Promotional Gifts- Promoting The No Obligation Offer

January 13th, 2012

Promotional gifts - Try Parker Pens

Promotional Parker Pens make great gifts

Promotional gifts help get your important message across.

One of the best ways to persuade your target customers to try your products or services is to promote a trial offer or no obligation promise. This marketing technique has worked successfully for many years and will continue to be a great way of getting people to lower their guard and give your products and/or services a try.

But what is the best way to promote your company’s no obligation offer? You could do like many businesses and simply print your guarantee on your business cards or brochures.

That would probably work.

However, if you really want people to remember and feel comfortable giving you a try, why not give promotional gifts a chance?

There are so many tried and tested ‘no obligation’ phrases that have been printed onto promotional merchandise. The fact that you are printing the promise onto gifts rather than just paper or a shop window will strengthen the fact that you mean business.

It really doesn’t matter which promotional gifts you print your promise on though it is a good idea to print on products you know your customers will enjoy using and owning.

Let’s look at a few examples of how promotional gifts and no risk offers can be used together.

The gym offering a free 30 day trial

It was Suzi and Stephen’s job to get interested people to join their gym. The problem was, many people have heard about or even had bad experiences joining and then trying to get out of a gym contract.

They approached the management and suggested a FREE 30 trial offer. To take it one step further, they wanted to give each to trial member a pedometer printed with the 30 day trial offer and of course the gym’s logo.

James – the managing director quickly wrote off the idea as too expensive but when Suzi informed him that printed pedometers stared at only £1.00 each he lowered his guard.

That was three years ago and the promotion has been a massive success. People enjoyed receiving the free gift which also helped Suzi and Stephen to promote how important it is that people get moving.

The fact that the 30 day trial offer was printed on a promotional pedometer instead of in a three page legal document helps encourage those interested to lower their guards and have fun getting fit.

The B2B valve company’s ‘We’ll by it back promise’

Stu sells valves to companies that – well need valves.

Don’t ask me to go into details about this as I haven’t got a clue. What is important, however is the promise Stu’s company was and still is promoting.

Each new customer or target customer receives a catalogue and a free promotional mouse mat and coaster set for the desktop.

On each promotional mat the company’s logo is printed along with the strap line ‘If you aren’t happy, we’ll buy it back – No questions asked!

This is quite a promise. The fact that Stu’s company chooses to print that promise onto promotional merchandise that will be seen by many helps attract new customers and keep current customers.

These low cost promotional gifts have taken the company’s strong and impressive message and made it into a more powerful no risk guarantee.

The life insurance company’s ‘What have you got to lose’?offer

One of our customers offers life insurance to over 50s.

Martin – the marketing director – wanted to give interested people a chance to read over insurance information without being worried about the heavy sale.

In his commercials and sales brochures he promotes the fact that no salesman will call but he also goes one step further.

He offers interested target customers a promotional Parker Pen which is theirs to keep.

On the pen is where he really drives it all home. We print his logo and order hotline together with the strap line ‘You may cancel at any time.’

This helps people feel comfortable with ordering life insurance knowing that they are not obligated for a lifetime. If they find a better offer, they need only pick up the phone and cancel.

The above listed ideas have been tried and tested by our customers. We can offer many other promotional gift ideas and words that will help promote your no obligation guarantee or trial offer.

In the past fifteen years, we’ve collected a lot of brilliant ideas.

Have you ever used promotional gifts to promote a message you would like to tell us about?

Promotional Gifts- Promoting a Sale or Discount Offer

January 12th, 2012
Promotional Piggy Banks

Promotional piggy banks for promoting sales

Promotional gifts can promote the business behind the sale for longer!

Have you ever noticed how the word ‘SALE’ in a business window is a great attention grabber? The word ‘sale’ is an eye-catcher even if you don’t know what the sale is all about or what the shop sells. A good sale draws people into a business.

If that business is yours, you might like to keep the buzz going a little longer.

It is a good idea to back up the business behind the sale with promotional gifts that keep your brand in your customers’ thoughts long after the sale is over.

This has been done in many ways over the years but following are three that really caught my attention;

The Furniture Shop

A few years ago we were contacted by the owner of a furniture store for promotional merchandise to promote a sale.

Keith asked us to supply 500 promotional stress balls in his company red printed with his logo and the words ‘We’ve rolled back the prices’.

Get it? Roll? His customers sure did.

They loved the stress ball gifts so much that Keith now says there is no way he can ever stop. His annual sale is always a success and customers comment about the fun stress balls regularly. The shoppers’ kids love rolling the balls around the showroom as their parents shop.

Promotional Gifts and The Office Supply Shop

Ben runs an office supply business. Every year he prints a new catalogue which means he needs to guarantee the prices in his catalogue for at least a year until the next catalogue comes out.

Last year he decided to have calendars printed with sale prices that were certain to beat the competition.

He supplied pictures that he took of popular attractions in and around his hometown Sheffield to really make the promotional calendars special.

On each page, we printed his logo, contact details and the text ‘Prices guaranteed through 31 December’.

How is that for a blowout sale!

The Children’s Clothing Shop

Janet runs a Sheffield based children’s clothing business. She wanted to offer more than just a discount to parents purchasing clothing for their kids. She wanted the kids to like visiting and keep her business in their parents’ thoughts.

She decided to print plastic piggy banks with her shop logo and website along with the text ‘Save big on quality clothing for kids’.

The promotion went down brilliantly. Kids love piggy banks and saving their coins. Often their parents would throw a few coins in the promotional piggy banks before leaving the store. It kept the kids happy.

If you would like ideas about how promotional gifts printed with your logo and tested tex ideas that can work for you, please leave a comment. I would be happy to help you with your next promotional gifts campaign.

Promotional Gifts And The Power of FREE

January 11th, 2012

 

Promotional Gifts free!What do you imagine when you picture promotional gifts? Do you think of free SWAG (stuff we all get) that you are handed when you attend a trade show or conference? If so, you might also remember a few of the better thought out messages that were printed on the promotional gifts you received.

Business gifts work best when they are printed with a clean and clear logo and contact details along with some carefully chosen words. Although they do tend to be given away for free, they are often also printed with the word ‘free’ which really grabs attention.

Over the years I have seen hundreds of thousands of promotional gifts printed with the word “free’ or ‘prize’.

As these promotions are normally quite successful, customers tend to order and then re-order often which is why I’ve chosen this topic today. Their promotions have stood out and stayed with me and more importantly their customers.

Which promotional gifts you print ‘free’ on is down to your budget and offer but be prepared to have a lot of takers.

Free promotions – printed onto low cost gifts

Many companies give away low cost gifts with excellent results. You could print ‘Please accept this free pen to fill out our survey’ or ‘This sticky note pad is our free gift to you’.

I’m sure you have seen such promotions in the past. Why?

Because they work!

Mid-range promotional gifts can also be printed with the word free

Picture a rental car firm handing out metal keyrings engraved with “Win a free weekend rental” or a restaurant handing out coasters with “Free course when you present this coaster on Tuesdays”.

Smart restauranteur will of course give the coaster back to the customer to present on return visits.

 These promos printed with free specials just seem to attract attention.

 It is important to note that there are so many ways of saying ‘free’. Mid range gifts are often printed with phrases such as;

  •  Take your pick of these fabulous prizes
  • Everyone’s a winner
  • Double Your Winnings
  • Accept this______
  • This one’s on us!

There are so many word phrases and promotional gifts that go well together. If you would like more ideas about using promotional gifts, be sure to leave a comment as I would love to help and offer free suggestions and advice.

Promotional Gifts- Choosing Gifts and Teaser Words Your Customers Will Remember

January 9th, 2012
Promotional gifts - cloud stress balls

Great promotional gifts and teaser words go so well together!

Promotional gifts can be used to promote a company’s message or special offer. Unlike other printed material such as brochures and catalogues, promotional gifts tend to last and therefore promote for longer. This makes printed business gifts ideal for promoting messages and offers that are going to be around for a while. 

Think about it… If you give your customers a catalogue, chances are you will need to update that catalogue regularly. With business gifts, however, you want your customers to like, use and retain your gifts for as long as possible. This is how you will receive the highest ROI (return on investment).

When printing promotional merchandise, printed logos are usually essential. But it is also a very good idea to promote your special message or promotion with teaser words your customers will remember easily: words that will create interest in your brand.

Of course the selection of promotional gifts available is infinite but here are a few teaser ideas that could get you started down the road to your next successful promotion.

Tease your customers with the idea of a free gift

The word free is always eye-catching. People love free stuff. You could have a selection of plastic pens printed with your logo, website and teaser word phrases such as “Free Download” or “Claim Your Free…” or “Free Gift.”

Can you see why this strategy has been so popular over the years?

Tease your customers with a special message

People like to feel special. This can be done by simply offering them a gift. But why not print promotional merchandise such as notepads with your logo and the text “A personal message from…” or “From the desk of…”? You could even go one step further and hand out deluxe boxed digital photo frames with the text “Photos Inside”.

These types of promotions are famous for attracting attention and even a smile or two.

Tease your customers by encouraging them to take action

In marketing, a good call to action is so very important. This is self explanatory as we’ve all been encouraged to take action at some point.

Phrases such as “Money making opportunity”, “No risk trial offer” and “No obligation ever” tease like few phrases can. The fact that you are printing the words onto quality gifts demonstrates that you mean business.

Well thought out promotional gifts keep your message strong and in front of your target audience.

I have printed hundreds of different teaser phrases onto promotional gifts over the years and can help you find just the products and words for your next big promotion. Promotional gifts work so much better when they are well thought out and printed with just the right text.

Where To Find Express Printed Promotional Pens For Less

December 13th, 2011

 

In a rush? Click here to go directly to our express promotional pens section!

When looking for express printed promotional pens it is easy to make the wrong choice. Many people settle for second best because they think they have to. The good news is we specialise in express printed promotional pens and have done for the past 15 years. We offer hundreds of pens that can be express printed and we do it at no additional cost to you.

Check out our massive range of 5 day express pens or choose from a nice selection of promotional pens that can be printed even faster.

We offer a 3 day express service and even a 24 hour express service. The promotional pens on this page can all be printed one colour and delivered the next day. If you have a full colour or multi-coloured logo, try the hugely popular Spectrum pen. We use Spectrum pens in our own marketing and recommend them.

What to look for when sourcing express printed promotional pens.

If you have a few days before your need your promotional pens, why not check out our 5 day express pens. This is the largest selection of express printed promotional pens in the UK. You will find the most popular brands such as Senator Pens and Parker Pens along with great quality lesser known brands.

If time is not on your side, go to our 3 day express section. Some of these promotional pens we can push through in 2 days so be sure to contact us and ask if a 2 day deliver is necessary.

The promotional pens in our 24 hour express range are among the most popular pens in the UK. This is why we always have our printing machines set up and at the ready for them. You will love the attractive styles and your customers will love writing with them.

Be sure to use our express quotation system.

Simply key in how many promotional pens you need and our site will add it all up for you. The price you see is the price you pay. We even pay the shipping to one mainland UK address.

If you would like more information about our express printed promotional pens, please contact us today on 01642 782455.

Promotional Caps- Get Your Message In Front of Their Eyes

December 12th, 2011
promotional caps

Promotional caps build brands

If you are in a hurry to find the best promotional caps for your business, just click here to find one of the UK’s largest and best selections at unbelievably low prices!

There are few promotional gifts that actually get your logo and message right in front of your target audience’s face! Sure you can purchase great quality promotional gifts for the desktop or embroider your logo and a polo shirt and have excellent results.

 

But if you want your customers to really experience your brand, you might want to try embroidering your logo onto good quality promotional caps.

 

Promotional caps have been used for decades in the US and other counties. There is a very good reason for this… They work.

 

This is especially so in warmer climates where it is important to keep the sun off your skin.

 

Here in the UK, the message of sun safety is now being heard loud and clear and we have therefore seen a large increase in the sales of promotional caps.

 

There are several things you should consider when choosing a cap to promote your business or organisation.

 

  1. Be sure to find good quality promotional caps that people will want to wear.
  2. Look for promotional caps that come in colours that compliment your corporate look.
  3. Are there any other gifts that could go with your promotional caps for better promotions?

 

 

Find the right promotional gifts for your business should not be a difficult problem. Whether you are looking for promotional caps or printed mugs, your promotional gift supplier should be more than happy to send you samples to ensure you order just the right promos for your business.

 

Here at CompuGift we have specialised in branded clothing such as embroidered polo shirts, jackets and – yes caps since 1997. We are sure we can find just the right promotional gifts for your business within your budget.

 

For more information about promotional caps or any of the other thousands of business gifts we supply, please contact us today on 01642 782455

Food Blogging- How To Get Them To Read Your Post

November 15th, 2011

 

The key to search engine success is to create keyword phrases that make the reader want to find out more!

 

When writing a new headline for a post, it is important that the reader understands what your post will be about and be intrigued enough to want to read on and discover what you have to say.

When you title a blog post, it’s also important to avoid ambiguous phrases, metaphors, and words with double meanings. While this can be an effective tactic for print articles, it can backfire for online text.

When someone reads an article in the newspaper or a magazine, they already know what the publication is about and they can appreciate a play on words as creative or humorous.

If a reader is new to your blog or stumbles across your article online, he may have no idea what your blog is about. The blog may have nothing to do with what they are looking for.

How does this happen? It’s actually very simple. When search engines scan newly created text, they need to correlate the headline to the article text in order to provide relevant search results.

A new blog or website that has not yet been fully indexed in the search engines may not have enough other content for the search engines to fully “understand” what it is about. Use this technique judiciously until your blog is established.

You should also be aware that search engines only display the first 70 characters of the title in the search results. There is some debate in the blogging community about whether short or long titles are more effective for ranking purposes. However, since the reader will only see the first 70 characters or so, it’s important to include the “meat” of the title near the beginning.

This will make it more likely that readers will see it as relevant and click on it.

Avoid too many adjectives and exclamations at the beginning of the title. You have a limited amount of space to work with, so be sure to include a solution word and your product (A recipe name for example) so that readers will see it.

As you get more familiar with blogging, you will probably have many flashes of inspiration of topics to write about. It’s good to go ahead and get them in writing as soon as you can. But when you are sitting down to create a blog post, most blogging experts recommend creating the title first.

This will help set the tone for your post and keep you on track. When your title creates the reader’s expectation, it’s easier to fulfill that expectation in your post.

 

Food Blogging- The Art Of Writing An Effective Headline

November 2nd, 2011


Food Blogging - Effective Headlines - by Dan Toombs

Dan Toombs

What exactly makes an effective headline?

 

An effective headline is one that not only captures the reader’s attention and interest, but also accurately reflects what the article will be about.

Above all, it should have the power to make the reader click on it and read the article. An effective  headline should create the expectation of valuable information in the article.

Think about how you search for information and the articles that you click on.

Chances are you read those that a) sound interesting, and b) seem like they might contain information you have haven’t come across before.

One of the easiest ways to make a headline more effective is to add “solution” or “benefit” words to the subject.

When people are searching online, they are usually looking for an answer to a question. For example, if you were searching for information on how to make that popular Indian curry – Lamb Rogan Josh, how likely would you be to click on a blog post entitled “Good Food”?

Probably not very likely.

That headline does not give you much information as to the contents of the article. It might be relevant, but it’s quite dull and vague. You might be more likely to click on “How To Make Rogan Josh”.

At least it sounds like the article could contain some sort of instruction or helpful hints.

Chances are you would probably read “How to Make a Traditional Lamb Rogan Josh in Five Easy Steps” because it looks like it will provide a solution, and because you believe you will find the information you want.

Phrases that can indicate a solution include how toways towhy you shouldhow you can, and so on.

Words that imply a benefit are quicklyeasilyincreaseimprove,successeffective and results.

To practice creating a good effective headline, let’s call your information  “chocolate cake.”

Simply combine it with solution and benefit words for some engaging headlines:

 

“How To Make A Delicious Chocolate Cake – Easily – Using My No-Fail Recipe”

“5 Ways You Can Make Chocolate Cake Quickly For Large Groups”

“How You Can Improve Your Baking Using  My Chocolate Cake Recipe”

“Baking 101 – Why You Should Try My Chocolate Cake Recipe For Guaranteed Good Results”

 

Obviously, there are many more words you can use. There are also several timeless formats such as the list (The Three Top Reasons To…), the inside secret (What You Need To Know About…) and the question (Do You Know How To…)?

 

The key is to create a phrase that makes the reader want to find out more!

 

To read the next part of this writing series, please click here.

 

If this article has been of any help to you, please let me know by LIKING my business Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/compugift.

 

 

Food Blogging- Post Keyword Rich Content And Your Readers Will Come

November 1st, 2011

 

Food Blogging - Dan Toombs - AKA The Curry Guy

Food Blogging - Dan Toombs - AKA The Curry Guy

Successful Food Blogging must be done with Google and your readers in mind!

 

The Internet is most people’s primary source of information. When they need something, want to know something or want to learn something, they go online to find it.

They may be looking for exactly what you have on offer. What are the chances they will find you? And if they do, what will they find when they get to your website?

Successful food blogging must incorporate informative keyword rich content. This will help direct Google and ultimately more readers to find your blog. It can help position you as an expert and give you authority, credibility, and a competitive edge in your area of expertise.

It is important to get your food blogging right and to consider the most important aspects of search engine happy posts when writing. This is not always easy but over the next few days  I would like to give you some information that will get you blogging down the right path.

I have been blogging for years on several sites for my promotional gifts business and now for my own food blog – The Curry Guy.  The blogging I’ve done on behalf of my business has is responsible for growing my business even during difficult times.

Be sure to let me know if you have any queries as I am always happy to help out where I can.

Let’s look first at writing content.

 

Content: The Heart Of The Matter

When you begin food blogging with search engine optimization in mind, you’ll need to employ a bit of strategy.

If you don’t optimize your blog posts, you are missing out a major part of blogging, and also missing out on great opportunities to attract new readers.

Posts should add value to both your blog and to the reader’s experience.

Your priority should be showcasing your expertise and demonstrating how you have the answers to your readers questions.

At the same time, content needs to be attractive not only to readers but also to search engines. You need to provide the information that people are looking for, but also make it possible for those same readers to find you.

Think of your blog as a storefront. You could have a store with the highest quality products at the best prices and wait for customers to walk in.

If your shop is located on a dark street with no number on the building and no lights in the window, customers will never find it.

They might, however stop at the brightly lit stop on the main road, lured in by the advertising in the windows or the crowds milling about.

When your website shows up high on the search engine results, it is like putting a searchlight in front of the store and giving your customer a map. Not only can it help your readers find you, but when done correctly it can make them want to keep coming back for more.

The opposite is also true. You could have the most attractive and welcoming store in the neighborhood, but if your shelves are empty, you won’t make any sales.

Your readers want to find what they come to your site for.  So over time you need to make sure that the shelves are stocked.  If you don’t update your food blog regularly with new and useful content, people won’t stay for long!

 The content of your blog posts is like the merchandise customers find when they walk in the door for the first time. The post title, or headline, is like the sign hanging over the door.

Tomorrow I will be posting information on how to get those readers to click on your blog through writing traffic grabbing headlines.

If my advice is of any help to you, please let me know by LIKING my business Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/CompuGift. Thank you.

 

Promotional Christmas Gift Ideas- Promotional Laptop Bags For Clients and Employees

September 22nd, 2011

To skip this article and go directly to our range of promotional laptop bags, please click here.

 

Promotional laptop bags - The popular sleeve

Popular low cost laptop sleeve

Looking for and finding the best promotional Christmas gifts can be a daunting task. It is almost impossible to find gifts that will be perfect for everyone on your list. Some of your clients may be into cooking while others are into travel. If you want your promotional gifts to work best for you, you need to pair up the right gifts with the right people. In this day and age, you can rest assured that a lot of your good clients and employees will love receiving promotional laptop bags!

 

The great news is, promotional laptop bags, like most executive gifts can be purchased and personalised in small quantities. Don’t just purchase 500 printed widgets and throw them at your customer list! Instead, choose a small range of gifts and target them at those who will most appreciate them.

 

Promotional laptop rucksacks

The must see laptop rucksack

You may want to purchase 25 promotional sports bags for your sporty clients and promotional cooking gifts for those you know like to entertain. If you have customers or employees who are never far from their laptop, you know your gift of promotional laptop bags will go down a treat with them.

 

Let’s look at some of the reasons promotional laptop bags are so well received by so many.

 

Promotional Laptop Bags For Clients

If you have customers who are often on their laptops, it makes perfect sense that they would love your gift of a sturdy bag to carry their computer in.

 

Of course they will probably already have a laptop bag but these wear out over time. This is especially so with some of the bags available at the larger retail chains. Give them a heavy duty bag with lots of pockets and storage space and chances are they will be switching bags and using your logo printed gift.

 

It is important to remember that when giving executive gifts such as these that you want to keep your branding to a minimum. A nice logo printed or embossed discreetly in one corner of the bag will be all you need to keep your brand in their thoughts.

 

Promotional Laptop Bags For Employees

Giving your employees laptop bags printed with your logo is an excellent way to build your brand and give your business a more professional look. Your employees will enjoy the convenience of having a good quality bag and your clients will appreciate the professional look of your company.

 

Building your brand is easy with printed and embroidered textiles.

 

If you would like more information about using promotional laptop bags to build your brand, contact me on 01642 782455.

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