There is a form of marketing that is often overlooked, it’s incredibly simple but it works. Merchandise Marketing.
There are so many different ways to market your online or even bricks and mortar business. Many of them are highly effective. Blogger outreach, social media, video marketing, email, direct mail and even television and radio ads can all generate lots of new business.
However there are drawbacks to these methods, for the most part, they need to be seen and heard at the right time. People get an average of 142 emails every day and yours can easily be overlooked. Social Media is very hit and miss. If you don’t tweet at the time your followers are online then yours will be lost in a huge flow of other tweets that have been put out since yours. This is the same for all social media other than Pinterest. Read my take on Pinterest here.
We all know what we do with direct mail. I know that 99% of mine goes straight to the recycling bin!
For those of you who have a bricks and mortar business as well as your website then T. V ads and radio ads may be an option, although I have recently seen bloggers in conjunction with other companies on T. V ads recently. However, we have all seen or heard an ad but are busy with something else at the time, maybe we are driving, and we quickly forget it.
Try Merchandise Marketing
Whether your business is wholly online or you have a bricks and mortar business too, then Merchandise Marketing is something you should at least consider. If you have a brand and a logo then the more you can get it out there the better.
What Kinds Of Marketing Merchandise Should I Buy?
You should go for the types of items that people use on a regular basis. That way, they’re always being reminded of your business each time they use the item. Pens, keyrings, umbrellas, mugs and travel mugs and more will all be genuinely useful to a person and are things they are likely to use. Even items like hats and t-shirts can be effective. Okay a customer might not walk around day to day with a t-shirt brandishing your logo but they might wear it to bed or to lounge around the house in. We have all done it!
They might pop on a baseball hat to keep the sun out of their eyes while they’re working on their car or in their garden. Any item that people will get some use out of and is cheap to print on makes good merchandise. Sites like https://www.promogallery.com.au/ and more will have a list of items you could go for.
Where Should I Hand Them Out?
Now if you are only online then you might think that you work from home so where would I hand them out ? If you are attending a business expo, attending a blogger event, running an event or attending any kind of networking opportunity then take your merchandise along. Hand them out to anyone who shows an interest in your business, you don’t want to be giving them away to those with no interest so wait until you’re approached for information. You could also give them away as free gifts when people order items from your online store too, which would be a good way to get your merchandise out there a little further afield.
There are some bloggers and website owners I know who have their own merchandise that they actually sell from their blog too. Check out my post on one such successful blogger here.
What Are The limitations?
If you’re mainly handing out your merchandise at local events then you will only be reaching a relatively small number of people. Shipping them out with customer orders is a good way to get them a little further out there, but it is still limited depending on how large your business is.
Cost can always be an issue. Whilst lots of items can be printed cheaply this is still more expensive than simple flyers or some other forms of marketing like social media. Make sure you get your costs right to ensure that it’s worthwhile for your business.
Final Thoughts
Handing your merchandise out to the right people is your best bet. Those potential customers who are likely to be interested in using your business. That way they can be reminded of you whenever they use the item. It doesn’t matter what your business model, Merchandise Marketing still works, even in today’s online world.
You can also get creative with using your merchandise to market your business. Maybe you could use t shirts worn by all of your friends and get that photo on Instagram and Pinterest, infact why not all of the social media platforms. The opportunities are endless.
Have you ever considered using marketing merchandise as a way to promote your business? Let me know in the comments section below.
I hope you have found this post useful. If you have then please share it on your favourite social media platform.
As ever, if you have any questions or need some advice leave then leave a comment below and I will get back to you as soon as I can.
With Grace and Gratitude
Karen