Nothing builds customer loyalty and creates new leads like a free branded pen, or a mug with your logo on it. With these, you get to do something for your customers, while also spreading your business message. It’s a mutually beneficial set up which, on the surface, looks like an obvious option for any business owner.

Sadly, even this fun marketing method costs. In theory, of course, these are outgoings you should be able to clear when your free merch works its magic. But, what happens when things don’t go according to plan? If free merch doesn’t create the relationships or leads you were hoping for, it can become a pretty expensive undertaking.

If your free merch is leaving you out of pocket right now, then, it’s time to consider the following reasons why this supposedly cheap marketing method is proving so expensive. 

You aren’t creating merch people actually use

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Merchandise is only useful if customers use it. This is when you stand to see new customers coming your way and existing ones remembering you. That’s never going to happen if your free merch gets tucked in a drawer. Yet, this will be the case if you create merch no one uses. Stickers of your logo, for example, are rarely going to be worth the printing. Equally, something like a little logo teddy might look cute, but it’ll soon go to waste. Instead, you want branded items people are going to use every day without a thought. We’re talking about pens, mugs, and even belt buckles like the ones printed at thepinfactory.com.au. These are things customers are sure to see regularly, and that’s when free merch starts to pay for itself. 

Your reach is too limited

The further your free merch travels, the better chance you have of seeing a profit. As such, limited reach can soon cost. Mugs are well and good, for instance, but they rarely leave home. Instead, seek merchandise with the broadest reach. T-shirts are fantastic for this, as are tote bags. That’s because customers will take these with them and effectively become walking billboards for your benefit. 

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Your designs are all wrong

Merchandise designs matter. You may assume you can rush this or splatter your logo and branding over every free item, but that’s never going to pay off. The fact is that even your most loyal customers may have reservations about wearing a t-shirt which is covered in your brand name. And, when no one wants to wear or use what you’re giving out, you start paying a lot for no return. Making sure this doesn’t happen is all about getting subtle with designs which show off your logo while still looking the part. You could either tack this issue yourself or trust the qualified designers on sites like designhill.com to do it for you. Either way; you want to make sure that anyone will, and does, look good when wearing or using your free merch to ensure that cash comes back to you.