8 Cheap Promotions That Will Strengthen Your Branding

No matter how big or small a business the brand is what customers need to remember. One of the best marketing strategies is printing cheap promotions to attract attention. Everybody loves getting something for free. Here are some suggestions for cheap free give-away promotions that are fun, useful and keep your brand in front of customer’s eyes. 

1.     Bookmarks are a very popular promotion. Since so many people read books, custom printed bookmarks are a great way to reinforce your brand to parents, teens and children. Put a cute photo or illustration and non-selling inspirational or funny copy on one side. On other side, add a strong call to action along with your logo, business name, address, phone number and web site. Your free gift will be used for a long time and every time the book is opened, your brand and contact information will be seen. 1,000 bookmarks are printed as low as $ .13 each

2.     Calendars are always a welcome free gift everyone can use and appreciate. They can be handed out or mailed to your targeted audience. The best thing is they are a full year’s promotion for a very low cost. 5,000 8.5 X 11 24-page full color custom printed calendars cost about $ .83 each. What other marketing promotion can you buy for that little money? It’s a good idea to distribute calendars around Thanksgiving so there is no rush to receive them before the holiday rush.

3.     Magnets attract attention and can be placed on any metal surface. They can promote a business for years. They are available in many sizes from 3.5 X 2 business card to 8.5 X5.5. They can be printed with a team schedule or any other important emergency information like police, fire department, hospital or contacts and your ad can be placed on top or bottom of the magnet. 1,000 business card size printable magnets cost less the $ .17 each.

4.     Membership Cards are a fabulous restaurant or local store promotion.  They are same size as credit cards so they make customers feel like VIPs. They can be offered as a freebee or as a valuable discount when a predetermined number of visits or total amount is spent.  They can keep customers coming back to build and collect their rewards. To make membership card more valuable, offer VIP specials on occasions like birthdays and holidays. If you let them bring guests, your member list will grow and so will your business. Membership cards on 20 Pt. white plastic can be printed on both sides while frosted or clear plastic cards can only be printed on one side. White is the most popular choice for VIP membership cards and 5,000 cards cost about $ .11 each.

5.     Notepads are used by many local businesses including realtors, doctors, dentists, attorneys and lots of other professionals and businesses that want to keep their name close to your eyes. Cheap notepads are available in 25 and 50 sheet glued chipboard backs. They are 5 standard popular sizes including 4.25 X 5, 4 X 6, 5.5 X 3.5, 8.5 X 5.5 and 8 X 11. They are printed on premium 70lb. white smooth offset paper and they can be tinted to any CYMK color you choose. Printing is on one side only. 1,000 pads 8.5 X 3.5 cost $1.20 ea.

6.     Stickers are a collectable marketing promotion. Since customers want discounts let them earn and redeem them for points. Place a value on each sticker and when a given quantity is redeemed, an appropriate discount or item is given to them. The more stickers, the bigger the discount or the more expensive the item. For a collectable promotion, the best size is 2.5 X 2.5 so a lot of sticker can be placed on a sheet of paper. Stickers are available in many sizes and shapes and can also be used as labels. They are printed on 70 lb. crack-N-peel sheets on rolls. 5,000 roll stickers cost $ .05 each.

7.     T-Shirts printed with your businesses logo and a powerful graphics in full color are walking billboards that promote your business. They can be sold with a low markup or regular customers can earn them. Good quality 100% cotton custom printed T-Shirts are affordable and the ROI is very high when you consider the amount of coverage and the length of time they last. T-Shirts are a terrific way to drive new customer through your door. The cost depends on quantity of the order and the brand you choose. They can be ordered in mixed sizes so they fit everybody.

8.     Trading Cards are a novel approach to marketing. If you make new trading cards every month and give them to your customers, it will drive them back at least once a month. Once they collect 12 months, they receive a free gift or reward. If the customer is a regular, they can give a extra card to another person who might start collecting them. 1,000 trading cards cost about $ .12 a piece.

As I said in the first paragraph, “Everybody loves getting something for free.” Any one of these eight marketing promotions will create higher brand awareness in a fun and affordable way. Building a loyal customer base is the foundation a successful brand every business is built on.