When it comes to promotional items, there is a limited amount of space for what you get imprinted. When you think of the common promotional items you see, like pens, water bottles and baseball type caps, what you place onto the promotional items needs to remain focused and informative enough to draw customers to your door. Of course, items like notebooks, conference folders and key rings that are often passed out at expos and meetings can have quite a bit more information on them.

Things that you can use to determine what you imprint on your promotional items:
1. What the items are
2. Where you will be distributing these items
3. Who will be picking up these items

A common misconception is that a business can just print anything on items for anyone. This won't be an effective way to advertise. For example, if you are distributing promotional items to a community of retirees who have very little computer experience and the item only has a web address on it…you will get very few new customers! However, distribute something with a phone number on it and your phone may begin to ring off the hook!

Don't think of promotional items as you would newspaper advertising, either. You will never be able to fit that much information on the typical promotional product.

Things that you can consider placing on promotional items:
1. Company name - this should be placed on a promotional item first and foremost. Although logos are often well known and can easily be recognized, for a younger business a logo may mean nothing to many people. A company name will be easily located in business phone directories, as well.
2. Company logo - if you have a logo, having some kind of graphic on your promotional items to break up the print is often effective and draws the eye.
3. Company phone number or website address - here is where you need to determine your audience. With cell phones so common in today's society, a phone number may be the better choice. When the promotional item has the space, you can consider adding both the phone number and the web address. (If you will be attending some kind of technology conference and distributing your promotional products there, you may choose the web address and have just as much success with it.)
4. Company address - this takes a lot of space and many promotional items just don't have that kind of room. However, on items like bumper stickers, key rings, and conference folders, room is not that much of an issue and an address may draw customers right to your door!

Experiment with different items and different information each time you order promotional items. Find what works well and what doesn't and keep using that information that brings you the most business.

For more information on promotional items, products and gifts check out some of the leading online suppliers today where you can tap into their wealth of experience to ensure that your next marketing campaign is well targeted and sets off on the right footing.