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You've decided you want to purchase some promo items for your business — now what?

When it comes to getting brand recognition, there are some things you should consider when looking at what promo products make the most sense for your business and industry. 

Let's go over some questions you should ask yourself before you start your first order.

What is your end game?

How and where do you plan to use your promo products? Will they be giveaways at a tradeshow? Part of a swag bag for clients or new employees? Available in your office lobby for guests?

An idea of how you plan to use and distribute them will help narrow down the types of products you want to explore.

Tip: Keep your marketing goals in mind. If you are marketing your services as someone in the real estate space, keychains would be the most logical choice over a lanyard.

How much are you willing to spend?

Not all promo products have to be expensive to leave a lasting impression. The main thing you want to keep in mind is usability: how practical is this product? Is it something that will be used once and discarded, or does it offer lasting value?

Knowing what your budget is will allow you to narrow down what types of products you want to look at purchasing.

How many do you need?

Depending on where you plan to use/distribute your promo products, this can be a tricky question to answer.

If you're hosting an event that will have 100 people, sending 200 branded coffee mugs might not make the most sense. However, if you're attending a tradeshow with an estimated 3,000 attendees, having more than 200 cups on hand to give out to attendees is the smarter choice. 

Tip: Calculate your ROI. If you're unsure of how many of an item you should order, as you may use them for more than one event, a great way to determine the answer is to calculate your ROI.

You can do this by taking the number of expected impressions multiplied by the number of products you order. Then divide your total budget to see the CPM (Cost Per Impression).

Example: 6,000 impressions x 300 items = 1,800,000 impressions

$2000 total investment / 1,800,000 =$1.12 CPM

To put this into perspective, the average Google Display Network digital ad garners around $2.80 CPM.

When do you need it?

Promo items can take time — depending on the product, sourcing materials can be tricky, as many manufacturers struggle with maintaining inventory.

A good rule of thumb is to give yourself 2-4 weeks — this should give you a nice buffer, so even if there is a delay, it will still arrive before you need it.

Do you have a designated person/team to handle your promotional products?

Regardless of the size of your company, having a dedicated person in charge of your promo products will save you lots of headaches in the future.

This person should be able to submit high-quality vector artwork to the vendor and coordinate where the final product will be shipped (is it going straight to a convention center or your warehouse?). 

Having your internal person work with a dedicated promotional product professional is a great way to ensure that any questions get answered quickly, whether on what product inventory looks like or suggestions on which items to purchase.

Let's recap what we've discussed:

• Know how you want to use your promo products

• Know your budget

• Know how many you need to order

• Know when you need it by

• Know who will be in charge of ordering

Here's a final tip if you're looking for what products garner the most results:

• Bags

• Hats

• Pens

• Hoodies

• T-shirts

From tech to travel, quality is king — and guaranteed at Streamworks. Please let us know if you're not 100% satisfied with your order or experience. We'll make it right.

So go ahead. Brand it. Give it. Wear it. Tote it. And let your design do the legwork—with Streamworks Promotional Products.