategies and methods emerging every day, promotional materials still hold a valuable and affordable place. Thus, if your business isn’t taking advantage of branded materials, you’re falling behind competitors in the industry that are utilising them.
Branded promotional materials are a powerful way to build your brand and help your audience distinguish you apart from competitors. It acts as an essential sales tool too. These materials give your team a set of resources to be effective with their roles. To help bring in business and give your products or services a competitive edge, you need marketing collateral to offer a visual and tangible view of your brand.
Carries the Brand
The best businesses know how to use promotional materials to build and maintain a strong brand. Promotional materials communicate superiority and allow you to stand out from others. It’s these materials that carry the brand and make a positive and lasting impression while reaching a larger audience. Great promotional materials do more than make a competitive statement – they help win business in a strategic and visually appealing way. Entrepreneurs that fail to leverage promotional materials as an influential mechanism for carrying the business brand can easily get left behind. Or worse, miss out on valuable business opportunities.
Changes Consumer Behaviour
One of the biggest advantages of branded promotional materials is the way they get into consumer’s heads. Cleverly crafted marketing has the power to change consumer behaviour by shaping and changing buyers’ perceptions about who they’re doing business with. This is a significant asset to your business! Use promotional materials to highlight what your business is all about and influence buying decisions. Moreover, many consumers are willing to change who they do business with if they have received a free promotional product like branded stationery, notebooks or presentation folder.
Better ROI
Every business owner strives for a better return on investment. Well-crafted promotional materials offer an opportunity for repeated impressions because consumers can see, use and keep the materials. For this reason, branded materials can be more effective than something less tangible, like an advertisement. Especially for small businesses, who can be limited with advertising budgets, it can be hard to execute a good marketing strategy initially. This is where promotional materials can be a great solution, whilst still maintaining customer loyalty and helping to get your brand out there.
Promotional materials are all about establishing a positive reputation and giving your customers something to remember you by. When consumers are able to associate your business with positive experiences through branding, it helps to build trust and in return, is a key step to driving better results. What promotional materials will you be investing in this year?
