Power-Up Your Promotion Products with QR Codes

I’m sure you have seen the square symbols made up of geometric designs. These are QR codes and are available to power-up your promotion products, online, at no cost. Phone apps to scan the codes are also available online for everyone to download at no cost. When a QR code is captured by a smart phone, the user is taken to a designated website. The web page can offer any information that you wish. I was on the beach in Florida, recently, where I saw a plane pulling a banner that included a QR code. People on the beach could capture the code with their smart phones and go to the crab shack, or whatever, website where they saw happy hour and dinner specials. Directions and contact information was included. What great use of that banner! Use this new technology in your marketing promotions. Your logo and online messages can be carried into public gatherings such as sporting events, picnics, festivals, etc. You can get even more mileage out of public events and promotional products. One beverage company added QR codes to their logo that were put on t-shirts and distributed at college campuses. Students captured the QR code on their smart phone and were taken to the company’s website where a special offer was presented. Results were tremendous. Here is a how to get started using QR codes: 1. Have your website url, email address, phone number, Plain text message, Business card or vcard info, iTunes, or YouTube link. 2. Set up an account and enter your information at http://www.qrstuff.com/index.html and receive a 300 DPI QR code for artwork. Qrstuff.com web has amazing tutorials and how-tos if you have questions about QR codes. 3. Email us your QR code as artwork. Keep in mind you want to make this QR code as big and visible as possible. Perhaps even a 2nd imprint location might be considered. 4. Once the artwork is submitted to us, we can have your QR code printed on any of our products. Click here for product ideas. 5. You now have a promotional product that can connect the public to your business website and special message or offer. Voila, a new way to capture business. There are now more web searches made on smart phones than by computers. QR app enabled phones are on the rise. Whether your customers are local or national, QR codes can grab new customers and new business. Visit us on Facebook or at promoplans.com.

The Need for a Unique Selling Proposition | Be a Green Penguin

In the course of my embroidered custom apparel and promotion products business, I conduct occasional seminars. For a chamber of commerce seminar, I used a green penguin theme. As a business, you want to be a green penguin and not just another black and white penguin in the flock. It is important to communicate, in simple terms, how you are different from your competitors in filling your customer's needs. If you can't explain your Unique Selling Proposition, in simple terms, of

why someone should buy from you, you shouldn't expect their business. Your Unique Selling Proposition is a precise statement of why your company is different and unique. It must differentiate you from your competitors. Your USP should state at least one UNIQUE benefit that a customer will receive by doing business with your company. It must have value, be concise and specific. Your Unique Selling Proposition must answer the question: "Why should someone do business with you? One example of how important an USP can be is Domino's Pizza. You may not be aware of this but Domino's was started by two brothers who wanted to start a business. When they first started the business, one worked during days and went to school at night. The other worked at night and went to school during days. Both had their ideas about how the business should be run. There was not a cohesive strategy or purpose. Things didn’t work out with the business as they had hoped. They were losing money. So, one brother decided to get out of the partnership. He received a used car from his brother for his portion of the struggling business. Shortly, thereafter, the remaining brother developed a Unique Selling Proposition. It was; fresh, hot pizza delivered in 30 minutes or less. ..Guaranteed. That simple, specific USP ended creating a multi-billion dollar company. This is a great illustration of the tremendous power of a USP. Part of the power is in the simplicity. It is short, specific, and easy to understand and addresses a specific need. The market was pretty specific because they operated near the University of Michigan with a large number of students who wanted their pizza hot and now! Look for an opportunity void in your market. If you are the one to fill that void, you can dominate the niche. Talk with others in your industry or those who are familiar with your business. Figure out what is unique about you and your business and how you can fill needs differently than your competition. Consider what others think and like about your business, and why they would select you. Again, ask yourself the question “Why should someone buy from me instead of someone else?” If you can’t answer that question you have no Once you've created a one to three sentence USP, include it in all your marketing materials. Keep it on the top of your mind. It is a cornerstone of your business. Whenever someone asks you what you do, you should be able to quote your USP. It should be so descriptive, short, and concise that it, in itself, is a good, accurate explanation. *Excerpt from article published by Gary Youngberg on Hubpages Visit us at promoplans.com

New Laser Etching – Custom Apparel Decoration Flexibility at a Lower Cost

I have attached a picture that I took of a custom apparel fleece jacket from one of our client’s recent orders.  Notice the full back design in a subtle tone on tone visual.  Tone on tone is popular with many people who want to wear imprinted apparel without feeling like screaming billboards.  Embroidery alone,  without the jacket, for such a full back area, could cost $50.00 with the thousands of stitches required.  The new laser etching process can produce full back designs on many fabrics for just a few dollars.  The fleece jacket pictured, including decoration, costs less than $30 each, including the full back design.  Laser etching, in addition to a full back design, can be done as full front crossing over the zipper or as traditional left chest design.  Moisture wicking shirts can be laser etched as well as jackets.  Consider laser etching as an option then next time you need custom logo apparel.