Here’s a creepy but true fact: anyone you’ve ever come in contact with could be thinking about you right now.
Yes, as you sit and read this blog, it’s quite possible that the whiny kid who sat behind you in third grade, your sister’s roommate’s dad, and your eccentric former neighbor all have the image of your face in their minds. And you know we’re right about this because chances are, some random folks from your past are crossing your mind right now.
Of course, people from our past are much more likely to resurface in our thoughts if something jogs our memories. If we come across old photos, gifts we received, or e-mails from waaaaay deep in our inboxes, we’re apt to remember some faces from earlier days.
Cross Your Clients’ Minds
While the thought of your ex-significant other daydreaming about you might make your skin crawl a bit, the fact that human brains store so much information about the past is actually a really good thing marketing wise. At this very second, one of your clients might be randomly thinking about you or your products for no reason at all. And if you’ve given your customers a nudge by sending them something that will jog their memories, the chances are even higher that your business is on somebody’s mind.
How Touchpoints Make a Difference
In marketing lingo, any contact a customer has with your brand is called a “touchpoint.” Your goal as you market your business should be to provide your customers with enough touchpoints to get them thinking about your brand regularly.
Promotional items are particularly useful for providing touchpoints because people tend to hang onto them for awhile. If you give a client a high-quality water bottle or coffee mug, that client could be seeing your company logo several times a day and thinking about your business frequently. And this could theoretically go on for years if your client keeps on using your free gift.
Money Well Spent
Since one promo item can provide numerous touchpoints, it would not be unreasonable to expect thousands of thoughts about your company to result from giving out just a handful of promotional items. And getting your clients thinking about you is the first step toward making sales. This means that a marketing campaign involving well-chosen freebies is definitely worth the initial investment.
Okay, we’re all done here. You can go back to your reverie about that hottie who had a locker next to yours during your freshman year.
