Putting a thrifty twist on your promos can give you more bang for your buck. There are countless inexpensive promotional items that can work their low-cost promo magic to boost your branding, create awareness and show appreciation.
Check out these low-cost and low-minimum promotional products and creative ideas on how to use them. With useful items, like a pen that generates an average of 2,436 impressions, less can be more (PDF).
Giveaways under 50¢
Want to generate engagement with your brand? Host a poetry or short story contest, and ask participants to create an original piece about your organization. Give everyone who participates a pen imprinted with your organization’s message. Put the stories or poems on your website, on social media pages and in company newsletters, and let people vote for their favorites. Winners receive a discount or freebie.
Create a “Token of Appreciation” campaign where anyone who makes a purchase receives a wooden token to pass on to a friend, family member or colleague. Each token can be returned to your organization for a small discount, reward or entry into a larger prize drawing.
Organize a scavenger hunt in your office, around the community or at your next trade show. Candy is a tasty and inexpensive promotional item you can attach to clues to make them stand out. Or kick the games up a notch by working with partner organizations to create a bingo card. Each square on the card represents a different business. When people shop at one of them, they get a magnet to help fill up their card. Winners get a special co-branded prize.
Giveaways under $1
Want to fill their cups, literally and figuratively? Provide a snack station for employees, customers or community members. Hand out color-changing cups filled with iced coffee or a delicious smoothie. Imprint the cups with a message of thanks, and encourage people to bring the cups back next time they visit for an exclusive freebie.
Host an appreciation open house for employees and their family members. Invite everyone to stop in for refreshments, an office tour and some fun games. A ring flyer is a great budget giveaway that can be used to encourage some friendly competition. Winners get bragging rights and a ring flyer to take home.
Help team members stay healthy by distributing wellness kits that include chicken soup packets, tea and tissues. Show extra care by teaming up with a health clinic to provide information about wellness-related services and clinics. Involve the community by participating in health and wellness fairs. Draw attention to your brand by distributing useful items, like a pill organizer.
Giveaways under $2
Increase social media engagement with a travel-themed contest, where you invite friends and followers to submit their most amazing travel stories or one-of-a-kind tips for a chance to win a themed gift. Encourage participation by giving luggage identifiers or globe stress balls to everyone who contributes.
Hold a vehicle safety day, and have a mechanic available on-site to check tires, top fluids and change oil. Provide virtual team members with a gift card for a preventive maintenance checkup near them. Give everyone who participates a tire gauge as a useful tool and memento.
Sponsor a sports team or race, and hand out cowbells imprinted with your brand. Encourage fans and spectators to create unique cheers or chants to accompany their cowbells, and post the results using a special hashtag.
Giveaways with low minimums
Want to engage your audience but need only a few promotional products to do so? We’ve got you covered. Invite employees to participate in a fundraiser where with every donation, they get to spin a prize wheel for a chance to get a donation match. Fidget spinners make great budget giveaways to thank people for their participation.
Foster goodwill by hosting a movie or concert series. Set up a welcome station, and hand out folding chairs to the first 20 people to arrive. Offer an exclusive seating pass to those who bring their chairs back during the next event.
Launch a partnership promotion that encourages participants to shop local. Give everyone a tote bag that contains a list of stores and restaurants that provide discounts to anyone who shops using the tote.
Inspire continuous professional growth for employees. Give each team member a journal, and encourage them to jot down their short- and long-term goals. Invite them to meet with a mentor to set practical strategies and establish methods to show accountability as they strive to reach their objectives.
Generate budget-friendly buzz with inexpensive promotional items
Inexpensive promotional items can transform into invaluable assets that help your brand reach its goals. With thoughtfulness and creativity, your organization’s strategies can be successful and cost-effective.