Avenue Handmade

Coco gocco bunny patch, originally uploaded by Justin and Elise.

So I’m sitting here at the day job, eating my lunch of fresh strawberries / kiwi / pineapple, carrot sticks, and honey mustard pretzels (random, I know–guess who needs to go grocery shopping–but all YUM), brainstorming about display ideas and promotions for my craft show this weekend. Just another Thursday at the office, right? Then it pops into my head that today is the day Etsy’s Venus cooperative ads go on sale, so I quickly click over to the Storque to find out what time (missed out: they all sold in about half a nanosecond). And what article appears at the top of the page? So glad you asked! Just a little promo-focused piece called “Don’t Order Another 1,000 Business Cards.” Yep, me n’ the Storque, we’re on the same wavelength.

Point is, I’ve been trying to decide if I should invest in some real nice business cards or postcards (thus far I’ve been printing my own on colored cardstock with a laser printer, but I no longer have access to that printer). Obviously, to promote a business, you need some sort of something with your info on it, and biz cards seem like a very cost-effective option. But the article makes a good point: business cards quickly turn into clutter and get thrown away. I come home from every craft fair with dozens of cards, and where are most of them now? In a pile somewhere, or lurking in the corners of various purses, or in the glove compartment of my car. Definitely not anywhere where they’re serving their intended purpose. So right on, daniellexo!

The article goes on to give a couple of good ideas for alternative promos: chapstick, stickers, magnets, keychains, etc. Which are all great. I’ve thought of some of the same ideas in my recent brainstorming. But at a certain point, you face the dilemma of whether such items are a cost-effective way to promote yourself (and I personally sometimes feel a bit skeezy using mass-produced promotional items, even though that is often the most cost-effective option, especially for biz cards). On the other hand, I guess promotional items are sorta like advertising expenses: you should expect a 3x return on investment. So even if those keychains cost close to $1 apiece, if one hangs from a customer’s keys, prompting their friends to ask about it and generating sales for you, then that’s worth it. Plus, not only does it put your logo or website in their mind daily, but it adds to your brand image as cool, fun, innovative, etc. All good things.

gocco promo pockets finished!, originally uploaded by Justin and Elise. [Elise of ArgyleWhale makes some super-clever promos with her Gocco. You can see more of them here.]

Guess that was a pretty verbose way to say that I’m convinced. Already was, actually. Last weekend I came up with a promo item I can make myself, one that represents my style and serves a practical purpose. I’ll be working on them this weekend, so check back for photos. And I’d love to hear other thoughts on this: What promotional items do you use (other than business cards)? What’s the most creative promo you’ve seen/received?