Traditional advertising and marketing strategies (TV, radio, newspaper, billboards, and cinema advertisements) are often expensive and demand many resources making them out of reach or impractical for startups and small scale companies with a modest budget. That’s where custom t-shirts come in for brand promotion.
Promotional t-shirts are a perfect way to attract and make your brand popular in your niche area. It attracts interest and builds a customer base, and it doesn’t need much on your part. It can be as simple as giving away a customized tshirt with your logo and message to your employees. But a really huge impact can come when you are at an expo or a tradeshow, you can give away your customized tshirts to your customers or the attendees.
Let us get deeper into the subject of how promotional t-shirts can benefit you promote your brand.
T-shirts are always in demand
T-shirts are the best promotional item, they never go out of fashion and are considered a long-lasting promotional item. 81 percent of consumers hold onto promotional products longer than a year, and eight in 10 people give a freebie to someone else, even if they don’t keep it for themselves.
While any freebie can spark interest in your business, tshirts offer far-reaching benefits. Consumers love wearable products that add functional value to their lives. Choose the right tshirt, and people will wear it again and again, marketing your brand everywhere they go.
Which brings us to our next point…
Walking Advertisements
Customized t-shirts are easy to create, cost-effective, and create a group of devoted fans and employees who wear them and become brand ambassadors everywhere they go in the community. Thereby creating high visibility at a lower cost than traditional advertising.
Plus, if it gets on social media such as Facebook or Instagram, you will immediately get many followers and fans, both online and in your neighborhood.
So what are the best ways to utilize promotional tshirts?
Here are a few promotional tshirt ideas to grab attention and grow your business
1. Bring shirts when pitching new clients
Bring a personal touch to pitch meetings by giving tshirts to prospective customers. When buyers plan to start a long-term relationship with a company, meaningful promotions can sway their opinions.
In particular, B2B clients look for vendors they can trust to look out for their interests. Showing appreciation and attention to detail from the start can set you apart from other business owners.
2. Target inactive customers
It’s easy to lose customers who were once regular spenders. Sometimes, inactive customers find better deals from your competitors. Other times, they’re just busy with life and have less need for your product.
In both cases, you can renew relationships by showing customers you value their business. Send free tshirts to inactive customers who have a history of high or frequent purchases. Include a flyer or catalog with upcoming deals that might interest your target customers.
Personalized promotions can boost your response rate and make customers think twice about going to competitors.
3. Host a social media contest
Social media offers the perfect conditions for a fast, effective giveaway. The public nature and speed of social sites can spread awareness beyond your core audience. Use this advantage to host a successful contest and keep your community connected to your business.
Why not host a contest for a branded T-shirt design? That way, participants have higher incentive to win. They earn social credibility with their peers and a custom shirt they can proudly show off.
Give participants a theme related to your business, logo, or tagline for inspiration. People may like your new shirts enough to fork over a few bucks, or at least you have a new design to give to your current customers.
4. Mail products to event attendees
Attending a tradeshow, conference or another business event? Even if you’re just an attendee you can take advantage of this idea.
If you have a booth, you are probably already going to set out a mailing list and gather contact info for prospective customers. Send them a tshirt along with your company info or price sheets. You are more likely to land them as customers this way.
Even if you’re just an attendee you can take advantage of this idea. As you walk around and meet other businesses who may need your services or products, gather their contact info. Then when you’re back in the office you can mail them a tshirt, it really gets the conversation going!
5. Distribute Tshirts at sponsored events
Being a sponsor puts you in a respected position, and attendees are more likely to have positive feelings about your brand.
Get permission from the event coordinator to print custom T-shirts that include event branding. Most people like to keep souvenirs from events they attend.
Putting your business name alongside key event details increases the likelihood that attendees will wear your shirts. If you give shirts out early in the event, you’ll have walking billboards all over the venue.
6. Bundle shirts with a popular product
Whether you’re promoting a new or flagship product, include company T-shirts as a bonus gift. A simple freebie can tip the scale in your favor and encourage customers to make future purchases.
7. Follow-up after a customer service issue
A kind gesture can temper a bad experience, so use freebies to say sorry to unhappy customers. When clients call with a serious customer service issue, they want proof that you care about fixing problems. You can offer a free T-shirt to thank the customer for being patient and bringing the problem to your attention.
Another option is to give shirts as an incentive for people to complete follow-up feedback surveys. Both approaches earn favor in a customer’s eyes, making people feel comfortable giving you repeat business.
Conclusion
Tangible products are an invaluable source of marketing. A relatively small investment can yield years of returns as people display your gear around town.
Think outside the box, and find ways to incorporate T-shirt promotion ideas into your biggest campaigns.