Long before selfies and influencers, we were into self promotion. #trendsetters Seriously, though, without promotional items, how will customers and clients know about your business?
Don’t look at self promotion with a side eye of disdain. This isn’t about over-the-top sales tactics. It’s about connecting with customers. It’s about sharing your business and helping people who need what you have to offer. It’s about staying top of mind.
That’s why we’re declaring this month Self-Promotion September!
Let’s talk about promotional items as a tool for business and a cost-effective marketing investment.
Consumers like promotional products
Think of a promotional product like a branded pen, journal, or tumbler as a gift. And people like gifts. Yes, this gift has your company branding on it, but if it’s a cool item with usable value, consumers aren’t likely to mind.
Let’s look at the proof: According to this article about the benefits of promotional products, 83% of people appreciate receiving promo items. Plus, 25% of people say they have a more favorable view of a business that gives them a promotional product.
Promotional products have staying power
When you give potential and current customers a high-quality, useful promotional item, they tend to use it more than once.
Check your own home or office! You probably have a notepad, tote bag, or cup branded with a company’s logo that you’ve used several times.
When you see an advertisement in a magazine, you might give it a quick skim before you turn the page or toss the magazine in the recycling bin. But a quality coffee mug, pen or ball cap … those items stick around.
Keep your business top of mind with promo items
A great way to keep your business front and center is by putting your logo on an item that gets used and seen multiple times a day or week.
A travel mug is filled up with coffee each morning. A journal tracks weekly meeting notes. A calendar hangs in the kitchen for 12 months.
Branded items are a subtle reminder of your business. Consumers are subconsciously noting your logo and brand every time they use your promotional product. That means your business is top of the list when they’re ready to buy.
Think about the homeowner in need of a new HVAC unit. They might Google a list of companies in their area. But they’re more likely to call you first because your magnet has been hanging on the refrigerator for 9 months.
That’s the power of promotional products.
The return on promo products is high
The ROI on promotional items makes them a solid use of your marketing dollars. Depending on the item, you might spend a dollar or less. Or you might opt to invest in a few high-end items for a select group of customers.
Overall, though, promotional products are highly visible (one item might be seen by multiple people in an office or household). Plus, they’re used over a longer period of time, which gives them an ROI boost over, say, a week’s worth of digital advertising.
Bottom line: You don’t have to spend thousands of dollars to reap the rewards.
Promotional products are a fun marketing tool
We recommend promotional products as a regular piece of your marketing plan. It’s a great idea to have a stash of pens, notepads, or tote bags for events or as a way to “surprise and delight” customers.
Promo items are also a great way to celebrate special occasions or mark important business milestones.
This year we’re celebrating our 30th anniversary with a customer appreciation party on Sept. 18.
We’re printing transparent stadium cups with a special 30th anniversary logo. We have mint tins with our logo. We’re doing an order of pens that have our phone number and website. And we have rulers in a variety of fun colors because “You rock! We rule!” We’ve added our phone number and website to the rulers as well.
These items are functional and fun. People will use and reuse the cups, pens, and rulers. Even the mint holder can be filled with more mints or repurposed to hold vitamins, earrings, or a tiny pebble collection.
We know drinkware generates more than 3,100 lifetime impressions, and that 63% of consumers will keep and use branded drinkware for at least one year.
Writing instruments like pens generate more than 2,400 impressions over their lifetime. Plus, 30% of consumers are more likely to do business with an advertiser that gives them a logo’d pen.
Branded promotional products are fun, functional, and keep your business front and center with customers and clients.
Join with us in Self-Promotion September! Whether you’re running low on items, want to order something new, or you’ve never done promo pieces, this is the time.
Don’t take your foot off the marketing gas [we talked about that more in this blog post]. Keep sharing your business and spreading the word about how you help customers and clients – one branded pen, coffee mug, or mint tin at a time!
Your options for promotional products are endless. You can search our catalog or contact us for help. Our team can assist you in choosing the right items for your brand and budget.
Check out our website or give us a call at (843) 764-0740 today!
Updated: June 15th, 2026