Brand Yourself with Swag
It’s no secret that customers love free things. That’s why swag is always a huge hit: sticky notes, pens, USB drives, key chains, t-shirts, umbrellas, water bottles, and the list goes on. If it’s free, your customer will likely take one, if not two (or more!).
And, you definitely want them to, but only if that swag is properly branded to you. By properly, we mean true to your brand standards.
Before you rush to place a swag order in time for your next open house, pause for a moment. If you rush into things, you’ll run the risk of your swag coming back with incorrect colors, a stretched or squished logo, or completely incorrect contact information. Consistency is paramount when it comes to swag – your logo, color palette, typography, imagery, and voice need to be identical to what you’ve used in your other marketing collateral. If not, you’ll not only create confusion with your customer, but you’ll also devalue the brand you’ve worked so hard to achieve.
We can help! We’ve got the expertise to make sure your swag is designed properly from the get go so that it always has the right fonts, colors, and layout BEFORE it ever gets to the supplier. We’ll even work directly with the supplier on your behalf. At Agent Makeover, we have vendors who specialize in creating swag that we trust to properly handle our customers’ promo materials, right down to the smallest detail.
It’s important to remember that just because a supplier may offer a free design add-on, it doesn’t mean they actually know anything about design.
Picking the right kind of swag for your brand is also important:
- You want to invest in swag that your customer will actually use. A great test to make sure you are buying the right kind of swag is to ask yourself, “Would my target audience like to receive this and would they use it?” If the answer is yes, then place that order!
- Invest in something that will last. Don’t cheap out on your swag. Invest in something that will stand the test of time, just like your brand, and focus on quality over quantity. There’s a big difference between a .25 cent pen and a .90 cent pen. The marginal price difference between the two will be worth it. You want your swag to deliver your message, repeatedly over time, and it’s hard to do that from inside a garbage bin!
Delivery is also important. Sure, you could put the swag out in a basket at your next open house, free for the taking, or you could deliver it personally. Taking the time to shower your customer with some quality one-on-one time will go a long way in establishing a great relationship from the start. Add a little note with the item or even gift wrap it. Treating your swag like a gift rather than a giveaway can also help trigger a reciprocity effect which can in turn lead to better response rates, repeat business, and referrals. And who doesn’t want that?
Contact Agent Makeover today for more tips and techniques on making swag work in your favor!
