COMDA | Building Your Brand through Social Connections

As a result of societal lockdown measures, many people are spending more time online. Whether it’s shopping, browsing or posting, it seems that everyone’s digital media intake has increased. Business owners and marketers should consider increasing their online presence as a direct response to changing business practices and preferences. Promotional products play a crucial role in helping your brand develop an online identity and can become very useful tools in your quest to garner more online followers. Take a look below at how you can use branded merchandise to connect with new demographics, while maintaining your relationship with existing customers.

Branded apparel products to invite recipients to virtual spaces

Custom branded products are a great way to invite the public to interact with your brand. Apparel in particular gives individuals the ability to become micro-influencers for the company that gave them the custom products. For this reason, consider printing a hashtag on a tee shirt or hoodie, which then allows the public to interact with your brand via social media. Ensure products include a website, a QR code, or social handle to attract people to those virtual spaces. The idea is to use the promotional apparel as a vehicle to drive your audience to the digital platform, rather than the item being the advertisement itself.

Use social media to get to know your customers’ preferences + taste

As custom products are highly shareable on social media, use this as an opportunity to get to know your audience better. People are always eager to show love for brands they support and truly believe in. When customers share content featuring products they receive from businesses, take a moment to see how the products are being used, who is using them and when. All of these factors can tell you a lot about who supports your brand, and how you can ensure they continue to do so. Create online communities for people to share their own experiences and creations that way you will be in the loop about what’s trending and relevant in the market.

Custom branded products as prizes for social media contests

Learning more about your audience gives you additional information to strategically target consumers with more finely tuned promotions. For example, consider having an online contest through a social media platform. Prizes for winners can be high-end premium promo products that feature your branding. The kicker is determining what that highly coveted prize might look like. The idea is to not use this product as a mass giveaway, but rather as a very special reward for a select few. These items are often unexpected, and always appeal to a very specific audience. High quality branded merchandise that is tied to personal preferences and experiences can make a huge impact on your ability to develop and maintain relationships.

As digital consumption is up, this represents an opportunity for companies to grow their brand’s online presence and develop meaningful relationships that will transcend the duration of the pandemic. Social media has magnified the effect of branded gear, making apparel a good option to attract the public to your online platforms. Encourage recipients of products to interact with your brand and others through these digital channels and use their preferences as a way to keep your brand relevant in this ever-changing world!