How to Use Promotional Tote Bags to Promote Your Brand

Promotional Tote Bags

Are you looking for novel new ways to promote your business?

Promotional products are a great, tangible way to advertise in a world that’s oversaturated with online marketing.

It’s easy for customers to scroll past a social media post or ignore a search engine ad, but having a useful branded item like a tote bag is guaranteed to help them remember your company.

In fact, research shows that the recall rate for some promotional products is an impressive 85%. That makes tote bags one of the best ways to make an impact.

Not sure exactly how to use promotional tote bags as part of your marketing strategy?

Keep reading for loads of clever and inspiring ideas, from designing a great bag to using promo totes as part of social media giveaways.

Design a Bag That Clearly Represents Your Brand

The first step to success with promotional bags is good design, so don’t rush and create a poorly-executed product.

A well-designed bag will quickly become desirable amongst fans of your brand, and customers will be likely to use it for much longer.

On the other hand, a poorly-designed bag will probably be thrown straight to the back of a cupboard, where it won’t do your brand any good at all.

Worse still, it could give shoppers a bad impression of your company.

Luckily, it’s not hard to design an awesome tote bag.

If you already have an in-house designer, have them create something that aligns with your current brand guidelines and incorporates your logo. Make sure that it appeals to your target audience and don’t be afraid to think outside the box.

Research shows that using humor is a great way to make campaigns more impactful, so experiment with funny slogans if it seems appropriate.

Imagine your target buyer using your tote bag to inform your decision making.

Choose Quality Bags That Won’t Wear Out Quickly

In an ideal world, your customers will use your branded tote bag for months or even years, providing you with loads of free advertising.

So, it makes sense to choose high-quality tote bags that won’t wear out too quickly. A long-lasting bag will get lots of use from customers who are brand loyal, and could even become a collectible.

A high-quality bag will also get more use by people who need to carry lots of heavy items. Beat the brands giving away flimsy bags that buckle under pressure, and choose strong, durable products for your giveaway.

The exact style of bag you choose will depend on your target customer and their needs.

Trying to market to eco-conscious consumers? Choose a bag made of natural fibers.

Want to appeal to busy parents? Offer large bags with plenty of compartments.

Running a sports or adventure brand? Opt for a fast-drying, gym-style bag.

Don’t skimp on quality when creating promotional items — they represent your brand just as much as your actual products.

Sell Branded Tote Bags to Shoppers In-Store

Do you currently give customers cheap carrier bags with their in-store purchases?

Offering branded tote bags for a fair price is a great way to make extra profit, promote your brand, and help the environment by cutting down on single-use plastic.

The eco-benefits are important, as research shows that 81% of people feel strongly that companies should help improve the environment.

Branded bags also make your company look more legitimate, which is great if you’re a small business or you’ve just opened. Eye-catching branded bags could easily create a buzz in your local area, resulting in more visits to your store.

If your first run of branded bags does well, consider creating variations for special events throughout the years.

For example, you could create a fun festive design for December and a spooky Halloween design in October.

Give Out Exclusive Bags at One-Off Events

Do regularly run or attend one-off events with your business?

Once your brand starts gaining popularity, giving away exclusive promotional bags is a great way to generate hype. This works especially well if you’re in the beauty or fashion industry, but it can be effective for any business with loyal customers.

If you run a yoga company, you could create a one-off bag that’s only for attendees of a specific retreat. This makes customers feel special and gives them an excellent memento, encouraging them to attend future events.

If you’re opening a new store, have one-off bags filled with goodies available to the first 100 customers. Promote this on social media to get people excited about your opening and increase the numbers on your first day.

People love to feel that they’re getting something exclusive or rare, so use this to your advantage.

Make Your Branded Tote Bags a Collectible Item

Making your branded bags into a collectible item is a great way to increase purchases and generate excitement.

It could be as simple as having one popular bag design printed in four different colors, then encouraging customers to ‘collect them all’.

Alternatively, you could create variations that help customers to express themselves.

For example, if you’re running a sports business, you could offer bags that are designed to focus on different activities, allowing customers to purchase the bag that suits them best.

You could also have one popular design printed on several different styles of bag — so a lunch bag, a tote bag, and a gym bag, for example.

Get creative and think about what will appeal to your customers.

Have Influencers Use Your Branded Bags on Social Media

Influencer marketing has become massive in recent years, with 87% of shoppers admitting that they’ve been prompted to make a purchase by an influencer.

Having influencers use your branded bags on social media is a really cool way to increase brand awareness and align your company with a specific lifestyle.

If you’re already working with influencers or brand ambassadors, sending them a free bag and asking them to feature it in a photo is a great tactic.

Working with big influencers can be expensive, so consider use micro-influencers if you have a smaller budget. These are users who are active online and have a few thousand followers in a specific niche.

Sending items to micro-influencers is highly likely to result in a post on their grid, without the associated cost. Stuff your bags with other freebies to increase your chances of being featured.

If your bag is well-designed, it could soon become a sought-after item amongst influencers and their followers.

Use Bags as Part of a Subscription or Pre-Order Incentive

Do you offer subscription packages or pre-orders as part of your business?

Making your branded bags part of an exclusive gift that customers get in return for signing up or ordering is an excellent way to increase sales.

Branded bags are relatively affordable, so the return on investment will be huge if they’re the thing that tips customers into deciding to make a purchase.

Be sure to feature your bags in adverts for your subscription packages or pre-orders, or have employees mention the promotion at the till.

Give New Employees Bags as Part of a Welcome Pack

Who says your best brand ambassadors have to be customers?

Giving new employees a beautiful branded bag full of welcome goodies is a smart way to promote your brand and get them excited about working for you.

If you already run training events for new hires, give bags away at the end of the sessions. Include other branded items like notebooks, pens, and water bottles if you’d like to.

If you hire freelancers or remote workers, consider sending them a similar package. This helps strengthen your relationship and makes them more likely to mention your business to friends and family.

You could also give out branded bags as part of employee gifts or incentives. For example, you might give your ten highest-performing staff members a free bag and a gift voucher each month.

This strategy will increase motivation and productivity, as well as strengthening your brand image, so it’s a win-win.

Use Branded Bags to Give Away Freebies at Trade Shows

Do you offer a product or service that you attend trade shows to promote?

Chances are you’re already giving away some sort of freebie at these events, but have you thought about offering bags?

While a promotional USB stick or pen will be thrown straight into a pocket and out of sight, there’s a good chance that attendees will use their free bag for the rest of the day. After all, they need somewhere to store all their freebies and flyers!

If you’re lucky, your branded bag will attract the attention of other people browsing the show, resulting in more visits to your stand.

As ridiculous as it might seem, it’s often the exhibitors with the best freebies that get the most attention at trade shows.

Rather than putting together a sad selection of free pencils and business cards, go big with a branded bag that’s stuffed with useful freebies. You’re guaranteed to get more interest than ever before, which should increase leads and sales.

If you’re trying to build an email list or collect data, ask attendees to sign up in return for their freebies. Most people will be happy to do so, and you’ll easily be able to get in touch after the show is over.

Let Followers Win Your Bags in Online Competitions

Online competitions and giveaways are a great way to boost brand awareness and increase your following on social media.

Giving away branded bags in your competitions is a smart move. You make the bags look more desirable, spread your brand further, and increase your online engagement.

If your bags are well-designed and useful, they should be enough to generate significant interest in your giveaway, especially if your brand is already fairly well-known.

However, for the highest engagement, up the stakes and give away bags full of extra prizes.

For example, if you’re running an online vegan supermarket, you could fill a lunch-style bag with loads of vegan treats.

If you’re running a clothing store, you could give a bag away with a matching outfit or set of accessories.

If you’re selling art supplies, fill a bag with loads of your most popular crafty products.

Promote your contest using social media adverts if you don’t have many followers yet. Make following a requirement to enter the contest and you’ll soon boost your numbers.

This is a great trick if you’ve only just started using social media to promote your brand.

Add to Your Website Address to Your Promotional Bags

Getting your bags out into the world is only half the battle. You also need to make sure that the people who see them convert in customers.

While having your logo or business name visible is a great start, it’s not usually enough to motivate customers to get in touch.

Having your web address displayed clearly on your bags shows customers exactly where to find you. You could even add a QR code which prospects can scan to navigate directly to your site.

If you want to connect with customers on social media, add your handles for the platforms you’re most active on. If you have a physical premises, add an address or even a small map showing your location.

The easier your bags make it for customers to find you, the more likely they are to convert.

Why Should You Invest in Promotional Tote Bags Today?

Personalized tote bags are an excellent investment for your business. They can be used to increase brand awareness in a plethora of different ways, so it’s easy to choose a method that suits your business.

Branded bags can be given away at events, used as competition prizes online, given to social media influencers, and gifted to new employees.

Choosing bags which are high quality means you could get years of free advertising from one simple giveaway.

Ready to order promotional tote bags for your business? Visit our tote bags section today to browse a wide variety of products.

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