15 Inspired Ideas for Promotional Giveaways for Your Small Business

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Looking for a new way to expand your brand? Are you done planning all your digital marketing strategies and plotting for major conventions or meetings?

Don’t forget to invest and give out promotional giveaways!

Yes, even in this day and age, giveaways are still effective marketing tools. That said, you want to make sure you only invest in the best promotional giveaways instead of duds that your target audience might ignore.

Which ones work best? Which ones grab people’s attention and help spread brand awareness?

Don’t fret, we’ve got a list here for you. Read on below to discover 15 inspired ideas for promotional giveaways:

1. Pen and Stylus

Pens are quite cheap, and to be honest, they’re quite a simple idea. However, they’re never out of style because of their practicality.

If you give away a pen with a stylus, people are even more likely to use it — because almost everyone has access to a smart device.

2. Car Charger

Around 77% of the American population own a smartphone and about 88% have cars. This makes for a large demographic that would appreciate a car charger for their devices, whichever group you’re targeting.

Consumers have a use for it in their everyday lives, too, which means they’ll remember your brand that often, as well.

3. Power Bank

Smartphones can go through a whole day on a full charge, but that’s not often the case with many people. This varies by usage and whether the user has remembered to charge their phone overnight. For this reason, giving away a power bank they can use to charge their phones when they’re out is a good idea.

4. Phone Case

As smartphone use is prominent, another sensible giveaway is a phone case. This can be tricky, though, as you’ll have to get multiple variations to fit the exact model of the customer’s phone. You may want to stick to iPhones and other flagship phones as they need a case more than any other.

Make sure to create a good design with your brand. Many people use their phones as a fashion item and make it a part of their looks.

5. Speakers

If you have a little more budget for gifts giveaways, customized speakers are great ideas, too. Wired speakers are useful but Bluetooth speakers are popular nowadays. People can take it anywhere and they can use it with their smartphones that don’t have a 3.5mm headphone jack.

6. Mug

Here’s another simple yet practical idea: give them the ultimate traditional giveaway – a mug. It’s still useful in this age of Starbucks as many people still like getting their daily fix of coffee at work, where they can get unlimited refills using your mug.

Don’t forget to customize it with your brand so other customers will see it, too.

7. Water Bottle

As water is a basic human necessity, a water bottle is a smart promotional item that you’re certain your customers will use. Make it durable and sporty so they can take it anywhere – to camping, trekking, to the gym, to the yoga studio, or to the park. The good thing about it is that it increases brand awareness for the people around them, too.

8. Bottle Opener

A bottle opener is a good idea, too, especially since it’s useful to have around when you need a drink or two. Customers are likely to put them in their keychain, allowing your brand to stay on their minds every day.

9. Lip Balm

Many people don’t buy lip balms, but that’s only because they don’t know they need them. Fill this need by using it as a promotional giveaway instead, and your customers will thank you for it. With your brand on it, they’ll start seeing you as helpful and caring toward your customers.

10. USB Hub

It seems the latest laptops are doing away with fewer USB ports in exchange for a slimmer profile. That becomes a problem to users, which you can provide a solution for if you use a USB hub as your promotional item.

11. USB Drive

Speaking of USBs, a USB drive is also pretty useful even though we have the Cloud. It’s still a good way to transfer files to another computer without the need to connect to the internet.

12. Beach Balls

The biggest advantage of beach balls is that your customers can take it with them to the beach. There, many people will be more aware of your brand as they play with it or watch others play with it. They’re fun, too, so people will associate your brand with fun and other positive feelings.

Learn more about beach balls and how they can be an effective promotional giveaway item.

13. T-Shirts

Another giveaway classic: t-shirts; what makes them timeless is that they’re effective in increasing brand awareness. Every time a customer wears it, they remember your brand and they allow other people to see it, too. They last long and are always in style, even after a decade.

14. Stress Ball

Want customers to associate your brand with stress relief? Give them a stress ball; it comes in many shapes and sizes. You can even get a microphone-shaped one so people can further relieve their stress by singing.

15. Umbrella

Umbrellas are timeless as well. Until now, there has never been a better invention to keep the rain from soaking you.

Timeless items are the most effective promotional products as they’re practical and they last almost as long as the customers need them. They’re better than other popular giveaways, like ponchos, as these tend to get damages with ease.

What You Can Do with Your Promotional Giveaways

Marketing goes beyond promotional giveaways; you then have to know when to give these away.

If you want to learn more, read our other guides today. We cover a wide range of topics. Here’s one listing how to create a better website, a necessity for any business today.