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While fostering a legal marketing habit can often be a solo activity, there’s no better inspiration than enlisting the help and support of other firm members. Whether it’s other attorneys or staff, their help, encouragement and ideas are imperative to business development success. Collaboration with others can make your marketing efforts even more powerful, allowing you to keep each other on track, spark new ideas and even join forces in joint marketing efforts and strategies. A true marketing culture can’t be implemented overnight, like anything else it takes hard work, dedication and focused efforts. That being said, here are a few of our best tips for getting other members of your firm to join in your legal marketing journey.

Be a passionate leader.

If you’re going to talk the talk, you must walk the walk. If you’re not committed to marketing and business development, others won’t be either. Be vocal about your plans, your speeches, your networking events, your successes… it will inspire other attorneys and staff to join in your efforts. Enthusiasm is contagious.

Provide training and resources.

For larger firms that can mean working with firm leadership to host a seminar or workshop to kick off a marketing initiative…but it can be even simpler. Share your knowledge. Have you found a great website or blog (like inblackandwhiteblog.com!) that imparts helpful tips? Send it to colleagues. Read a great marketing or business development book? Pass it around the office. Exposure to ideas and strategies can spark action.

Create a forum for results.

Set up a monthly marketing meeting or lunch, where those participating in business development activities can get together to report on their initiatives, share leads and be held accountable for their efforts. It will encourage members to keep on track and make others wonder what they’re missing out on.

Hire extroverts.

Make marketing and business development a part of your hiring practices. Ask potential members what their thoughts on legal marketing are and how they plan to implement them. Bring in lawyers who are extroverted, flexible and able to embrace change. The same goes for support staff or anyone else who can contribute to firm marketing efforts.

Create a plan.

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again. Having plan is crucial to marketing and business development success. Work with other firm members to create an actual marketing plan… on every level. From individual plans to practice groups to an overall firm plan, it will help define what you plan to do and understand where you want to go.

Enlisting help and support in your journey may not be easy, what with billable hours and everyday excuses, but if you can get just a few outspoken and influential members on board it can reap serious rewards for all of you. Remember, marketing culture doesn’t just happen; it’s a process that requires time, effort and most of all FOCUS.

Paula Black has advised law firms around the globe on everything from powerful and innovative design to marketing strategy and business growth. She is an award-winning, Amazon-bestselling author and the force behind In Black & White, a blog dedicated to clear, straightforward advice and open discussion of legal marketing issues. For more information on Paula Black, her books and her company please visit paulablacklegalmarketing.com.

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While fostering a legal marketing habit can often be a solo activity, there’s no better inspiration than enlisting the help and support of other firm members. Whether it’s other attorneys or staff, their help, encouragement and ideas are imperative to business development success. Collaboration with others can make your marketing efforts even more powerful, allowing you to keep each other on track, spark new ideas and even join forces in joint marketing efforts and strategies. A true marketing culture can’t be implemented overnight, like anything else it takes hard work, dedication and focused efforts. That being said, here are a few of our best tips for getting other members of your firm to join in your legal marketing journey.

Be a passionate leader.

If you’re going to talk the talk, you must walk the walk. If you’re not committed to marketing and business development, others won’t be either. Be vocal about your plans, your speeches, your networking events, your successes… it will inspire other attorneys and staff to join in your efforts. Enthusiasm is contagious.

Provide training and resources.

For larger firms that can mean working with firm leadership to host a seminar or workshop to kick off a marketing initiative…but it can be even simpler. Share your knowledge. Have you found a great website or blog (like inblackandwhiteblog.com!) that imparts helpful tips? Send it to colleagues. Read a great marketing or business development book? Pass it around the office. Exposure to ideas and strategies can spark action.

Create a forum for results.

Set up a monthly marketing meeting or lunch, where those participating in business development activities can get together to report on their initiatives, share leads and be held accountable for their efforts. It will encourage members to keep on track and make others wonder what they’re missing out on.

Hire extroverts.

Make marketing and business development a part of your hiring practices. Ask potential members what their thoughts on legal marketing are and how they plan to implement them. Bring in lawyers who are extroverted, flexible and able to embrace change. The same goes for support staff or anyone else who can contribute to firm marketing efforts.

Create a plan.

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again. Having plan is crucial to marketing and business development success. Work with other firm members to create an actual marketing plan… on every level. From individual plans to practice groups to an overall firm plan, it will help define what you plan to do and understand where you want to go.

Enlisting help and support in your journey may not be easy, what with billable hours and everyday excuses, but if you can get just a few outspoken and influential members on board it can reap serious rewards for all of you. Remember, marketing culture doesn’t just happen; it’s a process that requires time, effort and most of all FOCUS.

Paula Black has advised law firms around the globe on everything from powerful and innovative design to marketing strategy and business growth. She is an award-winning, Amazon-bestselling author and the force behind In Black & White, a blog dedicated to clear, straightforward advice and open discussion of legal marketing issues. For more information on Paula Black, her books and her company please visit paulablacklegalmarketing.com.

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While fostering a legal marketing habit can often be a solo activity, there’s no better inspiration than enlisting the help and support of other firm members. Whether it’s other attorneys or staff, their help, encouragement and ideas are imperative to business development success. Collaboration with others can make your marketing efforts even more powerful, allowing you to keep each other on track, spark new ideas and even join forces in joint marketing efforts and strategies. A true marketing culture can’t be implemented overnight, like anything else it takes hard work, dedication and focused efforts. That being said, here are a few of our best tips for getting other members of your firm to join in your legal marketing journey.

Be a passionate leader.

If you’re going to talk the talk, you must walk the walk. If you’re not committed to marketing and business development, others won’t be either. Be vocal about your plans, your speeches, your networking events, your successes… it will inspire other attorneys and staff to join in your efforts. Enthusiasm is contagious.

Provide training and resources.

For larger firms that can mean working with firm leadership to host a seminar or workshop to kick off a marketing initiative…but it can be even simpler. Share your knowledge. Have you found a great website or blog (like inblackandwhiteblog.com!) that imparts helpful tips? Send it to colleagues. Read a great marketing or business development book? Pass it around the office. Exposure to ideas and strategies can spark action.

Create a forum for results.

Set up a monthly marketing meeting or lunch, where those participating in business development activities can get together to report on their initiatives, share leads and be held accountable for their efforts. It will encourage members to keep on track and make others wonder what they’re missing out on.

Hire extroverts.

Make marketing and business development a part of your hiring practices. Ask potential members what their thoughts on legal marketing are and how they plan to implement them. Bring in lawyers who are extroverted, flexible and able to embrace change. The same goes for support staff or anyone else who can contribute to firm marketing efforts.

Create a plan.

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again. Having plan is crucial to marketing and business development success. Work with other firm members to create an actual marketing plan… on every level. From individual plans to practice groups to an overall firm plan, it will help define what you plan to do and understand where you want to go.

Enlisting help and support in your journey may not be easy, what with billable hours and everyday excuses, but if you can get just a few outspoken and influential members on board it can reap serious rewards for all of you. Remember, marketing culture doesn’t just happen; it’s a process that requires time, effort and most of all FOCUS.

Paula Black has advised law firms around the globe on everything from powerful and innovative design to marketing strategy and business growth. She is an award-winning, Amazon-bestselling author and the force behind In Black & White, a blog dedicated to clear, straightforward advice and open discussion of legal marketing issues. For more information on Paula Black, her books and her company please visit paulablacklegalmarketing.com.

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Many who are interested in Internet niche marketing focus on creating websites which either promote products or services which they sell directly or entice website visitors to click on an advertiser’s link. The former is typically considered a commercial website while the latter typically refers to a pay per click website where the website owner profits when the users click on the advertisers’ links. In this article we will examine both types of websites and will discuss options for finding advertisers for each type.

Finding Advertisers for a Commercial Website

As previously mentioned a commercial website is one in which the website offers products or services for sale directly. In this scenario those who operate the website are generally profiting through the sale of products or services. However, this is not the only possibility for revenue. Savvy Internet marketers realize the opportunity for placing advertising on their website. The marketer may still profit from sales through their website but may also profit through these advertisements as well.

One obvious possibility for profit is through sale of advertisement space on the website. In this case the advertiser may pay the website owner a monthly fee to run a particular advertisement for a set period of time. Here the website owner collects their fees in exchange for displaying the advertisement and the profit is not linked to sales generated for the advertiser.

The key to finding advertisers for a commercial website is to select another website which complements your products and services without directly competing for your business. For example a website which sells surfboards and surfing lessons may solicit advertisements from companies who sell bathing suits. This is a symbiotic relationship because the owner of the surfboard website receives the advertising dollars and the owner of the bathing suit website receives the potential for increased website traffic.

When searching for an advertiser it is wise to be prepared to provide them with useful information. Information which will be particularly relevant to potential advertisers is current search engine rankings and recent traffic statistics. This is important because the advertiser wants to know the potential for increased traffic to his website. An advertiser is much more likely to invest in advertising on a top ranking website with high traffic than on a poor ranking website with few monthly visitors.

Finding Advertisers for a Pay per Click Website

Generally speaking, pay per click websites are informational websites which provide content and information relative to the advertisers on the website in an attempt to entice visitors to click on the advertiser’s links. Pay per click campaigns may also run on commercial websites but when this is the case they are considered to be a secondary form of profit.

Finding advertisers for pay per click websites is often a simple process. This process is usually simplified by the fact that the advertiser is not paying the website owner for just placing the ad on the website. The advertiser pays the website owner when visitors click through the link to his website. This lowers the risk for the advertiser by ensuring he is only paying for visitors who actually enter his website.

There are many free programs available, where relevant advertisements are served to websites. Google AdSense is one example of this type of program. In this program, websites are evaluated for content and relevant advertisements are placed on the website each time it is viewed. Some of these advertisements may pay per impression meaning the website owner generates revenue each time the advertisement is displayed but the majority of these advertisements are pay per click meaning the revenue is generated when a user clicks on these links.

There are also other programs available which operate essentially as link exchanges. These programs will require you to display a certain number of advertisements on your website in exchange for each website which displays an advertisement for your website. These programs are very convenient because you don’t have to search for advertisers but the downside is you may not have much control over the advertisements which are placed on your website.

My name is Thomas Anderson, I am the Senior Internet Marketing Consultant at http://www.eznicheriches.com

We specialize in Niche Marketing and using Niche Marketing to increase backlinks and therefore skyrocket your profits and money you can make online. Our other areas of business are Forum Marketing, and Advertising. Our advertising specialities include direct response, PPC, and Mass Control lauches.

If you are interested in seeing what we are all about please sign-up now for our FREE Powerful Niche Marketing eCourse at:
http//www.trafficdriveby.com

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Consultant in Marketing Design, Stephane Bertoux is a specialist in mass market consumer and retail, for which he was a consultant for twenty years (3M, BASF, Carrefour, Masterlock …).
It is also the author of iPhone application TheBrandGenerator.
http://www.thebrandgenerator.com

The Apple Store – 6 facts about marketing strategy for iPhone Apps.

The App Store (which sells application for iPhone and iTouch) is a great business model for Apple, of course, which holds a global distribution network, integrated, with no storage costs or purchases from suppliers software (Apple surrenders a percentage of amounts paid by buyers).

There is currently no verified models, each one launched their apps into the market a little groping, by changing its pricing practice and its strategy days after days.

A key question that arises is the use of free application, to attract consumers and then switch to full versions, paid. The other issue is the level of price elasticity with respect to what the consumer is willing to pay.

In response, the analogy of the Hypermarket, the Nescafé and China seems to be the best way to understand how this market works.

1- Fact 1. Not seen, not sold. The hypermarket’s rules applies to the AppleStore.
The Apple Store (80 000 references) is a large hypermarket. With shelves and products inside. The consumer comes through the door of the App Store, and then visits the various departments: Games, Business, Comics, Books, Education ….
At the entrance of each department, at the head of the shelves, the Best Sellers. In the department, we find first the good sellers. And after, the low sellers. The more sales declines, the more they go to the bottom of the shelves.

2- Fact 2. New market, new products, new consumers : new ways to buy.
An Hypermarket in China. Why in China? There, consuming is very recent. And our Chinese friends are like all of us in the Apple Store.
We are just walking there, we look, we discover, we buy a little. We take our time reading labels in the products. By discovering a whole bunch of stuff that we did not know before. Or things that we knew, but presented differently packaged. And many promotion girls, so pretty, giving us for free to test and to taste new food.

3- Fact 3. Promotion or not promotion, that’s the question !
And Nescafe? Coffee is a new product in China, which is marked by high statut level. I drink coffee, I am modern, as an American. Furthermore it is expensive, I can afford. And coffee is both virile and gives good health, it makes walking neurons more efficiently. Nescafe is experiencing a strong success in China, thanks to a very important advertising investment and a massive presence of facilitators in the stores to promote coffe.

You are therefore in a hypermarket in Shanghai in the aisle which passes the department of coffee. At the department entrance, a nice promotion girl of the Nescafe brand, white shirt, red vest, black skirt : she awaits behind his booth.

4- Fact 4. Promotion can be only brand communication. Are brands so important in the AppStore?
You walk past her, she offers a smile to taste a cup. If you have a bit hungry, time, or you’re stingy, you will take the cup and drink. That’s all. And you will buy the brand  you want and maybe even ground coffee.

If you are already a consumer of Nescafe (and you’re hungry, thirsty …), you take the cup. You will find it’s nice from your brand to give you a small unexpected gift, and to share with others my brand, and this gives you self-value (self-enhancement: “My brand gives gift to everyone, it’s really a nice brand, my brand”). Maybe you will think that there is not so much coffee at home and you will buy one. And if it was on the shopping list … you would have bought anyway.

And if you do not like coffee: zero effect.
You did not even saw the promoter.

5- Fact 5. Viral marketing and on store promotion : when the promotion kills the viral communication.
You are a Chinese countryman which has just arrived in town.
You learn plenty, you’ve never seen so many things, strange things which you had no idea. Yet it is written in Chinese, yet you do not understand well. You see the girl with her cup, coffee is written. What’s the coffee? Something for long-nose, certainly, it must be disgusting, it’s complicated, what’s the point? So complicated that you dare not even get close to the girl, you’re afraid of being thought a fool.

You get back into your construction camp, where 15 of your mates housed during construction. One of your neighbors offers you a of coffee, but before explaining you how to drink it, when, and why it’s good, and even it gives status! When you will hit your pay, you will buy it, and bring it back to the village, to show that you are not anymore a peasant.

If by cons you tasted the coffee offered by the demonstrator, because she was pretty, you would immediately spat out: “Bouah, what’s that thing wich stinks vomit? Another devilish long-nose thing ! ” And returned to barracks you have told your friend: “You drink this yucky stuff you? I tasted, it’s not for me!”

Nescafe is relatively expensive for a Chinese, but because it’s a good product and well done. There are now Chinese brands, although cheaper, certainly not so good (the consumer thinks as it’s cheaper, it’s worst). Nestlé can sell much cheaper, but they will have no longer the ressources to do so much communication. And the margin will  decline dramatically (this is not a linear curve).

6- Fact 6. Have an adapted strategy with the apps kinds.
All this applies perfectly to the App Store: to offer a free test is a good strategy, if the apps is a simple and know concept (a racing game), and if there is a strong competitive environment. Communication will help with offering consumers little more (tips, tutorial,…)
For a product more complicate, new for the consumer: it will not work, there is even a risk to kill the product by a negative buzz.

Having a low price is necessary if it is a staple stuff, with great competition. If the apps has some interesting functions or marketing differences, then the consumer will be willing to pay the price.

And the consumer will be a product ambassador, as he has paid a “good” price an application that he will use it, and being it’s own demonstrator.

Consultant in Marketing Design, Stephane Bertoux is a specialist in mass market consumer and retail, for which he was a consultant for twenty years (3M, BASF, Carrefour, Masterlock …).
It is also the author of iPhone application TheBrandGenerator.
http://www.thebrandgenerator.com
blog about brands : http://thebrandgenerator.blogspot.com

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Every year millions of people turn to the Yellow Pages.  Most of these people do not know who they’ll be buying from, but they are ready to make a buying decision.

Naturally, a consumer can only choose from the options they see before them; their decision “field” is limited by the companies who appear when they open the directory.

Is your company represented?  Remember, people who have made the decision to do business with you already, will look you up specifically.  The Yellow Pages is your ticket to reach everyone else.

What’s especially important about the Yellow Pages, is that it also gives you the opportunity to put your best foot forward.  It a place where the power of your words can give you a tremendous edge over the competition.

Good ads build loyalty.  They convince a consumer that you’re the best option among all of the choices available.  That’s a truly powerful opportunity.

The lesson here is that the purpose of your ad is not just to tell a prospect what you can offer them – as in the list of services, products, or brands you carry – but why you are a better option than the competition.  Remember, your competition offers prospects essentially the same things you do. That’s why you’re in the same category. The key is to highlight what they can get from you that they won’t get anywhere else, and to do it in a way that’s more noticeable and attention grabbing than anyone else.

Remember, a decision among several options is based on perceived value – and your ad content is what creates that value for your prospects.  By focusing only on details that add value to what you provide, you give your company a leg up on everyone else.

Differentiate yourself.  Show an eager prospect what makes you different and better than the companies that surround you.  That’s what makes the Yellow Pages – as a medium – so unique.  And time and time again, the right ad content gets you noticed, builds your credibility, and gets eager prospects to buy.

About the Author: Jared Andrews is a marketer, ad designer, and business owner who helps other business owners get better results in their advertising. He has experience marketing local services like plumbing, dentistry, and attorney services and consumer goods including electronics, dj headphones, office products and more.

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Here are 10 simple to use tips and tricks to increase your Affiliate Earnings by using some of these CPA Marketing Techniques. I put these ideas together as a inspiration for your to develop your own successful marketing strategy, one of the best hints I´m able to give you is to be Innovative, so feel free to develop your own marketing tactics and techniques to maximize your Affiliate Comissions!

Now here now Some Ideas to Think about:

1. The “Spent A Lot” Spell
Tell your prospects that you have spent hundreds/thousands of dollars on different products but nothing ever worked this good. Your prospects most likely have spent tons of money on the same types of products too. That will help them relate to you and trust your judgment.

2. The “Biggest Benefit” Spell
Tell your prospects the best benefit that you have received from the product and how it improved your life. Your prospects might purchase the affiliate product if it’s the biggest benefit that they need or want.

3. The “Not The Only One” Spell
Tell your prospects that you are not the only one that recommends the product and have them check out what other customers are say about it. Your prospects will believe you quicker if other people who have used the product are saying the same thing.

4. The “Crazy Or Not” Spell
Tell your prospects they would be crazy not to purchase the product. Your prospects will think it must be a good product because you are calling them crazy if they don’t buy and you could lose money in the future insulting them that way.

4. The “Only My Opinion” Spell
Tell your prospects it’s only your opinion but the product is amazing. Your prospects will feel it’s less of a sales pitch because you are telling them itís only your opinion. They will let down their buying defenses when they aren’t being sold to.

5. The “Outdone Themselves” Spell
Tell your prospects that you knew the business put out quality products but that they’ve outdone themselves this time. Your prospects like to do business with people that over-deliver on their product. They especially will like it if they know how reliable the business is before they release the new product.

6. The “Percentage Bribe” Spell
Tell your prospects that you will give them a percentage of your affiliate commissions if they buy the product through your link. Your prospects will relate it to getting a rebate for buying the product.

7. The “Long Term” Spell
Tell your prospects specifically how long ago you purchased the product and all the long-term benefits you’ve gained and continue to receive. Your prospects will be influenced to purchase the affiliate product because of you telling them about all the long-term benefits that you have received from it.

8. The “Pays For Itself” Spell
Tell your prospects that the product will pay for itself fast. Your prospects will buy an affiliate product quicker if you can show proof of how it has paid you back. They will want to get the same payback as you.

9. The “One Word” Spell
Tell your prospects it only takes one word for you to describe the product, for example, ësuperb.í Your prospects won’t have to spend a lot of time reading your affiliate offer for them to get the point. Just make sure the word is really persuasive.

10. The “Told Loved Ones” Spell
Tell your prospects that you are not only recommending the product to them but to your family members and close friends. Your prospects will really trust your offer because you are even endorsing it to the people you really, really care about.

The most profitable way to Earn Money Online is by Far CPA affiliate marketing, get your Free Free CPA Marketing Blueprint, discover the 2 fastes and easiest way´s to succeed with CPA affiliate Marketing! There are only 100 Copies left, so you should take Action Now!

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Teleseminars are one of the most robust ways to engage your audience, no matter if they are prospects, buyers, or just friends. Traditional new product introduction in fast moving consumer markets. involves just that engagement. Many large multi-national consumer products companies do extensive surveying and testing before investing in new product introductions. Market segmentation, geographic diversity, are all part of the mix of marketing research. What sells in Kansas might flop in Seoul. You must do the same before you conduct a teleseminar.

When you are doing marketing on a smaller scale, either in your local community, to a group of like consumers or across the world on the internet you must use similar tactics. My favorite saying is when you believe in your own b.s., you act at your own peril. Thus as information marketers, we should employ the simple concept of asking the market we are serving what theywant in order that we meet their needs.

When planning a teleseminar on a subject, use a registration method which lets the market tell you their biggest concerns about the topic of interest. An example of this technique is the page setup below:

“What is your most burning question about using Teleseminars ” or “As a marketer what’s your single most important question about using Teleseminars”. You can have this set up on a web page where you drive traffic with Pay-Per Click Marketing Advertising or your send a link to the page via email to potential attendees. When the prospect arrives on the page, they are welcomed and asked a question they want an answer to and then asked to enter their question, name and email address on that page. As soon as they press the “Enter” or “Here’s my Question” button they are redirected to a Thank You Page giving them the call details and timing of your upcoming Teleseminar.

You have accomplished two objectives. One you have learned exactly what they want to know or have covered on the call and you have their name and email address for follow-up, and future marketing. Seems simple, ask them what they want and give it to them. Too many marketers achieve less than stellar results by assuming and not asking, therefore delivering content that may not be as targetted.

This Teleseminar Ask Method assures success because it asks the market, uses the telephone as the media and allows you to deliver your message. By engaging your prospects in a two-way dialogue versus a monologue you improve your chances of success with your teleseminar.

To take advantage of this marketing muscle, you can use the Ask Database ™ software which will automate your data collection, presentation and analysis. One of the great proponents of Teleseminars is Alex Mandossian, a renowned educator and creator of the Teleseminar Secrets Training Program. He saw the need for this dialogue and created the software with partners. It provides for a wide variety of survey types including Multiple choice and Open-ended questions. It is easy to use, and provides for web-templates that can be used as standalone web pages or integrated into your website or blog. It allows you to put up a campaign within 5 to 10 minutes and comes with comprehensive analysis tools to help you sift, sort and examine your results.

You can use Teleseminars to grow your business, simply, quickly and without programming skills. Learn Teleseminar Secrets and use the Ask Database™ and turbocharge your results and customer satisfaction

If you want to succeed quickly in marketing and teaching please visit Teleseminar Secrets where you can learn how to turn a yearly income into a monthly income and much,much, more.

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There are vast number of different styles, price ranges and ideas to choose from when considering promotional items. And while some gift ideas may be perfect for promoting a new product or service, others may not be a good fit for your business at all. Knowing what excites and interests your target market is the first step towards investing in a promotional gift that will have the positive and long-lasting impact on your customers that you expect.

Choosing the best promotional merchandise for your business marketing also depends on the industry sector you are targeting.

Branded promotional mugs can be a great choice for many organisations that are office-based but if you are a business that specialises in outdoor gear, you might want your customers to associate you through a like-minded promotional item such as a water bottle or a sports bag.

If you exhibit at trade shows, you can find specific products that are ideal for the event and environment. Consider the potential of personalised pens, promotional folders and promotional carrier bags for your visitors to keep the new materials in as they wander around.  Or think about gifts with a real impact…something unusual and unique that will help you stand out from the crowd!  Don’t forget…your choice reflects your company!

In addition to matching up your product to the right environment, you will want to look into the cost of the promotional items you are considering. You can have the greatest idea in the world, but it might be out of your budget. In that case, look for a gift in the same genre that is more cost-effective for your business.

Visit http://www.codepromotional.co.uk/ today…it’s not as daunting as it seems!

Code Promotional Merchandise is an online distributor of promotional items for businesses, charities and the eductaion sector. Our website at www.codepromotional.co.uk has access to over 100,000 products from over 2,500 suppliers worldwide.

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Love or hate them, promotional giveaways play an important part in the promotional mix. This promotional mechanism is very versatile and can be given to a variety of customers including business clients, media contacts or to the general populace at exhibitions. Sourcing the right promotional gift is wrought with pitfalls in design, sourcing and even proofing. Get it right and promotional giveaways can play an important part of an exhibition, product launch or even create that lasting image at the end of a sales call.

Promotional gifts should be useful. If they are for a valued client, you must ensure that they are of a significant quality, otherwise the gift will backfire. According to the British Promotional Merchandise Association (BPMA) the most popular gifts are diaries, mouse mats, calculators, pens, calendars, post it notes, desk pads and pencils. The most unusual first according to this association are seeds, money boxes, fluffy toys, air fresheners, ornaments, wooden jigsaws and snow globes.

The best promotional gifts support your company brand where other mediums couldn’t reach e.g. In an office environment, your brand could be visible on mobile phone holders, note pads, pens, on even a mouse mat. However there is nothing worse to have gone through all the hard work in sourcing, vetting and ordering only to have them thrown way of given to the children as novelty item.

You must make sure that the promotional item is in keeping with your company profile. If you are importing via the Far East, make sure that the goods meet required import and safety standards.

Promotional gifts or giveaways can achieve many things:

- Increase brand awareness. The more you see a product or brand message, the more its sticks in a customer head. It must be targeted so you shouldn’t give anything tacky to an important client.

- As part of a sales campaign. Top end merchandise can be used as a prize to an internal or external sales campaign.

- Product Launch. Promotional gifts are a great way of adding value to a product launch

- Brand loyalty. Promotional gifts can act as a reward for brand loyalty. You only have to see that all the top brand in world still use promotional gifts as part of their marketing strategy. If you brand occupies a premium setting then it will have more impact and may be sought after by brand advocates.

- Sponsorships/Charities. You may not be able to supply sponsorship to a charity looking to raise funds, but you can supply promotional goods.

- Influence purchases. Promotions gifts may influence a reseller’s future purchase.

- Provide a service to your resellers. Bags, shirts, stationery help save your reseller money, as they don’t have to buy those items themselves. It also gets your brand out visibly at the point of purchase.

- As a simple thank you. A promotion gift is an ideal way to say thank you to a valued customer.

The final test though to see if a promotional giveaway is worth giving, is to ask yourself this question. Would you like to receive it or use it? If the answer is no, then find something else.

Click for more miscellaneous business tips.

Ian Lockyer
www.easimarketing.com

I am fully qualified marketing professional with a wide range of marketing and digital experience. Since July 2004 I have been a Chartered Marketer. I am also a Fellow of the Institute of Direct Marketing. I have a passion for the internet and using new technology for marketing. I enjoy understanding and using new technology as part of the marketing mix. I passionately believe that the internet and, most recently, social media are fundamentally changing the way organizations need to act online.

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