Finding new clients and getting them to sign on the dotted line can be a real hard sell for many businesses. In a post recessionary business environment, it’s a dog eat dog world and there seems to be no let up in sight.
The only way to rise to the top of the heap is to be resourceful and creative, not only with your products, services and pricing, but your advertising and marketing as well.
Promotional USB drives are one of the newest ways to build sales and customer loyalty. Promotional items themselves have been a staple of business marketing for decades. Imprinted calendars, magnets, baseball caps, water bottles, mugs and the ever present pens are basic tools in the marketing toolbox.
But only recently have small businesses begun to consider promotional USB drives instead of the same old, same old of promotional items that aren’t as appreciated as they once were by prospects and customers alike. In fact, some of these items can do more harm than good. An ill conceived item can be perceived as cheap and tacky, ending up in the trash bin instead of serving as a valuable marketing tool.
Promotional USB drives never end up in the trash. That’s because they are so useful to the recipient, who can store files on them to take back and forth to work.
Let’s face it. The average customer loves technology, especially the latest high tech gadgets. While promotional USB drives have been around for a time, their growing storage capacity, lower costs and more powerful and faster sharing capabilities, have just begun to make them an indispensable part of people’s lives.
Instead of giving a new customer another pen they don’t need, why not give them promotional USB drives that are branded to your company? You can add your logo, marketing message, and contact information and even use your corporate colors to create a definite impression in your customer’s head.
Promotional USB drives say that you are forward thinking, professional, caring and very aware of the importance of maintaining and delivering on the reputation you’ve built for your community.
While the shelf life of a pen is as long as the ink lasts, a high quality drive can last up to 10 years. Imagine the power of a marketing tool that continues to be out in front of your customers’ eyes every single day for a decade. That is not only powerful, but also extremely cost effective for a small business.
If you’re worried that the technology won’t last or that something better will come along, don’t worry. USB ports will be in computers for many years to come. In fact, they’re improving the standard, not replacing it. Right now, USB 3.0 drives are coming out on the market, which provide faster transfer of data and are completely backwards compatible. So you never have to worry about your promotional USB drives becoming obsolete because they’re even compatible with older USB ports.
Here’s some tips for making your drives a marketing powerhouse:
- Work with your designer to create a drive that supports your branding. Use your corporate colors and logo and be sure that you include contact information.
- If you want to kick your marketing up a notch, consider a custom design. There are literally thousands of designs out there these days, from super slim credit card promotional USB drives to special shapes.
- Consider exchanging the drive for some information about the customer. For example, you can have them fill out a quick contact form first so you can generate a lead and follow up with them later one.
- Add sales information that will run automatically the first time the customer inserts the drive. This can include coupons, a video, slide show or product/service information. The possibilities are only limited by your imagination.
Promotional USB drives are a great marketing tool for businesses. Not only will your customers and your prospects appreciate them, but also they can set you apart in a crowded marketplace, pushing your business ahead of your competitors. And that is smart business indeed.