How to Gain Loyal Customers by Combining Social Media and Corporate Gifts

Do you use a promotional Twitter account or Facebook feed but feel as though your tweets and posts are being drowned out by the deafening racket of your competitors, who are tweeting similar content to you and just as often?

If you are - it's unsurprising, as Twitter and social media in general are being utilised by vast multitudes of businesses, making it difficult to get your brand to stand out amongst all the hashtags and retweets.

However, this doesn't mean that social media can’t be used to your advantage. After all, marketing is about more than just providing something that people need. As a businessperson you should also provide customers with ways to access, enjoy and discuss your service. Create an outlet for your community to engage. This is the way to create true dialogue - and then relationships and loyalty.

One of the main benefits of social media is that it allows you to build connections with clients through having prolonged and direct contact with them as individuals, so they can ask questions, gain information and voice opinions. And it provides customers with a way to promote your business themselves, as they tweet about the positive experience they had of your services.

One method of achieving these benefits from your social media efforts - one which is fairly under-utilised - is the combination of social media and another marketing technique: corporate gifting.

When combined, these techniques can build loyalty amongst current customers and encourage more Tweeters and Facebookers to join your ranks, as they are made aware of your generous and caring brand image that others are talking about.

As a seller of promotional gifts I have worked with many businesses on their advertising campaigns, and helped them achieve maximum return on their investments. Here are some insights I have picked up on how to use social media and corporate gifts together to get the absolute best results from both forms of marketing, strengthen your company's positive brand image and build a following of loyal customers. They are:

1. Print Hashtags on Merchandise

A T-shirt with your logo and the event hashtag is a great way to engage visitors on social media

It is traditional to put your logo on a promotional item, but you don’t have to stop there. Printing hashtags that relate to your business will encourage recipients of the gift to not only remember you, but to talk about you online.

Hashtags were originally popularised by Twitter, but now they are used on Facebook and across social media, so if you use your Facebook page more than your Twitter feed you can still benefit from them.

A good example of a way to use them would be to include hashtags on gifts contained in direct mailings. If you run an online business you could mail out coasters shaped to look like computers, with a hashtag written on the screen.

These will emphasise your brand and your online focus, and also engage customers to follow you on Twitter - if they are not already doing so.

It is also a good idea to include hashtags on items that you have on display at events. You might be hosting a business meet or conference and want people to create a buzz about it whilst it is happening.

Printing hashtags on t-shirts or jackets worn by event hosts will give people the opportunity to post comments and impressions on their Twitter feeds then and there. Be aware that you will also need to promote the hashtag before the event, so that people are already aware of it. And keep following the conversation and engaging with Tweeters after the fact.

Remember to include ‘Calls to Action’ in your campaigns - there is nothing wrong with spelling it out for people. Including a message such as ‘Please feel free to tweet about us, or to us, using the hashtag...’ will drive the message home to people to start a discussion.

2. Run Giveaway Competitions

There are different types of activities to get people to mention you, but the main thrust behind this technique is to offer people something in exchange for them following, mentioning or retweeting you.

It’s one of those mutually beneficial deals that require very little effort on the part of the Twitterer / Facebooker, yet will create a frenzy of social media attention for you. It can also generate traffic for your website if you ask entrants to click on a link that takes them there. And, for certain types of contests, it can provide you with new content for your site!

One tactic you could try is to offer promotional freebies, such as stickers, t-shirts or soft toys, for a simple retweet. The entrant just has to retweet the competition info to their followers in order to be in the running.

You can also run more engaging competitions that ask your followers on Twitter or Facebook to suggest captions for funny pictures provided by you. For contests like these you should offer a slightly more valuable prize for the most creative, such as an elegant diary or a practical laptop case, as they require more effort on the part of the entrant. A bespoke USB flash drive like this one we did for a client could represent your brand like no other item and create an extra talking point.

Once the winners of the competition have been selected, prizes can be sent out via direct mail, or given away at an upcoming event.

Winners of these competitions are likely to share their entries with their followers, making your brand spread further!

3. Use QR Codes

QR barcodes allow smartphone users to access web pages by scanning the code. They are designed to take the user to a unique and exciting piece of content that they couldn't otherwise have accessed, such as a funny picture or a tutorial video.

You simply need to print a QR code onto your chosen merchandise. A good idea is to add instructions just in case the recipient doesn't know what to do with it - QR Codes are still a fairly under-used phenomenon.

This particular marketing method is especially useful for rewarding long-standing customers as part of loyalty schemes, as they offer the opportunity to access something ‘extra’.

Because most of you provide services rather than sell products, it may seem like too much hard work to add the QR code to a product and then mail it. After all, you could just add it to an ebook that clients can download from your website.

However, it can be worthwhile to distribute a piece of merchandise to give your clients something more tactile to support your online work. Corporate gifts make over three times as many recipients take action than digital media. Thanks to this, your message will be that much more pronounced.

If you are a consultancy business, why not mail out special gifts, like bone china mugs, to loyal, long-time customers - complete with a QR code? The link could take them to your Facebook page or website where there is a video message containing advice or tips exclusively tailored to their needs. They will appreciate the ‘double gift’ of the physical item and the digital content, and will come to view your business as generous.

The good news for you is: they are more likely to use even more of the services you provide and that mug will make them more likely to recommend you to friends.

4. Run ‘Pay with a Tweet’ Campaigns

Nowadays, the value of people discussing your product can sometimes be higher than any actual monetary payment.

‘Pay with a Tweet’ campaigns are simply ways of getting people to share your business with their followers in exchange for a product. It was first introduced by a pair of writers who wanted to raise awareness about their new book. So they offered people the opportunity to download it for free, making it go viral.

Your product needn't be anything as big or as resource-consuming as a book. It could just be a cute little magnet you are going to hand out at an event after they use their mobile phone to send a post about to you. It could also be a lanyard, a keychain, or something equally handy but inexpensive.

Offering a ‘pay with a tweet’ gift at a tradeshow event will create extra buzz for your stand. Ask recipients to include the event hashtag in the post and it will quickly become synonymous with your services.

In addition, after the event, gift recipients will have something with your branding and contact details on, so that they can easily get in touch with you in future.

5. Carry out Surveys

A nifty screen and keyboard cleaner may be the perfect reward for a client who has filled in a survey

Surveys can be boring and time consuming for the people filling them in - but they bring valuable insight to the companies conducting them. You can learn about your market - their wants, interests, and priorities - and make business decisions tailored to them.

As an incentive to fill out a survey, make it known that there will be a reward. This is where social media and promotional gifts come in.

You can use your Twitter feed or Facebook page to publicise your survey, including the information that those who complete it will receive a promotional gift.

The gift - maybe a nifty 2 in 1 item that will create a sense of extra gain? - can be mailed out to all those who complete the survey.

Although carrying out surveys won’t directly contribute to creating a buzz about your business on social media, it can be a really helpful way of targeting your marketing more effectively. It gives you the chance to find out what your customers value about your brand, and what they would change.

It will also allow you to get to know your customers better, so you can tailor your marketing specifically to their individual needs. All of this will contribute to you creating a better, and more caring brand image that customers will want to engage with.

Whilst people might not be willing to fill out a questionnaire for free, throw a freebie into the mix and you will likely accumulate plenty of useful info to help you achieve this.

How to Use the Techniques Above Effectively

From the above tips, pick the option that best fits with your business, your customers and your campaign to engage them. You can also mix and match the techniques to achieve even stronger results.

People love gifts and they will do what you ask to receive them. Also, it is unlikely anyone would say anything negative about a brand they just got something for free from!

Printed corporate gifts encourage positive engagement and brand loyalty as the gift will mean multiple impressions of your brand for the recipient.

By combining your social media and your corporate gifts you will be setting yourself apart from other social media users that only post links to their website/ blog or retweet articles and pictures.

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UK Corporate Gifts have a team of experts who can help choose the right promotional item to get your message across. Whether you want to advertise at an event or by sending rewards to clients, we have the right gift for you. Call 01204 577 995 for a free consultation or browse all gifts to get inspired.