Word-of-mouth advertising can be a powerful force in the business world, but unfortunately a business can’t survive on word-of-mouth alone. You’ll need something to get your company’s name out there in the first place, and promotional pens can be the perfect tool to accomplish this.
Not only are promotional pens small and easy to transport, but their useful nature often leads people to overlook the fact that they’re an advertising tool. If you use high-quality pens as the basis for your promotional pens, then the pen itself may become a topic of conversation which can then lead to conversation about your business. Your pens can not only supplement word-of-mouth advertising, but in some circumstances they can actually be the cause of it.
How Word-of-Mouth Advertising WorksAs the name implies, word-of-mouth advertising occurs when people outside of your company are talking about and recommending your business to their friends and colleagues. If someone is impressed with the way that your business runs, then they might tell their friends or will at least suggest your company if their friends or loved ones are ever in the market for services such as yours. The friends of loved ones can then be similarly impressed with your business, and will in turn recommend you to their friends and loved ones. The theory behind it is the same as that which keeps your promotional pens in circulation… so long as the recommendations continue to be passed along, your business can continue to reap the benefits of the free advertising.
Supplementing Word-of-Mouth AdvertisingUnfortunately, word-of-mouth advertising is limited by the fact that it requires continued connections in order to be effective… if someone tells two friends about your business but then none of them mention it to anyone else, then the benefits tend to wear out quickly. This is where supplemental advertising comes into play; not only can items such as promotional pens drive traffic to your business in their own right, but they can help keep word-of-mouth advertising going as well. The items can serve as a reminder of the service that your business provided, which will make current and former customers more likely to remember your company when others ask for recommendations.
Promotional Items as Conversation PiecesMany promotional items can cause people to ask where they came from, and if you’ve got your company name and contact information displayed prominently on the item then it can lead to asking about your business as well. People take notice of ink pens more often than you might think, and tend to ask about particularly impressive pens because they would like to find a similar one for themselves. Promotional pens carry the added benefit of being able to convey your small bit of advertising with them, helping to make your business familiar in the mind of the person asking about the pen.
Gareth Parkin is the co-founder of Ideasbynet, the UK's leading online promotional gifts and custom printed promotional products supplier based in the north of England. Established in 2001, he has taken the UK gift market by storm by the application of the latest seo marketing techniques and modern business thinking.
