Before anything else, I would like to discuss random access memory, or RAM for short. RAM is one of the two types of memory used in computers, smartphones, and tablets, and differs from read-only memory (ROM) in that it is designed for short-term storage and recovery of information. In computing devices, when a program is loaded, it stores information in random access memory so that it can be easily recalled if it needs to be used again. Only when certain information needs to be stored (for example, when you want to save a file) does the information from random access memory go into read-only memory and stored permanently. Once you turn off your computing device, the device shuts down, dumping all of the contents of the random access memory, clearing everything inside it.

Now, why bring this up here? My point is that, much like our computers and smartphones and tablets, we also use both short-term and long-term memory in our everyday lives. This has only been reinforced by our increasing use of the Internet and social media, both of which give us endless streams of information. The problem here is that, when it comes to consuming online media, people tend to simply scroll through their media feeds and only stop for a few moments when they see something that catches their eye.

For businesses who are trying to reach their customers online, being in your audience’s line of sight for these few moments is absolutely crucial to acquiring potential patrons. To that end, there are some businesses operating online who make use of ‘viral’ marketing strategies – high quantity, low quality ads that are thrown at the social media wall in hopes that at least one of them will stick. There is no denying that, in some cases, viral marketing does work quite effectively if you want to, say, spread word about an event or something along those lines. However, for online retail businesses, customer engagement is only half the battle. In this field, it is absolutely important to not only be recognised, but to be remembered by potential customers. Viral marketing methods are only focused on getting people to take a second glance, then move on; our goal is to not only be seen but to be recalled in people’s minds – or, like a computer, be moved from random access memory to permanent read-only memory.

So how can we go about achieving this? With the goal being to get potential customers to remember our brand, it is important to model our online marketing campaigns around ideas or objects that can remind them of our brand. One such method is through the use of promotional items. Now, it might not make much sense for us to use something that can only be used offline for a marketing campaign that is distributed online, but as many previous examples have already demonstrated, physical promotional items bring a lot of benefits to the table.

Before anything else, though, we have to define what these promotional products might be. If you are an online retailer or a manufacturer of a certain type of product, the products that you sell or manufacture can be used as a promotional item. For most other businesses, however, a great option is branded merchandise, which can range from cheap, small accessories like lanyards and keyrings to bags and even clothes. Despite being free to choose from a wide variety of products, you do have to remember that an effective marketing campaign has to be executed well – you cannot simply slap your brand name and logo on a product at random and expect your online campaign to work. Choosing the right products to use as promotional items requires you to do some research on your own, figuring out who your target audience ism what they might find useful or otherwise valuable, and choosing the product that helps push the image that you want your brand to have. Only then will you be able to tap into the many benefits of promotional products to your brand as a whole.

With all that said, let’s now try to formulate an online marketing campaign of our own. Giveaways, online raffles, and contests with promotional products as part of the prizes are becoming quite popular (particularly among online retailers and product manufacturers) as an effective online marketing campaign. The setup, of course, is pretty simple: gather up a set of promotional products, launch an online giveaway event on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, and let the event run its course. At the end, pick your giveaway winners, and distribute the items to them.

You might be thinking at this point, “This seems pretty standard so far, but I don’t really see the benefits here.” Let’s break things down, one by one. First of all, online raffles tend to reach quite a lot of people online because of the general prospect of winning a free item – after all, who wouldn’t want to win something for free? In addition, considering you chose the promotional products that fit the objectives of your brand, the giveaways that your campaign’s participants will receive will hold a lot of value in terms of utility and brand image. Lastly, one of the most important benefits of giving away promotional items is the fact that people who have them will have an item that continually exposes them to your brand, and although some people might not think too much of the product itself, they will no doubt recognise and remember your brand, and come back to you should they be looking for the products or services that you happen to offer.

Choosing the right promotional products in Perth might be difficult, but we at Bladon WA are here to make that decision process easier for you. We offer a huge variety of products that can be used as giveaways at events or promotional campaigns, corporate gifts, or as items that you can use in your business in general, and all of the products we have on offer can be customised so you can infuse your products with the spirit and personality of your brand. If you are interested in our services, reach us at 08-9240-7900 or sales@bladonwa.com.au today.