How to keep your name in front of prospects all year long
My recent post on holiday salutation cards elicited a comment from Bruce Brightwell, an attorney who sends his list a magnetized refrigerator calendar. "People like the calendars, and I am in front of them for the whole year," he said.
This is smart marketing. A practical gift that keeps your name and contact information in front of clients and prospects is inexpensive and effective.
Calendars are a fantastic year end gift. What can you do the rest of the year?
Do a search for "publicity specialties" or "ad specs". That's what they are called in the trade. You will find a mind numbing array of doable items you can offer:
- Pens
- Key chains
- Calendars (wall, refrigerator, desk, wallet)
- T-shirts
- Baseball caps
- Book bags
- Book ends
- Paper weights
- Coffee mugs
- Thermoses
- Book bags
- Mouse pads
- Business card cases
- Book marks
I like pens. You can get them in bulk for under .25 cents, and nice ones for under a dollar. People use pens and carry them, and if they lose one, someone else will pick it up.
I also like note pads. They are very inexpensive (any printer can make them for you) and you can get them in uncommon sizes. Real estate agents send them pre-printed with lines for a grocery list. This is excellent for consumers. For businesses, I like a 4 by 5 1/2 size that can sit on a desk or coffee table, next to a phone. While taking notes, your prospect looks at your name and smiling face at the top of the pad, draws a mustache on your face, and darkens your teeth. It's a note pad and a game!
A drawback of note pads is that once they have been used, they're gone. But that's an advantage, too. It gives you an opportunity to get in front of clients and prospects several era a year to replenish their stock.
In choosing an item, keep in mind the amount of room available for printing. A pen has very restricted space; a calendar has much more. More space lets you include an "publicity" message: your practice areas and/or an offer, e.g., "'Free Report: How to save 20 to 50% on legal fees this year' at www.mywebsite.com".
You can, of course, have more than one gift item. You could mail all a calendar at year end, give coffee mugs to visitors to your office, and a more expensive item (e.g., Polo shirt) for new clients.
Have you used ad specs to market your practice? Did it bring you new business?