Promotional products say a lot about your practice. They are small, daily reminders to your customers that you value their business and will be available when they need you. They can be used both inside and outside of your practice at local events to help generate awareness and connect with potential patients. Consider these facts from the Promotional Products Association International: eight in ten consumers own between one and ten promotional products, with six in ten keeping them for up to two years, and 53% use a promotional item at least once a week. This means that promotional products have the potential of being seen by many more people than you initially contact!
Here are five key tips to follow when selecting effective promotional products:
1. Who is your customer?
Make a list of their attributes and be sure to consider the quantities you think you will go through. Brainstorm as a team about the items that your customers may use on a daily basis.
2. Notice any trends in your practice?
Perhaps you mainly service an older crowd, or you have a lot of missed appointments. Something like appointment reminder magnets are both helpful and useful!
3. How much do you want to spend?
If you have a larger budget, apparel is traditionally the favorite product that is most likely to be kept by consumers. Keep in mind that you’ll need to order plenty in each size (larger sizes may cost more per piece) and that the more colors screen-printed, the higher your cost could be. Some practices have found success using apparel items in their post-procedure kits to help build patient word of mouth.
Writing instruments are a great low cost option that people both keep and find useful. Many styles start at less than $0.75 each. Make sure to test a few out before making your decision to see that the ink flows easily and it is comfortable to hold in your hand. You’ll be surprised what a difference those things can make!
4. Get creative and look at trends!
Additional ideas could include: sunglasses or microfiber glasses cleaning cloths for industry specific items, water bottles or tech pieces such a cord wraps or cell phone wallets for events.
5. Reach out to Sightpath for help!
We have an extensive background in product and are happy to provide suggestions, source products, or help create unique packaging or messaging to best support your product of choice.
Picking the right products can be daunting, but if you keep these concepts in mind, you’ll be on your way to effectively promoting your practice in no time.
– Written by Emily Exsted, Account Associate for Sightpath Medical
All Sightpath Medical customers receive access to a full range of practice-building resources. From staff training and sample forms, to video tutorials and monthly webinars, we are here to help. Customers can access the Resource Library, here. Additionally, Sightpath Marketing Services can help create interactions and energize a referral network to drive procedures, with ongoing practice development support on a variety of levels. To learn more about Sightpath Marketing Services, click here.