Boost Your Social Media with Creative Promotional Products

The first promotional product was a commemorative button that dates back to 1789, when George Washington was elected president. Who knew? Today you’ll need more than a button, though, to promote your brand. For instance, you’ve got to have a creative and engaging social media presence.

How do you accomplish that, especially if you are a small business with little time? Try marrying the two. Follow GW’s lead and use creative promotional products to liven things up in your social channels. We have some fun ways to marry creative promotional items with social media for a totally unique experience. They can help your brand stand out from the crowd.

Create a contest and give away cool promotional items to the winners.

Contests are a fun way to make your business relatable and engaging. Come up with a unique angle, something related to your brand, and then entice participation through unique promotional gear. Make something out of the ordinary – maybe a custom jacket or a custom shirt with a one-of-a-kind spin on your logo. It’ll help your contest gain traction, as people will be more likely to share the details with their social media followers.

Show your team wearing custom gear around the office and at group activities

Everyone loves brands that walk the talk. They feel more original and personable. So pull out that smart phone and take some candid shots of your team wearing cool creative promotional gear. Challenge your team members to share the photos with their friends to help grow your audience. Perhaps even offer followers fun promotional items for the best captions.

Build brand loyalty and smooth over issues by sending unique promotional items

Reward your most engaged followers with something extra special. It’ll strengthen your relationship. Conversely, send something special to unhappy customers to help smooth over problems too. Creative promotional products that aren’t something that just anyone can pick up make people feel special. They are one-of-a-kind. It’s a great way of building loyalty and smoothing over problems once the needed solutions are in place.

Four Office Birthday Ideas To Help Celebrate In Style!

Birthdays are a special occasion that should be celebrated no matter where you may be on the big day. For many, that means the office will be the location for a little birthday fun.  To help get you started on brainstorming, here are four office birthday ideas that are sure to make the day memorable.

Plan a Surprise

Meetings are an everyday occurrence in most offices. Why not turn a morning meeting into an unexpected birthday celebration! Surprises help make a birthday special, plus it’ll be entertaining for the rest of the team too. Start by decorating the meeting room with  a fun theme. For example, if you know that the birthday guy or gal loves football, decorate the space with a sports-themed tablecloth, balloons and confetti . Don’t forget to grab these football-themed custom koozies for the perfect birthday toast.

Skip the Cake

Cake and candles can be a cliché way of celebrating a birthday. Why not serve up their favorite dessert instead? If they don’t have a favorite, try some mini cupcakes in a variety of flavors from a local bakery. Have the birthday person pose with their dessert so that you can celebrate them on your company’s social media pages.

Gift a Custom Birthday T-shirt

A custom birthday t-shirt is a great way to make an office birthday memorable. Create a custom shirt by adding a funny birthday quote or design like “I can’t keep calm it’s my birthday” or “Keep calm and celebrate my birthday”. The creative possibilities are endless.

Decorate their Cubical

Make office birthdays extra special with creative cubical decorations. Here are a few ideas:

·         Arrange sticky notes to spell out “happy birthday” on their desks.

·         Sprinkle their desks with confetti and their favorite candy.

·         Change their regular desk supplies with branded happy birthday supplies.

When it comes to office birthday ideas, remember to make it personal, be creative and have fun! Celebrating birthdays with your team will show your fellow co-workers that you truly value them as a friend and fellow employee. 

Millennials Changing Company Dress Code Guidelines

Think you know how to dress in a modern day workplace? Office dress code is becoming less about the three piece suit and more about personal style. The days of wearing a suit and tie or tights to the office are becoming less common. Many companies are adopting a more casual dress code by making Khakis, jeans and polo’s the new norm.

In the past, business casual was only tolerated on one day of the week: casual Fridays. Now offices are allowing casual Friday every day of the week to keep their employees happy. Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s famous CEO is notorious for his casual attire. On many occasions Zuckerberg has been spotted wearing Jeans and  a t-shirt to important stockholder meetings. Many other Millennials are use to a more casual style and deem traditional office attire as a thing of the past. As a business owner, it’s important to be aware of the change in office culture expectations and see what trends are ahead. If you’re not quiet sold on implementing a casual dress code in your office here are three reasons to consider it.

Benefits of Casual Dress Code

·         Allows for employees to be themselves and express their individual personality and style.

·         Casual clothing is often more loose fitting and comfortable to allow for better productivity.

·         Transitioning from day to night is less of a hassle, especially for team outings or other networking events.

If you want to make your company more appealing to a younger generation, allow for a casual atmosphere. Whether we accept it or not, Millennials are changing company dress code guidelines in the business world. If you’re not ready to let jeans into your workplace, it’s okay. Slowly adjust your dress code by allowing khakis or polo’s to show that your company is open to change.  

Tricks of the Trade Show: Effective Marketing Tools

You may be asking yourself, how can I stand out at the next tradeshow? In today’s marketplace, whether you’re selling online, at a brick and mortar or both, you need effective marketing tools to compete. One of the most powerful ways you can stand out is to encourage your customers to talk about you. Don’t be afraid of it, embrace it.

Using promotional products to heighten brand awareness is still a successful marketing tactic used across the country. According to an ASI Global Advertising study, 31% of the recipients reported a high likelihood of doing business with the advertiser after receiving a promotional product and 87% could identify the advertiser associated with the item.

Here are three ways to stand out from the crowd at your next trade show:

1.    Custom T-shirts are a visual way for your consumer to share your brand with their friends. Whether they wear it to the gym or wear it to the grocery store on a Sunday, you’re getting added exposure face-to-face, not just online. That’s why you want to ensure your branded apparel is comfortable, good quality and has that “cool” factor. Consider adding a quote or memorable message to the back of the t-shirt; it’ll help keep your audience engaged.

 

2.    Giveaways are always exciting because people love free stuff. Promote your trade show booth online and get the word out about what you’re giving away at your booth. This will no doubt increase foot traffic and sales opportunities.

3.    Be social. Most likely your audience is already on Facebook and other social channels. User generated content is like gold, and it will help you acquire a larger audience of potential customers. Remember, nobody wants what nobody knows.  

What marketing tactics are you implementing in 2014 to reach your business goals?

How to Throw an Affordable Office Party

Throwing an affordable office party can be tough, if you don’t have a plan. First, start by asking yourself what the budget is, how many people may attend, and will there be entertainment or food? Making a list of the logistics will help you stay on budget so you don’t overspend.

Whether you’re hosting a 4^th of July party or something simple, make it memorable for your team with custom t-shirts. If you’re celebrating the 4^th of July, go the extra mile with red, white or blue made in the USA t-shirts. Add your company logo and a fun message or quote on the back to boost team morale.

USA Made Favorite Tee

For the location, choose a nearby spot such as the lobby or conference room. If you have a larger crew go to a local park to encourage participation and save on rental costs. Instead of hiring a caterer, ask everyone to BYOD (bring your own dish). Serve a signature drink that fits with your theme, to keep it simple.  

Every party needs entertainment, but that doesn’t mean you have to splurge on an expensive band. Instead set up a mini bag toss game, paddle ball or wooden puzzles. This will encourage your team to interact, socialize and connect away from the office, on a personal level.

                                                                Tower Wooden Puzzle

                                                             Beach Paddle Ball Set

                                                              Mini Bag Toss Game

Most importantly, don’t stress out, and have fun. You’ll be ready to throw an affordable office party in no time.

Boost Your Business! Top Promotional Strategy Tips for Summer

With the weather heating up, now is the time to whip your marketing strategy into shape. Here are three fun promotional strategy tips that will be sure to make your brand sizzle this summer.

1.     Host a Business Barbeque

What better way to show your employees appreciation than with good food? Throw a fun BBQ to celebrate their hard work throughout the long cold winter. Their dedication means a lot to the success of your company, and rewarding the team will only make them work harder for you.

2.     Summer-ize your company store

Add new items like our 100% organic cotton t-shirts, koozies, personal coolers and more. Promotional outerwear is fun for your employees, and it’s amazing promotion for your business too. New looks for the summer will help boost engagement in your company store, so start looking now for new summer styles.

3.     Give back to your loyal customers

Offering discounts and coupons are great ways to re-engage your existing customers and discover new ones. Social media and email are two smart ways to promote your discounts. Leverage custom images and professional product shots with your content for a bigger impact. Visit our Facebook page to see what discounts we’re offering this month.

Do you have a summer marketing strategy? Tell us how you’re using promotional products on our Facebook page and we might feature your story. 

How to Prepare for a 5K Run

Running a 5k with your team is a great way to build morale and team spirit. Plus it gets everyone out of the office! Quality time away from their desks can bring a team closer together and make employees more productive. If your team has never run long distances before, you may be wondering how to prepare for a 5k run. Here are a few ways to get ready before you hit the pavement.

Choosing a Charity

Deciding which cause you want to support is important. Do you have a family member who suffered from cancer or a love for animals? Maybe you want to help underprivileged children in your community or veterans of the military. Visit www.runforcharity.com to search for a charity in your city. You can also search for running events and sign up your team.

Practice Makes Perfect

A 5k is 3.1 miles, and if you’re a beginner you’ll want to prepare in advance to prevent injury and fatigue. Start with a walk/run workout, a combination of running for 15 minutes and walking for 45 seconds, repeating the cycle for 30 minutes. Doing exercises like this will build up your endurance and strengthen your muscles before the big day. Try this seven week 5k training schedule from MayoClinic to stay motivated and on track.

Represent with Custom T-shirts

Running a 5k for charity is a fun way to raise money, get fit and share your business with the local community. T-shirts are like billboards during a charity run. Take advantage of the real estate on your team t-shirts and market your brand in a fun and unique way. Add your company name and logo along with a motivating quote to build team spirit and brand awareness during the run.

Have fun!

Our number one rule is to have fun. Bring your music so you can get in the zone and have a successful run. Enjoy the moment and know that you’re raising money for charity and also supporting your team.