What Everyone Should Know About "Residual Marketing" and How They Can Use It to Their Advantage
Residual Marketing means your message is viewed 100s of times per day by your audience for a one time fee...
Promotional gifts are an effective way to get your marketing message in front of influential people (and/or potential clients) in your industry and keep your message in front of them.
The first step, getting your message seen one time, is very important. In fact, one study found that including a free gift with a sales letter increased the response rate by 75% over those who received only a sales letter. This study is backed up by the evidence presented in "The Psychology of Influence" by Robert Cialdini, who shows that giving a small gift up front increases the likelihood of reciprocation by a huge margin.
But it's only after the letter is opened that the true benefits of a promotional product really become evident. A promotional product that useful and well placed will not only be a constant reminder about the branding of your company, but also a creator of goodwill in you audience. This is called "residual marketing."
For instance, if you were to leave a letter opener with your client there is a good chance that when it is time to make a crucial decision about your product or service that your brand will be top of mind. Your client will have used your letter-opener day after day, and your marketing message will become stronger each time it is used.
When you boil it down, the "cost per impression" of promotional gifts is quite a bit lower than any other medium. Think of how many times you see the pen on your desk, or the notepad in your drawer; at just a few dollars for each, the company whose logo and message adorns those items is certainly getting their money's worth. Add to that the number of times someone else sees the pen on your desk and you can begin to see where "cost per impression" becomes an almost ridiculous term in the promotional products industry.
Brand awareness is a major factor in the successful marketing of your business. The multiple impressions created by promotional gifts contribute to awareness, and also create goodwill between your company and your target audience.