If you have got a lousy business, then you’re not going to be able to paper over it with gimmicks. But if you run a half-decent enterprise, merch can take it to the next level.
The reasons for this aren’t just what you think: making money on the side. There are all kinds of benefits to customized merchandise, even if you give the stuff away for free.
Take a look at the following reasons merch won’t save your business, but can make it a heck of a lot better than it is now.
Create Brand Loyalty
Customers want to feel part of a community that they believe in. If you are still working on creating that, then merch probably won’t help you much. But if you have people who believe in your mission (even if your product is a little lackluster), then merch can provide the additional finance you need. If you can sell your story, merch will fly off the shelves, whether it’s mugs or custom tubular buffs.
Be Less Digital
Ask most business owners what marketing means to them, and they will tell you it is about reaching out to customers on social media or Google. Customers like online interactions, but there’s something to be said about physically holding a product in your hand that you can enjoy. T-shirts, peaked caps, torches, stationery, and everything else make a real difference to people’s quality of life. That is something hard to replicate in today’s ultra-saturated digital world, making you more competitive.
Give Your Remote Sales Teams Tools To Help Them Sell
Life in the field for a remote sales rep can be tough. But with the help of merch, you can make their jobs a lot easier.
Take the example of a beauty products company. Imagine two sales situations: in one case, sales reps have free beauty bags to give out to customers. In another, customers get nothing except the product itself. Which sales team is going to have the easier job convincing customers to buy? More likely than not, the latter.
You can deploy branded merchandise in a variety of settings to add value to your core product or simply attract people to your stall. Merch, in combination with your product, could be the killer combination your customers have been looking for.
Use Merch To Appeal To Your Customer’s Emotions
At a basic, emotional level, most people don’t buy products for their utility. If they did, then we would all be walking around with the cheapest clothes and smartphones possible. Evidently, we aren’t. What we care about more is how a product or company makes us feel. There is a reason Apple’s brand has a massive following: it is found a formula which makes its customers feel fantastic.
Merch can help to make your customers feel good. It is that simple. A little added company merchandise can work wonders whether you’re at a trade show or selling from your regular stall. You can also throw it in with product bundles for a little added value. Fans of your business will love these promotional product options and take advantage of them.
