Five Essential Marketing Items to Brand Your New Business

Keychains, stickers, cups, letter openers, when it comes to branded marketing materials, you can pretty much put your business name and logo on anything. Branded marketing materials help a business stand out, but putting your name and logo on anything and everything isn’t the best for your budget. Running a business is expensive enough, so we’ve rounded up the five branded marketing items you don’t want to skip.

1. Pens

How many times have you received the bill at a restaurant without a pen? Or spent several minutes scrambling through your home looking for a pen? Save others from these hassles and market your business with customizable pens. It will help create brand awareness because people typically carry them in their bags and purses and will see your company name or logo on the pen every time they use it.

Go with black or blue ink to increase the likelihood that people will keep it. They typically won’t hold onto a pen with a different color ink because only black and blue are legally binding. Plus, black and blue ink are easier to see and copy. It’s also better to use a retractable style so the pen won’t color the inside of people’s bags and pockets if the cap comes off or is lost.

2. Envelopes

You won’t be able to get those pens in people’s hands without meeting them or having some sort of encounter with them. However, one way to get your brand into their homes without meeting them is direct mail. But, you won’t get anyone to open your message if you don’t have the right envelope. Depending on what you’re sending, you could go with the standard #10 envelope or use a larger catalog envelope.

Like any other marketing item, you can customize the envelopes with your company name and logo. Your design also should include bold colors to make it stand out among recipients’ mail, as well as a call to action such as “Urgent” or “Open Immediately” to encourage people to open it. Consider including a window to give recipients a peek at the contents. Your message could be announcing an upcoming event or sale at your business, introducing recipients to your business and directing them to your website, or a coupon for recipients’ next purchase. It also could be a catalog, newsletter, or flyer presenting more information about your business.

3. Folders

You must be prepared when customers start reaching out to you for more information. The best way to do that is with presentation folders, because they keep your materials in order and look professional. Create promotional packets to give to prospects or use them to give clients their important documents such as contracts, warranties, or receipts.

Consider a regular file folder instead of a fancy presentation folder to help clients keep documents organized. You can customize the tabs on the file folders with your company name or leave them blank so customers can create their own labels, depending on their filing systems. The tabs make it easier for people to find your folder when it’s filed away with other documents. In addition to the tabs, you also can customize the covers of the folders to match your brand. Here are a few more tips for standard file folders.

4. Bag it up

In addition to getting your brand’s name out there, some marketing materials also can make a statement. For example, if your company is passionate about the environment and reducing your impact on the planet, consider eco-friendly bags. It will support your company’s commitment to the environment by giving others the chance to reduce their use of plastic bags, while also getting your name out there. It also provides people with something that makes their lives easier, which will lead them to associate good feelings with your company.

You can give them out at promotional events and offer a discount at your business when people use them as a way of encouraging their use. Lastly, it puts your brand on the move and makes people walking billboards for your business when they use them at other stores.

5. T-shirts

Another way to make people walking billboards for your brand is with custom T-shirts. Like the bags, you can give them out at promotional events, sell them at your business or on your website, or use them as prizes for company contests.

Make sure the design matches the rest of your branded materials. Keep it simple and pay attention to trends, so that people will be more likely to wear them. This also increases the likelihood that the T-shirt will be on-trend for years to come. While printing promotional T-shirts can be very affordable, be sure not to sacrifice quality for the price. You don’t want people associating cheapness and low quality with your brand.

Branded marketing materials can give your business a boost, but if you don’t use the right ones, they can also drain your business. Research the demographics of your target audience before deciding which item you want to use, so people will feel that you are authentic and have their best interest in mind. There are plenty of items from which to choose, but these tips should help you get the most bang for your buck.

Additional Tip: use branded product packaging

Attractive packaging and presentation can also help set a business’s brand apart from its competitors, and that is why many companies choose to have packaging specially designed for their product. Lesser-known or startup companies may benefit from having custom-made boxes and packaging as it could bring them more customers. If they have the means, they can make their packaging designs appealing and eye-catching to entice shoppers and maintain a unique brand identity.