From "How to Shop on eBay" to "How to Loose a Guy in 10 Days," how to's are all the rage.
It seems like we can't do anything without being told how to do it first.
But, as easy as shopping on eBay and dumping a boy can seem, these things can get difficult at times--especially when attempting to build the perfect promotional gift bag for an event.
Even seasoned pro's can rip their hair out at the thought of a promotional gift bag.
But with a few easy and timeless tips, hair loss will merely be a bad memory.
Crafting an effective promotional gift bag does not need to consume hours of your day nor tons of your money and resources.
It just needs to include the right amount of the right products that appeal to your target audience.
So follow these five important, and hopefully, helpful tips to keep you focused.
1.
Taylor to the event: Not every event planner always makes gift bags for a given event.
Sometimes it's a committee or person under the event planner that takes charge of designing and filling the gift bag.
In this case, know your event and all it's details.
Research the location, number of attendees, nature of the company and other events and gift bags done in the past.
You want to make sure your products match the theme and purpose of the event.
2.
Be one with the target: No promotional product achieves success if it does not appeal to the target audience.
So, above other things, know your target audience.
Ask yourself some questions: Who is coming and why? What would they like to receive from the company throwing the event? What kinds of activities do they do and like? When you know all the information about your target audience, you can begin to choose products that fit into their current lifestyles.
You can choose products that will get the maximum use by the audience.
3.
Know the products: Now that you've got all the information on the details of the event and the target audience, hit the promotional product sources and research the products available.
What was popular even a year ago may not work for an event now.
You want to know what's new and popular so that your gift bags include products the target audience wants and will use time and time again.
Make sure your choices dictate the message the company wants to relay to the event attendees.
The products should encourage the target audience to want to attend another event by the company.
Also, remember to pick products that have a long shelf life so that the company and its message remain in the target's home.
4.
Don't go overboard: Once you find all the great goodies for the gift bag, limit yourself to a reasonable number of products per bag.
As much as people love to get free gifts from a company, you don't want to bombard them with one too many travel mugs or aromatherapy candles.
Since all these products have the brand logo on them, the audience can get overwhelmed and overexposed to the company--thus creating a somewhat negative impression and perception of the company.
5.
Try a different approach to packaging: Sure, the traditional paper gift bag works, but why not try putting all your goodies in a backpack or athletic duffle bag? They not only serve as yet another gift, but also get more use and mileage by the target audience.
An alternative package makes your gift bag really stand out as a memorable piece of event regalia.
In the end, promotional gift bags given away at your next event, when constructed correctly, can have equal or sometimes greater success than traditional advertising for both the company and event.
The products in the bags can encourage attendees to keep in close contact with you for your services.
They serve as a constant reminder of you and your brand message.
Follow these tips and take the stress out of the gift bag process so you can enjoy their success.