Marketing for small businesses is vital for spreading a brand’s message and building relationships with customers, both existing and potential. Unfortunately, they often don’t have the budget for huge, large-scale campaigns that larger corporations leverage to reach millions. But one of the best parts of running a small business is that your customers aren’t just numbers to you—they’re real people who are supporting your dream, so each sale is personal. This means your marketing efforts should be personal, too. So, if you’re looking for tried and tested small business merchandise, we’ve got six of the best promotional items to help you reach your audience.   

    

Branded Merchandise Ideas Need to Suit Your Business

Before we get into the ideas themselves, it’s important to remember that whatever promotional items you choose for your business, they need to reflect your brand’s message and personality. Merch ideas that make no sense won’t have the desired effect of either deepening your relationship with your customers or attracting new ones. With Captain Notepad’s help, you can create customized marketing materials to send out to your audience to guarantee that your brand’s message is put out there. 

When it comes to working out which small business merchandise is best for your business, it’s helpful to ask yourself a few questions:

  1. Is this promotional item relevant to my business?
  2. Will it be useful for my audience?
  3. Does it reflect my brand’s personality?

Once you’ve answered all of these, you’ll know whether your ideas are suitable for your company.

    

Why Are Branded Merchandise Ideas Important?

Like any other aspect of marketing, distributing the right promotional merchandise is crucial for communicating the message of your brand to find new customers and build a relationship with existing ones. The role of other marketing practices, such as content marketing and social media, is obviously important for the success of a small business, but direct marketing materials like promotional items make all the difference to your customers. 

Whether sports magnets or custom seed packets, giving your audience something physical not only keeps your brand message alive but also provides them with an attachment of some kind to your business. The simple act of giving them something free will create a positive relationship, and your message will be reinforced each time they go to use the promotional products. This is even more relevant in today’s context of social distancing and lockdowns keeping us away from our customers. At the end of the day, promotional items help you go the extra mile for your customers.

    

Small Business Merchandise Ideas

Now that we’ve covered the benefits of using promotional items as a part of your marketing strategy, let’s look at some of the best branded merchandise ideas for your small business.

Custom Notepads

Of course, the number one spot has to go to custom notepads—and not just because they’re our best-selling product! Customized notepads seamlessly carry your brand’s message and boast endless uses for your audience, making them a real all-rounder when it comes to practical and impactful promotional items for small businesses.

Whether it’s standard notepads you want, grocery lists, or personalized post-it notes, at Captain Notepad, you’ll find the right fit for your business.

Promotional T-Shirts

These are a great and commonly used merchandise item to promote a business or new product. T-shirts, like notepads, are a useful promotional tool that people will use. Plus, if you design them well enough, people might even wear them as a fashion statement!

Custom Office Supplies with Logo

Most people have a job, right? So office supplies are always going to be useful and needed. This makes them a great promotional item for your audience. And promotional items for small businesses don’t need to just be for potential customers—merch ideas can be used for your team, too, so that everyone feels part of the same community. 

Here are just some of the office supplies you can personalize:

    

Creative Marketing Materials

If you want unique promotional items to market your business and really stick in your customers’ minds, then you need some creative marketing materials. Sure, the more traditional merch ideas will work, but if you want something with a little additional sparkle, try these promotional items for your small business. The best part? You can find them all right here at Captain Notepad! 

Custom Calendars

Custom calendars are a product that everyone uses, but not everyone might think to buy. So, for a creative promotional item that will gain you some serious wall or desk real estate, send out customized calendars that sport your business’s logo and branding. 

Sports Schedules 

If there’s one thing that brings people together, it’s sports. For businesses operating in local areas, send out sports schedules with your branding on them. Whether your city is big on baseball, football, or basketball, we’ve got you covered.

Springtime Custom Seed Packets

More of a seasonal promotional item, our custom seed packets are a unique and rewarding item to include in your marketing materials or promotional gift bags. Not only do the seed packets feature your custom branding, but once your customers grow the plants, they’ll also think of your business each time they water them!
Now that we’ve given you some inspiration, let’s bring your vision to life and make your customized marketing materials. From custom notepads to sports schedules, start shopping with us today.

    

Merchandise ideas need to suit your business

Before we get into the merchandise ideas themselves, it’s important to remember that whatever promotional items you choose for your business, they need to suit you and reflect your brand’s message and personality. Merch ideas that make no sense won’t have the desired effect of either deepening your relationship with your customers or attracting new ones. With us at Captain Notepad, you can create customized marketing materials to send out to your audience to guarantee that your brand’s message is put out there. 

When it comes to working out which merchandise ideas are best for your business, it’s helpful to ask yourself a few questions…

  1. Is this promotional item relevant to my business?
  2. Will it be useful for my audience?
  3. Does it reflect my brand’s personality?

Once you’ve answered all of these, you’ll know whether your merchandise ideas are suitable for your company or not.

business-promotion

    

Why are merchandise ideas important?

Like any other aspect of marketing, finding the right merchandise ideas is crucial for communicating the message of your brand to find new customers and build a relationship with existing ones. The role of other marketing practices such as content marketing and social media are obviously important for the success of a small business, but direct marketing materials such as promotional items make all the difference to your customers. 

Giving your audience something physical not only keeps your brand message alive but provides them with an attachment of some kind to your business. The simple act of giving them something free will create a positive relationship, and the fact that they will use your promotional products will be reinforced each time they go to use them. This is even more relevant in today’s context of social distancing and lockdowns keeping us away from our customers, and promotional items help you go the extra mile for your customers.

    

Merchandise ideas for small businesses

Now we’ve covered the benefits of using promotional items as a part of your marketing strategy, let’s look at some of the best merchandise ideas for your small business.

Custom Notepads

Of course, the number one spot has to go to custom notepads - and not just because they’re our best-selling product! Customized notepads seamlessly carry your brand’s message and boast endless uses for your audience, making them a real all-rounder when it comes to practical and impactful promotional items for small businesses.

Whether it’s standard notepads you want, grocery lists, or personalized post-it notes, at Captain Notepad, you’ll find the right fit for your business.

custom-notepads

Promotional T-Shirts

These are great and commonly used merchandise items to promote a business or new product. T-shirts, like notepads, are a useful promotional tool that people will use. Plus, if you design them well enough, people might even wear them as a fashion statement!

Branded office supplies

Most people have a job, right? So professional and office supplies are always going to be useful and needed. This makes them a great promotional item for your audience. And promotional items for small businesses don’t need to just be for potential customers - merch ideas can be used for your team too so that everyone feels part of the same community. 

Here are just some of the office supplies you can personalize:

    

Creative marketing materials

If you want unique promotional items to market your business and really stick in your customers’ minds, then you need some creative marketing materials. Sure the more traditional merch ideas will work, but if you want something with a little more sparkle, try these promotional items for your small business. And, you can find them all right here at Captain Notepad! 

Customized calendars

Custom calendars are a product that everyone uses, but not everyone might think to buy. So for a creative promotional item that will gain you some serious wall or desk real estate, send out customized calendars that sport your business’s logo and branding. 

Sports schedules 

If there’s one thing that brings people together, it’s sports. So for businesses operating in local areas, send out sports schedules with your company branding on them. Whether your city is big on baseball, football, basketball, and more, we’ve got you covered.

Springtime custom seed packets

More of a seasonal promotional item, our custom seed packets are a unique and rewarding item to include in your marketing materials or promotional gift bags. Not only do the seed packets feature your custom branding, but once your customers grow their seeds, they’ll think of your business each time they water it!

Now we’ve given you some inspiration, let’s bring your vision to life and make your customized marketing materials. From custom notepads to sports schedules, start shopping with us today.