I’m sitting at my desk.

I have been for the past 20 minutes with serious writer’s block when suddenly the theme for today’s blog hits me.

Promotional desktop gifts are amazing little advertisers! Do you want to no why? Then read on…

I began preparing to write my blog the same way I do every day and that is by pouring myself a cup of coffee. The mug I use is a large Stein mug

Promotional Mugs make excellent promotional gifts and incentives

that was sent to me by EzineArticles – an online article marketing directory. The mug is printed with their logo and the title of a regular challenge/incentive they offer writers to complete, submit and have approved 100 articles in 100 days.

The promotional mug is my favourite mug because it is large and I drink a lot of coffee. It serves as a daily reminder to me that I need to take some time out of my busy day and write an article or two.

I have a matching mouse mat and computer mouse that have been part of my life now – daily – for at least two years. They are printed with with the full colour logo and details of the business that installed and services our office alarms.

I remember one evening – I was working late and the alarm went off in the building. It was a stormy evening and as I had not keyed in the code for months I had completely forgotten it. I called the number on my mouse mat and spoke to someone who was able to give me instructions to turn the alarm off. It was 2.00am but still there was someone there to help me!

I deal with a lot of young start up businesses and always recommend that alarm company whose logo and details I see every day of the week.

I also have a promotional digital photo frame on my desktop which has 144 pictures programmed into it: pictures from my summer holiday with the family to Italy. Every five seconds a new picture comes on the screen and it reminds me of why I work so hard during the week.

I live for family holidays.

The photo frame is engraved with the details of my supplier who imports the photo frames. I think he can feel quite confident that I will send him business whenever possible.

You see, like most people these days, I sit at my desk a lot. The printed products that I have received over the years are a major part of my day to day.

This is what makes good quality promotional desktop gifts so powerful. Giving your customers desktop items that are useful or serve a purpose will help ensure your logo and details are always within eye-sight.

By Dan Toombs

One of our most popular colour change clocks - eye catching and great value for money

What was the last promotional gift you received? Do you still have it? Do you use it? One thing to keep in mind is longevity. Items that are always visible are constant reminders of your services.

Think about things you use every day at work. Here are some ideas that will keep your logo visible for years:

1. One of my favourite items is a nice clock. Everyone uses a clock. Once you have one on your desk like the promotional clock featured, it becomes a habit to look at it several times a day. There are a huge variety of clocks to choose from. All different shapes, sizes, colours and designs from whimsical to elegant. There are enough choices for any budget.

2. Office workers are becoming more aware of ergonomic environments and are now using the gel pad wrist rests for both keyboards and mice. Lots of room for your logo and/or catch phrase.

3. How about a USB hub with your logo? These days people have many different USB devices such as Ipods, phones, printers, etc. You can’t have too many USB ports and having a hub at your fingertips, with your logo of course, is a great accessory.

4. Although this is not a computer accessory, pen/pencil holders are another good way to get that brand out there. Most people don’t like clutter on their desks but a nice container will stay visible. Bright, cheerful colours always improve the mood in a workspace. Not everyone in the office likes the geek gift!

5. Everyone’s favourite is a mouse pad. Always on your desk and looked at hundreds of times a day. Inexpensive but appreciated. Nobody likes a dull mouse pad and it takes years to wear one out.

6. Maybe a digital desktop calendar? There are some that have an arm that quickly swings back and forth and delivers a message. You can program them quite easily and they are quite a conversation starter. This could easily bring your company to mind when they see such an unusual item.

7. It’s always fun to think outside the box. Why not brand a mouse? Receiving a gift like this will surely keep your company in the front of people’s mind.

So have some fun with your promotional gifts. Go crazy! Make your gift fun and memorable. What would you love to receive for your desk? What would put a smile on your face? Top quality promotional desktop gifts are most likely to be used and kept for years to come.

By Dan Toombs

Just one of many popular promotional USB hubs!

Why do companies spend money on promotional items?

The answer is, of course, to improve name recognition and create more sales. This is the reason for all promotion. What many businesses don’t seem to realize is that certain promotional items tend to accomplish this better than others. Desktop promotional gifts, in particular, are a fantastic way to keep a company’s name at a prospect’s fingertips, and logo printed USB hubs are a great way to do this.

There are a few reasons to choose logo printed USB hubs. They’re one of the most commonly used items in an office, especially for computer driven businesses. This means that a USB hub sent as a promotional gift will be used regularly–something that can’t really be guaranteed with other types of desktop promotional gifts. A logo printed USB hub will sit on the user’s desk, and if a company has the foresight to print a phone number or website address on the hub, it can be a powerful day to day reminder for the gift recipient.

Logo printed USB hubs are also fairly inexpensive. When purchased in bulk, their cost can be greatly reduced, far under the cost of a store-bought USB hub. The gift recipient will see the USB hub as a valuable gift, and the business giving the hub won’t have to pay too much for a great brand recognition tool.

As a logo printed USB hub isn’t a very common gift, a business can be almost positive that each hub will see use at the recipient’s office. The gift has a sense of style, and gives off the impression of a serious, professional company with a lot of money to invest in promotional items. This can be crucial when developing business relationships and when trying to get a foothold in any marketplace.

Picture how you’d react if you’d received a logo printed USB hub as a gift. You wouldn’t throw it away or misplace it, the way that you might with a cheaper promotional item like a notepad or a pen. You’d get regular use out of the product, and you’d think highly of the company that sent it to you. A good logo printed USB hub made with high quality parts is a fantastic promotional opportunity and one of the best items that any company can use as a gift or a special bonus, both for employees and for prospective clients.

By Dan Toombs