You can do most of your promotional work online these days, no matter what size your “business” is, but there is still something great about the classic ways of promoting. If you are simply working on promoting your band to get shows, promoting your lawn mowing business to make some summer cash, or you are a start up crafting business looking to sell your handmade items, you may get far more use out of promoting local than online.
You should definitely still be online, and make sure that you share that online presence on your promotional items. However you can really have some fun with these promotional ideas, and maybe even make some new friends and fans as you hand them out. If you ever do trade shows, business expos, or even sell your wares at the local farmer’s market, they are great for handing out at these places as well.
Get Promotional Stickers And Buttons
Personalized or custom stickers are a great way to show off your name or brand. Bands can even make some money selling them on their merch tables at their shows. Stickers and buttons are probably a couple of the most popular promotional items at trade shows, along with pens and t-shirts.
These types of promotional items are definitely an investment, and since you will be giving most of them out for free you can only hope that they attract people to your website, products, or shows in order to make some money in sales. But, that is, in essence, the idea behind these items anyway.
Create A Brochure
If there is a lot to your business and you have some things to say to or show your potential customers, a brochure is a must. You can opt for a simple single sheet brochure that has info on both sides, or if you have more they need to know you can pick the tri-fold kind. Brochures allow you to show your craft, give people info about your business, and sell them without even seeing them.
Brochures are easy to place around at stores and they stack neatly on tables when you do business trade shows. A brochure is kind of like a business card, but it allows you to get across more things than a business card could ever do. It is a sales pitch, instead of just a offer to contact you, like a business card essentially is.
Flyers Get Around
Have you ever walked out to your car after work to find the menu for a restaurant on your windshield, or left a concert to find a bands flyer there? This is a great way to promote yourself and ensure that people see it, although you need to look into the ordinances in the area you live in on whether or not this type of promoting is legal.
You can hang flyers around town in businesses, or even stand outside and directly hand them to people. It all depends on how hands on you want to be and, of course, the laws. Flyers are one sheet advertisements, so make sure you quickly say what you need to on them, and don’t put too much info to make them hard to read in passing!
The Importance Of Business Cards
While business cards are smaller and hold less info, they are no less important when it comes to promoting yourself or your business. They are easy to carry around with you, in a pocket, wallet, or in a purse, and easy to hand out to anyone. Meet someone at the club, “here’s my card.” You can use them for personal or professional business.
Make sure that your card consists of all of the info people need to remember who you are and why they would want to contact you, as well as how they can contact you. Include your name, business name, who you are in the business, your phone number, email, and your website info. That may seem like a lot of info, but it will fit, even if you have to use both sides of the card. If you have a logo you may want to consider having that on it as well.
Remember, the only way these promotional items will work is if you get out there and give them out to people. Be proactive, it will get you the business and attention you want!
