How to write business greeting cards
Here at On The Ball Promotions, we LOVE getting greeting cards.
From colleagues, friends, or professional peers, it doesn’t matter who sent it. Picking up that personalized greeting card from the mail cart gives us that warm and fuzzy feeling that we just don’t get from an impromptu email greeting.
So we open greeting card, delighted that someone thought of us, whether it’s someone’s birthday, work anniversary, one of us completed a professional certification course, or Christmas greetings for our entire office family.
Our friends, peers, and colleagues choose beautiful cards to send us. We open our cards with nearly the same excitement as when grandma would sneak some cash into our birthday cards (yes, we really do love greeting cards around here).
And what we see is the pre-printed sentiment and a signature.
Well, that’s awesome, we think, they thought of us, and let us know they were thinking of us.
However.
As happy as we feel for getting that greeting card, it’s like we bought the biggest firework available, and it turned out to be an everyday sparkler. It’s pretty and it makes us smile a little, but it doesn’t have the same emotional impact.
Have you experienced this? Or were you the one who promised a firework but delivered a sparkler?
We’re not here to make you feel guilty about how you send greeting cards. The fact that you’re sending them is GREAT.
We’re here to give you some tips on how to make those business greeting cards have a impactful message and have a more lasting impact on your customers, clients, peers, and business associates.
What to say in business greeting cards
Don’t: Use just a stock sentiment and your company logo.
Even if it’s a short hello, it’s worth it to spend the extra time to write notes to your greeting card recipients.
People know that receiving greeting cards from businesses is another marketing tactic in that company’s arsenal.
Be that as it may, adding the personalized, handwritten note will soften the impact. Greeting cards are pretty much the perfect soft sell advertising your company could choose.
On a related note, sign your names. While we can foil stamp or print your signatures, unless you’re sending a huge bulk amount of greeting cards at one time, your authentic signature will hold more meaning than an imprinted signature.
Don’t: Have the intern do it.
While it may be tempting to have an assistant write the notes for you, it will be much more meaningful if you write the messages yourself. Your peers and clients will appreciate the sincerity.
Don’t: Offend.
If you want to say “Merry Christmas” then say “Merry Christmas.” But unless you’re sending a Christmas card to Christian customers, peers, or colleagues, it’s best to leave the bible verse off.
Don’t: Rely on standard sentiments.
We know, we’re saying you should do something opposite of what we advertise (we offer standard everyday greeting card sentiments and Christmas card sentiments).
But sometimes, choosing something other than a stock sentiment for business greeting cards can really make it stand out.
What to write in business greeting cards
The possibilities are endless! Here are some ideas we’ve collected both from personal experience and from how our customers have used our personalized business greeting cards.
Say thank you in your business greeting cards—especially in your holiday cards.
Write a heart-felt message of thanks from the CEO, founder, or other leader(s) of your company. Say more thank just “Thank you for being a loyal customer.” Say why you’re thankful.
Here are some ways to use Christmas cards or generic business greeting cards as thank you cards:
- If your business went through some big staff changes, thank your customers for understanding as your business transitioned to new leadership.
- If you received a lot of feedback, testimonials, or reviews throughout the year, thank your customers for voicing their compliments—and concerns—to you. After all, those voices are what help your business grow.
- If you experienced growth, let your customers know they are helping you build your business.
What are some season’s greetings messages for business greeting cards?
We offer many stock sentiments for business Christmas cards. Here are some of the most popular holiday card verses for businesses to send to customers:
- Season’s greetings and best wishes for the New Year.
- To our friends and customers, Our warmest wishes for a joyous holiday season and a new year filled with peace and happiness.
- Wishing you all the best in the coming year.
- Best wishes for a joyous holiday.
- Peace and joy throughout the season.
- Peace on Earth, good will to all
- We wish you a Merry Christmas and a joyous new year!
More business greeting card message samples for holidays and special occasions
Sentiments for business birthday cards:
- Best wishes on your birthday!
- With warmest birthday wishes
- Wishing you the best on your birthday and always
Sentiments for business thank you cards:
- With great appreciation
- With sincere thanks and warm wishes.
- It was our pleasure to serve you.
Sentiments for business congratulations cards:
- Congratulations and best wishes always!
- Congratulations! It’s celebration time.
- Enjoy your special day.
Sentiments for business employee welcome cards:
- Welcome to the team.
- Welcome, it is a pleasure to have you here.
- Our entire company extends its warmest welcome.
Sentiments for business anniversary cards:
- Wishing you a wonderful day!
- We appreciate your contributions to our success the past year.
- Warmest wishes on your special day.
Sentiments for business sympathy cards:
- We would like to extend our sincerest sympathy to you and your family.
- Please accept our deepest sympathy.
- Our heartfelt thoughts are with you.
All of these messages for company greeting cards are available as stock sentiments in our business greeting cards.
How to sign a business greeting card
By now, we’ve given you some practical ideas on how to write a business greeting card. Now it’s time for your John Hancock.
But before you write your signature, there’s the closing (which is also known as a valediction or complimentary close). You might be thinking, how can I best close a letter?
Here are some of the most popular ways to write a closer in your company greeting cards.
- Sincerely
- Kind regards
- Warm regards
- Thank you
- Many thanks
- My best
- All the best
- Best wishes
- Warm wishes
- Cheers (perhaps the least formal option on this list)
- Cordially
- Best
- In appreciation
- With sincere appreciation
- Respectfully
For holidays or other special greetings, it is acceptable to sign off with the name of event at hand, like any of the below. These sign-offs are less formal than the formal business message closings above:
- Merry Christmas
- Happy holidays
- Happy new year
- Happy Thanksgiving
- Happy Easter
- Happy birthday
- Happy anniversary
Here are some tips on how to sign personalized greeting cards from businesses:
Should I capitalize every word of my closing?
No. It is accepted practice to capitalize just the first word in your closing. For example, you would write “Kind regards,” not “Kind Regards”.
Do I need to sign each card, or can I have my signature printed on my greeting cards?
Though we offer FREE personalization on all of our company cards—and we can print or foil stamp your signature—we recommend you sign the cards yourself.
It doesn’t take much time to scribble out your signature, and it means something to the recipients if you sign it yourself. It’s a truly personalized, human touch.
Need some greeting cards for your business? On The Ball Promotions can help.
We carry a large line of Christmas cards, thank you cards, birthday cards, and more. The designs and sentiments were chosen to cater to businesses who want to send an assortment of greeting cards throughout the year to employees, business peers, customers, or clients.
Select a holiday or occasion below to buy business greeting cards online:
- Christmas Cards
- Thanksgiving Cards
- Logo Note Cards
- Birthday Cards
- Thank You Cards
- Congratulations Cards
- Anniversary Cards
- Sympathy Cards
Need some help choosing the right greeting card for your business or message? We’re happy to help. Call us at (800) 475-2255.
What are the different types of promotional calendars?
Want to buy promotional calendars? As a small business who sells promotional calendars, we think that’s a great idea (though we’re little biased on this one).
You know promotional calendars are a practical branded giveaway and can really help promote your business or service.
But how do you pick the right one?
Let’s start by looking at all the different types of promotional calendars. In doing so, we hope to help you choose the right logo calendar for your business.
And if we make your head spin from presenting so many calendar design ideas, we are truly sorry. What can we say? We get a little excited about calendars.
Ok, here we go.
Desk Calendars
This one is simple: it’s a calendar that sits on a desk.
There are a few different styles of desk calendars. We offer small cardboard desk calendars with easel backs that pop out. This calendar style has a small footprint, making it an ideal desk or counter calendar.
However, when many people hear “desk calendar,” they think of something like this:
This large, over-sized desk calendar pad is popular for businesses; it gives you a lot of space to write down appointments, meetings, and other notes.
The downside? These things take up quite a lot of desk real estate.
Another type of desk calendar that is used more in public spaces are table tent calendars. Similar in design to counter cards, table tent calendars are used in many different places, including:
- Sports Centers & Athletic Arenas (the calendar often incorporates the team’s schedule)
- Libraries
- College & Universities
Reference Calendars
The thing about reference calendars is that they come in any size or shape. They can be a daily, monthly, or yearly calendar.
However, there is one that reigns supreme: the humble desk calendar.
Designed to fit perfectly on a reception counter or by the phone on your desk, branded desk calendars are highly practical because you can view an entire month at once, and the next month is just a page flip away.
Who uses reference calendars?
- Dentists and Orthodontists
- Doctor’s offices
- Optometrists
- Village Halls & City Buildings
- Library reference desks
- College and University admissions offices
- Banks & Credit Unions
- Insurance Agents
- Inside & Outside Sales
- Receptionists, Secretaries, & Check-in Personnel
Mini Sticky Calendars
Our most economical calendar also happens to be the most popular in our product line.
Mini sticky calendars are small-sized calendars with an adhesive back that adheres to any surface. We don’t recommend sticking them on wooden surfaces, though.
The calendar pad has tear-off months that are stapled to the top. The calendars from On The Ball Promotions come with 13 month calendar pads, starting with December.
If you’ve never seen these calendars before, you might be wondering who uses these… and how they use them.
Here are how some businesses use stick-up calendars
- Logistics companies: Calendars are given to truck drivers so they have contact information for the right people within their company. Calendars are also given to customers to stick in their vehicles or on shelves or cabinets.
- Pilot car businesses: truck drivers stick the calendar on their dashboard for convenient reference of both the calendar pad and contact information for the pilot car company.
- Automotive & Motorcycle businesses: Car, truck, and van owners might attach this stick-up calendar to the dashboard, or even inside the glove box. Motorcycle owners might stick them to a shelf or tool box in the garage or shop.
- Manufacturing: Since adhesive calendars stick to anything, this calendar is a safe bet when your customers or clients have different work environments. Even if they don’t want to stick this calendar on anything in their workspace, they could even use a pushpin on a corkboard.
- Garden Centers & Wholesale Nurseries: Stick-up calendars can survive the great outdoors, as long as they aren’t exposed to rain, snow, sleet, or any other type of precipitation that mother nature throws your way. These can be stuck on any type of garden shelving, including metal or plastic.
- HVAC Pros: When completing a service call, put the stick-up calendar on the heater or nearby ductwork. That way, customers know who to call if there are any problems. The benefit of a calendar versus a magnet is that you mail calendars each year, keeping your business fresh in mind. With a magnet, you give it once, and they only see your business info if they check their heater. (Psssst… read some more HVAC marketing tips)
But here’s the question we know you’re dying to ask:
Do mini sticky calendars leave any adhesive after being stuck there for a year?
Any adhesive product worth its salt is going to leave a little adhesive goo behind. But we guarantee it will be infinitely easier to remove that tiny bit of adhesive than trying to remove all the goo when taking a label off a peanut butter jar.
Other types of adhesive calendars
Though not as popular as they once were, computer calendars were once kind of a thing. These long, strip-like calendars fit on a PC or Mac monitor.
However, since desktop computer monitors are smaller than they used to be, this calendar design has quickly become a thing of the past.
Dashboard Calendars
A dashboard calendar is simply a small calendar that adheres to a dashboard in a truck or van (typically used in service vehicles or delivery trucks)
Our popular Value Stick Calendars and Easy Stick Calendars are often used as dashboard calendars because they are small and have strong, adhesive backs.
Once the truck or van driver sticks the calendar on the dashboard, it’s going to stay where they stick it. We’ve even tested these calendars at colder temperatures—and they stay put.
One thing to note: dashboard calendars stick better on clean, dry surfaces, so if you haven’t used an interior cleaner on your dashboard lately, now might be a good time.
Here’s an extra tip: giving these mini dashboard calendars to your drivers, vendors, or clients? If your budget allows, give them a can of cleaner with the calendar. It’s a small touch that won’t go unnoticed.
Wall Calendars
This is one of the most popular calendar styles for home and office use. Why?
The average wall calendar comes with a different picture each month, and has plenty of space to jot down appointment times, meetings, practices, rehearsals, outings, vacations… you get the idea.
It’s not just aesthetically pleasing, but it also highly practical.
That being said, we don’t sell wall calendars. At least not the typical wall calendar.
Yes, there is more than one kind of wall calendars.
You might have seen three-month calendars or even full-year wall calendars before. For our wall calendars, we went the other way: we offer daily wall calendars.
What are daily wall calendars?
Daily date wall calendars have a page you tear off every day. These types of calendars are ideal in places where people simply need to reference the date of that day, like when signing forms at a medical office or putting a date on contracts.
Greeting Card Calendars
It’s a holiday card and full year calendar in one convenient design. An example of a greeting card calendar is our trifold calendars.
Trifold calendars—or z-fold calendars—have the greeting card portion on the top section, with the calendar on the bottom two panels, and the ad imprint on the very bottom.
Magnetic Calendars
Similar to stick-up calendars in size and design, magnetic calendars just have a magnetic back so they can stick to magnetic surfaces like metal file cabinets, shelving, or some refrigerators.
On The Ball Promotions does not offer magnetic calendars. Here’s why we don’t offer magnetic calendars: adhesive calendars are the same size and shape of small magnetic calendars, but sticky calendars can go just about anywhere.
Planners
Designed for busy moms, sales people, or anyone who just needs a little help keeping their schedule organized, planners are organized by month, and often extend to 13 or even 18 months.
Promotional planners are either foil stamped on the front cover, or are printed in full color. Some even come with a protective plastic cover to keep your schedule a little bit safer (at least from the weather and the contents of your pocket or purse).
On The Ball Promotions does not currently offer promotional planners.
Wallet Card Calendars
Wallet card calendars are a business card on one side, full-year calendar on the other. Typically the same size as a business card, these mini promo calendars are probably the most economical calendar design you can find.
The problem is, they are also the least visible, as they will be put in a wallet and only taken out when the consumer thinks to look at it. Unlike desk or wall calendars, this wallet card calendars don’t provide as much brand visibility for you throughout the year.
Pocket Calendars
These are any type of calendar that fits in your pocket. You will typically see planners and wallet card calendars listed as pocket calendars.
Let’s pick the right calendar for your business.
We’re On The Ball Promotions, and we’re here to help you promote your brand, business, or service. Not sure which of these types of promotional calendars is right for your giveaway? Help is just a phone call away: (800) 475-2255. Or send us an email with your ideas.
Let’s start your promotion.
The USPS wants to raise rates to mail promotional materials, and it could have a negative effect on your business.
The United States Postal Service recently announced a proposed rule change for mailing direct mail, marketing mailers, and promotional merchandise through the USPS.
Until this point, all promotional materials and direct mail pieces were to be mailed using USPS Marketing Mail. This service is for both for-profit businesses and non-profit organizations. Under this program, you have been able to send:
- Printed materials (flyers, brochures, circulars, advertising)
- Newsletters, bulletins, and circulars
- Small parcels
If this proposed rule passes, what you can send via Marketing Mail will be limited just to letter-sized or flat-size pieces. All other mailers (like small packages containing branded giveaways) will have to use a different USPS service, like Priority Mail or Parcel Select. This could end up costing you more just to mail your promotional materials.
Though this was just recently announced, there has already been a great deal of pushback from both suppliers and distributors within the promotional products industry. If this goes into effect, this could negatively affect you and your marketing budget; you would end up paying more to mail logo giveaways to your customers.
Who this proposed USPS rule change affects
This affects anyone who mails promotional giveaways, branded merchandise, or marketing mailers to their clients or target audience. It can especially hurt business owners with strict marketing budgets because what used to be affordable might now become a deal-breaker.
But this will really affect non-profits who rely on marketing mail prices to afford mailing promo merchandise. In fact, the Alliance for Nonprofit Mailers has submitted comments to the USPS calling the proposed content restriction unlawful.
What you can do about this proposed change
The USPS is accepting comments on this proposed rule. You have until October 22 to submit comments. You can mail or deliver your written comments to:
Manager, Product Classification
U.S. Postal Service
475 L’Enfant Plaza SW, Room 4446
Washington, DC 20260-5015
You can also email your comments or questions to: ProductClassification@usps.gov using the subject line “USPS Marketing Mail Content Eligibilty.”
You can read the full details of this proposed rule change at federalregister.gov.
4 Unconventional Year-End Marketing Ideas for Small Businesses
Let’s face it. From Halloween until New Year’s Day, we are inundated with garish billboard advertisements, commercials filled with redundant jingles, and sale after sale after sale.
So is year-end advertising a bad idea? Quite the opposite, actually. But we think a more subtle approach can lead to better business relationships and stronger client referrals within your community.
Here are a few unobtrusive year-end marketing ideas for your small business.
1. Throw a Christmas party and don the Santa suit.
Do your clients have kids? Dress up as Santa and host a breakfast, or even an open house with cookies and small crafts for kids. Offer a photo op, and have you or one of your willing employees dress up as Santa.
What you can hand out as an event giveaway
Kids of ALL ages will remember this event. If you’re having pictures with Santa, you can hand out some inexpensive cardboard frames as unique Christmas party favors. If it’s a small party, order these blank (we require no order minimum on our blank cardboard frames).
2. Offer your services at the school Christmas pageant.
If you’re a handyman, contractor, or construction professional, offer to help build the set for the school or church Christmas play. Run a catering company? Help provide snacks for after the show.
Even if you don’t have a skillset that is directly related to producing a school play, your services could be of help, and your business will likely get a free ad placed in the playbill or school newsletter.
What you can hand out as an event giveaway
If there is no playbill or newsletter, consider handing out branded calendars at the event as an easy way to get your name out there. Not sure if promo calendars are effective? Let us convince you why logo calendars are practical advertising investments.
3. Send thank you cards, not Christmas cards.
Religious affiliation and political correctness aside, saying “thank you” instead of “Merry Christmas” could give your customers a more favorable opinion of you over your competitors.
But why send a thank you card in place of a Christmas card from your business?
By sending cards that say “thank you for your business” or “we appreciate your loyalty,” you’re doing more than just pushing a sentiment at them; you’re telling them something genuine. By saying thanks, you’re encouraging your audience to keep doing business with your small business. And we all know how important it is to work with small businesses.
Now, we’re not saying that you should say “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Holidays.” Saying those things is a great idea.
Consider this instead: send a thank you card near year’s end, thanking them for their business this past year. If you want to say Merry Christmas, Season’s Greetings, or Happy Hanukkah, write it with your personal handwritten message.
4. Blog about cookies or share your creations on social media.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a realtor, a plumber, a freelance designer, or a financial advisor. Just about everyone loves cookies, and people go gaga over Christmas cookie recipes.
Share your favorite recipe, or even a few recipes from your staff members. While this sort of blog or social media post might not be directly related to your industry, it’s a light-hearted subject, and it adds a nice “human element” to any business blog. Don’t have a blog? Send it in an email.
Further your reach by sending completely custom Christmas cards, complete with your cookie recipe (can’t choose just one recipe? Print a tri-fold calendar card for even more cookie recipe-sharing goodness).
We’re here for your year-end marketing needs.
Need some help choosing the best promotional item for your year-end customer giveaways? On The Ball Promotions is here to help. Browse our selection of custom branded items, or call our customer service team at (800) 475-2255.
Quick Tips to Save Money on Promotional Products
Ordering promotional products is an investment for your business, and it’s one you should take seriously.
Want to save money on your promotional products?
We’ve provided you with five easy tips on how to save money on your personalized promotional products. You want to get the most out of your investment, and we want to see your promotion succeed.
Read these quick tips to see how easy it is to save money on custom promo products from On The Ball Promotions.
1. Split the cost with another business, aka Co-Branding
They say sharing is caring, but sharing can also save your business some advertising expenses.
Your first thought might be that sharing ad space with another business or organization will take away from your ad’s impact, but that’s far from the truth.
You simply need to advertise with a business that complements yours, or one that is so entirely different that you would lose no customers in sharing the ad space.
Here are some promo item co-branding we’ve seen:
- Small town/neighborhood businesses: grocery store and mechanic (Sound weird? Trust us, it works! They are different industries, and both services are necessities to those separate audiences.)
- Funeral Home and Flower Shop
- Restaurant and Theater or Art Center
- Tax Attorney and Marketing Firm – great for marketing to local business owners
- Book Store and Coffee Shop
- Choose your profession and partner up accordingly: HVAC, plumber, electrician, carpenter, painter
How realtors use co-branding to save money on presentation folders
Realtors often use co-branding on their pocket folders, but they take it to a different level. Instead of splitting ad space straight down the middle, the realtor is the main advertiser on the pocket folder.
Rather than co-branding, they sell advertising spaces, much like the ads you see in a theater playbill. By selling advertising spaces, they are often able to completely cover the cost of their pocket folders.
So how can realtors sell ad space on their presentation folders without hurting their brand image?
Much like two businesses who participate in a co-branding initiative, realtors only choose advertisers who relate to—but con’t compete with—their business.
Here are some businesses realtors sell ad space to on their pocket folders:
- Mortgage brokers
- Insurance agents
- HVAC professionals
- Plumbers
- Electricians
- Landscaping companies
- Grocery stores
- Restaurants
2. Non-profits, churches, and fundraisers: Use sponsors or donors
This is a great way to provide donors with more brand visibility. To help offset the cost of purchasing promo giveaways, let sponsors help pay for those items.
Here’s how to save money on branded event giveaways with sponsors:
Offer ad space on your calendar, photo frame, or presentation folder to help offset to the cost of purchasing these logo items. You win because that’s money that you don’t have to take out of your marketing budget, and your donors or sponsors win because their brand is seen by a larger audience.
Here are some ways we’ve seen sponsor logos work
- Golf charity tournaments. Many golf events have different sponsorship levels. Include this option in the highest sponsorship level, since their logo and branding will be taken home with the event attendees, making a longer-lasting impression than just sponsoring a hole.
- School events. This is popular with sports events and music or theater productions. Sometimes those advertising print ads are sold to businesses, or sometimes they are added because that sponsor gave something to the organization or event (either service, hard goods, or a monetary donation).
- Non-profits. If a non-profit group is advertising for an event, they will often include sponsor logos on event invitations. They do this because those sponsors have typically donated a large sum to appear in that position.
3. For long-term products, buy in bulk
This is perfect for non-dated items like cardboard frames with just your business logo, logo note cards with your company logo, or custom printed gift card holders.
We offer upfront, bulk discount pricing, so order more and save. As long as the message will stay the same, we say stock up.
Here are some tips for buying branded giveaways in bulk:
- Don’t add a date. Once you add a date (like an event date), once that date has passed, those leftover bulk branded giveaways are mostly worthless. Buy promo items with just your logo or just the event name so that you can use these giveaways for multiple events and purposes throughout the year—and also use them for years to come.
- Stock up on multi-purpose items. Pocket folders with your logo can be used for press release kits, employee welcome folders, board member meetings, or general staff use. Logo note cards can be used for birthday greeting cards, employee anniversary cards, business thank you cards, or even as your company Christmas cards. Buy something that can be used by everyone to further your branding reach.
4. Email sign-up for special promotions
Retailers and e-commerce websites alike often have email lists that provide product info, tips, and, yes, money-saving promotions.
We’ll be honest, we’re no different.
Our email newsletter contains helpful product info, like product use case studies, effective ad design tips, and special offers. Don’t worry, we’ll never share or sell your email address. Sign up for the On The Ball Promotions newsletter.
We’re here to help you save money on promotional items.
We work with a variety of businesses and organizations every day, each one with a different budget. We’re here to make sure you get the most of out your marketing budget.
Need some help finding the best promotional giveaway to fit your ad budget? Shop OnTheBallPromotions.com, send us an email, or call us at (800) 475-2255.
Why we don’t do “cool” promotional items
Consider this a brief study on why practicality always wins.
On The Ball Promotions (that’s us) is a small business, and we’re devoted to helping business owners and event planners like you find the best promotional items for your business.
We help you choose a product that will stick within your budget and advertise your brand in the most effective way. It’s all about ROI, right? Right.
Which is why “cool” often falls short.
“Cool” promotional items often generate buzz immediately after an event, but like fast fashion, their purpose is all-too-often short lived.
Instead, we focus on practical promotional giveaways because they have proven, time and time again, that their advertising impact lasts.
Are billboard ads and promotional calendars cool?
If a business decides to place a billboard next to a busy expressway, do they leave it up for a week or a year? Billboard ads are an old idea, but they’re still around for a reason: they are a constant brand reminder.
We’re in the suburbs of Chicago; millions of people see billboard ads on their way to work each day. Yet no one looks at a billboard ad and says “COOL!” No, they look at it, and the branding sticks with them.
The same idea applies to promotional calendars. Since they come with a full-year’s calendar pad, people hang onto them for that full year, giving your business constant, repeated brand exposure.
We’ve talked about how effective promotional calendars are, and we really mean it. You can add a really creative, eye-catching brand design to a calendar, but rarely is a calendar thought of as a “cool” promo item. They are practical, but practicality wins.
Because let’s face it, a fidget spinner won’t be as helpful as a reception desk reference calendar.
Does the cool promo giveaway reflect your brand?
Also, is it the best giveaway for your audience? When buying promo items online, sometimes we forget about our advertising ROI and get caught up with what’s hot in the marketing giveaway world (fidget spinners, anyone? That’s so 2017).
Remember, these are your hard-earned dollars you’re spending. We want you to get the biggest impact for the best value.
We’re not saying that your fifth-generation furniture restoration business can’t have a little fun with your branding. But what fits your brand image more, a single-use plastic cup, or a reference calendar that lasts all year?
We get it. With online shopping and cheap prices from overseas production (we work with American manufacturers), it’s easy to get caught up in the fast, the cheap, and the “cool.”
But when you buy cheap cool promo items, what are you really getting?
You’re getting something that was made with little more thought than, Well, this should hold their attention for a little while. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, a small business owner, or manage a chain of restaurants, your brand deserves better.
Don’t settle for products that pop and fizzle. Choose something like a presentation folder for meeting new clients, or table tents to display in all of your branch locations.
If you want your brand’s image to be one of reputability and timelessness, choose promo items that reflect those qualities.
Short term clutter vs. long term brand visibility
The thing with cheap promo giveaways (let’s just call them “tchotchkes”) is that they can come across as a desperate way to catch your customers’ attention. Often, they just add clutter to desks or counters, and end up in the garbage after a very limited number of impressions.
Let’s look at calendars. These things last. According to a 2016 study by the Advertising Specialty Institute, customers do hang onto promotional calendars for the full 12 months, and 76% of branded promotional calendar recipients display them prominently in their home or office.
So what does a study on calendars have to do with your brand?
If your brand is one that values lasting customer relationships, and you build your business on referrals, things like calendars matter. Not only are you giving your audience a practical item for their home or office, you are giving them something that advertises a product or service they will likely use again or use in the future.
What is the product’s true purpose?
We put the focus on your brand, using the calendar, notepad, or folder as a vehicle for your brand’s message. Those “cool” promotional items? The focus is on the product first, your brand second.
Ask yourself this: what matters more, the promotional item or my brand?
We think we know your answer, and we’re here to help.
Browse our selection of practical promotional giveaways at OnTheBallPromotions.com, or call our customer service team at (800) 475-2255. We’ll help you choose a promo item that really reflects your brand.
Which material is more eco-friendly for promotional products: paper or plastic?
Trying to choose the most sustainable option for anything nowadays can make your head spin. With promotional products, it’s no different.
At On The Ball Promotions, we do have one easy way to differentiate sustainable products from not-so-sustainable products. Just ask yourself this question: is it paper or plastic?
Do you know which one is typically the more eco-friendly option?
Paper is more sustainable than plastic because paper can be recycled 5-7 times (plastic can usually be recycled just once), uses fewer resources to manufacture, and is biodegradable.
So what makes paper the more sustainable option when it comes to promotional products?
Paper uses less oil.
While plastic is not made from crude oil, it is manufactured from petroleum products. In 2010, 191 million barrels of liquid petroleum gases and natural gas liquids were used to make plastic products.
On the other hand, paper has no crude oil or petroleum products in it. True, some oil is used in equipment and transportation, but overall, much less oil is used to manufacture paper than is used to make plastic products.
And let’s not forget about the inks.
We work with our printer to ensure our products are made with soy- or vegetable inks, rather than petroleum-based inks. This means little oil is used in the production of our inks. It also means that the printing inks are low-VOC.
Paper is easier to recycle.
The paper products we offer can always be recycled, whether they were printed or foil stamped. The neat thing about paper is that is can be recycled over and over again (between 5-7 times).
Low-VOC inks also make it easier to recycle paper, as they come off the paper easier in the recycling process.
Plastic, however, has a very limited lifespan. Some plastics can only be recycled one time, others 4 or 5 times.
Despite that, most plastic doesn’t even make it to recycling facilities; an estimated 8.8% is recycled. The rest goes to the landfill, where it can take 450 years to decompose. During those 450 years, it breaks down into microplastics, causing pollution on both land and in the water.
Unlike plastics, the paper products we offer are completely biodegradable.
Compared to the low 8.8% of recycled plastic materials, more than 65% of all paper products were recovered for recycling in 2020. According to the American Forest & Paper Association, the U.S. has recycled more than 63% of all paper products each year for the past eight years. The organization’s goal is to exceed 70% by 2030.
Want recycled paper? That’s easy. Want recycled plastic? That’s not so easy.
Recycled plastic can be difficult to work with, and it can be expensive. Because of this, most plastic manufacturers choose to work with virgin materials.
Recycled paper, on the other hand, is easy to manufacture, and often costs the same as paper made from virgin pulp.
When you look at the amount of paper that is recycled (65%) compared to the amount of plastic that is recycled (8.8%), it’s easy to see why recycled paper is the more budget-friendly option.
You get a lot of personalization options with paper.
While the most popular paper for printed advertising materials is our standard white paper stock, we offer more than 40 color papers and textures, including a variety of recycled papers.
If you want to add your logo to a plastic promo item, your personalization finish options are limited.
With paper, we can do a lot. We can print, foil stamp, and even emboss. Want to get fancy? We can combine those finish options (we love custom projects; talk to us for a quote).
Paper is lightweight.
When looking at promotional giveaway items, paper products are most often lighter in weight than plastic.
If you compare vinyl document pouches to paper document pouches, you will find that the paper pouches are lighter than document envelopes made from their plastic-based counterpart.
So what do lighter-weight promotional products mean for you? Cheaper shipping costs.
We suppose this would be a good time to remind you that orders over $300 get free ground shipping (in the continental U.S. Sorry, Alaska and Hawaii).
Nevertheless, we still pay for shipping, so lower shipping costs for us mean lower product prices for you.
We’ll call that one a win for paper.
So which option is more sustainable: paper or plastic?
When it comes to promotional products, paper will almost always be the more environmentally sustainable option. From the raw materials to the finished product and back to the recycling facility, paper wins.
Need some promo items made from paper?
We have what your business needs—calendars, greeting cards, pocket folders, table tents, and more. Call us at (800) 475-2255, send us an email, or browse our products at OnTheBallPromotions.com.
How to design effective bilingual logo products
Many business owners have an audience who speaks just one language: English.
When it’s time to order promotional products, it’s easy. Just design it and you’re done. But what if you have a multilingual market? Bilingual logo products are easy to design, and we’re here to show you how to do it.
Being residents of the Chicago suburbs, we understand why advertising to a polylingual audience is so important.
Bilingual speakers are commonplace in Chicago and the surrounding area. While English is the dominating language, Spanish is the most common language behind that. Depending on what suburb or neighborhood you’re in, you could also hear Polish, Indic, Russian, Mandarin, Cantonese, and more. Seeing advertisements in two or more languages is the norm.
But you didn’t come here for a lesson in Chicagoland linguistics. You came here with a marketing predicament. How do you design multilingual promotional giveaways for your business? It’s easier than you might think.
Here are four easy tips for designing effective bilingual logo products.
Tip #1: Choose a double-sided product
It’s easy: put one language on one side, the other language on the other. And there are a lot of promo giveaways that work perfectly for this.
Great for service professionals, local businesses, and hotels, the 2004 Door Hanger from On The Ball Promotions can be printed front and back, making it a perfect bilingual printed advertisement for your market.
Another great use for door hangers is for city services or public works. If the water department needs to leave notices on homeowners’ doors in a bilingual neighborhood, this is the perfect solution. No guessing on what notice to leave on the door. One bilingual logo product covers your needs—and audience.
Restaurants, bars, and cafés can promote drink and dinner specials or upcoming events with a double-sided table tent. The above example shows the menu in English on one side and in Spanish on the other side.
Need to promote a cause? The Wave Table Tent has a unique shape, and you can put the same message on both sides, but in different languages.
Tip #2: Choose a giveaway with large ad space
Have a lot of selling points or information you want to fit on your multilingual giveaway? You’ll want something big.
Here, a tri-fiold calendar card was used as a reminder to register for school. Instructions were given in both English and Spanish.
A health care system wanted to promote their website for appointment scheduling and visit overviews. Since they are located in an urban area that boasts a large bilingual audience, they chose the extra large 10-½” x 14″ daily date to pass out to all their providers as an office reference calendar.
Tip #3: Tell them what languages you speak
We see this a lot on advertisements, flyers, promotional giveaways, and on TV. The ad is entirely in English, but there is a line or two in there that say “Se habla Español” or “Mowimy po Polsku” (in case you are stuck, those say “Spanish speaking” and “We speak in Polish,” respectively).
Tip #4: Keep it simple
Sometimes, less is more, especially when you’re trying to fit two messages into one ad space. Sometimes branding is the only language you need to speak.
Hosting a community event in a bilingual area, or throwing a customer appreciation event? Take photos of guests and hand out cardboard picture frames with nothing but your logo.
Let’s make your bilingual logo products
Need some Spanish promotional products, or perhaps some Polish promo giveaways? We can help. Check out our entire product line at OnTheBallPromotions.com. Don’t see what you need? Help is just a phone call away. Reach us at (800) 475-2255.
Why receptionists love our desk calendars
You know what we love? Seeing our products in action.
And—hands down—the one we see the most is our desk calendars, especially on reception counters or consultant or sales reps desks. If you aren’t familiar with our small logo calendars, here’s why they’re so popular:
Promotional calendars take up a small spot on your desk, but are highly practical reference calendars for your patients or customers.
It really is as simple as that. Whether you’ve just finished your dentist appointment, or are at village hall getting picking up a building permit, the seemingly vintage calendar design suddenly makes a lot of sense.
Not just for receptionists! Here’s why secretaries, sales reps, and consultants also appreciate desk calendars:
Let’s look at a few real-use examples.
The doctor’s office receptionist and appointment scheduler
A patient at your medical office needs space to sign some forms and set up a follow-up appointment. It would be a nuisance having to work around a large counter calendar, or looking down at paperwork, then searching for the ubiquitous—but sometimes hard-to-find—wall calendar. Instead, you tuck a small desk calendar to the side by the pens. Takes up very little space, and is in a practical, easy-to-reference spot.
The busy sales rep
Or perhaps you’re a sales rep who schedules a lot of appointments. A desk calendar with a memo pad by your phone makes scheduling meetings and presentations a lot easier, but doesn’t take up too much valuable desk space.
The insurance agent
An agent is meeting with some new clients, and they are unsure which policies they need. So the agent gives them all the info they need, then references the calendar and asks if an upcoming date will work for them.
A desk calendar might be small, but it fits the space. No matter the setting, no matter the industry, it’s easy to reference whether you’re filling out paperwork or scheduling appointments.
Who uses desk calendars?
Our desk calendars are largely used by service-oriented businesses and organizations. Here’s a list of where we’ve seen our desk calendars in use, and where our customers have told us they use them:
- Dentist and doctor’s office reception desk
- Village hall or government office
- Bank and credit union teller counters
- Attorney, accountant, and business advisor desks
- Purchasing managers
- Insurance agent desks
- Library check-out counter
- Sales reps (keep by their phones for easy scheduling)
- School and daycare front desks
- College and university admissions centers
Who gives out these desk calendars?
Anyone who wants to promote their business, service, cause, or event.
For example, the local barber might give calendars to local business owners to display on their desks to stay top of mind. The grocer might do the same, advertising specialty services their store provides. The chamber of commerce might hand them out to all members to use on their work desks or reception counters.
Promotional calendars are not only an extremely effective advertising medium, they are also a highly practical, usable tool for your customers.
How to get desk calendars to advertise your business
If you’re curious about desk calendars, but not sure how to use this reliable advertising giveaway, talk to us. Our promotional products experts will help you choose the right calendar for your business. Call us at (800) 475-2255, send us an email, or browse our calendars at OnTheBallPromotions.com.
What is Branding?
Just when you thought you had advertising figured out, along comes marketing. And just when you figured out marketing, along came branding. But what is branding?
In its most basic definition, “brand” refers to a mark designating ownership. Think livestock branding on a large ranch. The animals are branded so that ranchers know who they belong to.
That being said, branding within the realm of marketing is very similar in that it provides an easy-to-identify mark that consumers use to associate your product or service with your company.
But this is marketing we’re talking about, so there is more to it than a mark on your product.
So what is branding?
Branding is the perceived image of your company and its product or service.
Sounds easy, right? Right. But let’s back up a few steps and go over some individual points and ideas that make your brand, well, your brand.
Branding is your logo.
Just like ranchers brand their animals to designate ownership, your logo designates ownership of your product or service. It plays such a significant role in your brand because it’s the thing consumers look for on store shelves, on signs, or online.
The logo might not be your entire brand, but the color, font, and shape of your logo all play a role in defining your brand. Not sure where to start with your logo? Read through these 5 easy logo design tips. Don’t worry, you don’t have to be a designer to understand what makes a good logo.
But remember, the most important thing about your logo—and unfortunately all-too-often overlooked—is consistency. Using the same logo across all mediums gives your brand a more professional image, and helps consumers more easily recognize you.
Branding is your tone of voice.
Tone of voice is how you write on your website, blog, social media channels, emails, and in print media.
If you speak to your audience in a relaxed, easy-going tone, that paints a picture that your company is casual. If you speak in a very formal tone, with no playful or colorful expressions, your company will be perceived as structured, formal, and very professional.
Whether it’s the receptionist, the marketing team, or the CEO, make sure everyone understands your brand’s tone of voice—and follows it.
Branding is the imagery you use.
Whether you have an e-commerce jewelry store or a website for your construction company, the images you put online and in print will reflect your company’s image.
If time and budget permit, hire a professional photographer. Have them photograph some products, both studio-style (white background) and contextual (showing the product in use). Those photos will come in very handy for your website, email marketing, print marketing materials, and social media.
If you face budget constraints, read some intro books on photography, watch some videos, or peruse the countless articles online about photography 101. It won’t make you a pro, but you’ll learn enough to make your photos better than the average amateur.
But remember, sometimes a simple snap on your phone is all it takes. A landscaping company can take pictures of their crew installing a new landscape design and post to social media for immediate brand interaction.
Which takes us to the next point:
Branding is how you interact with your customers.
Yes, really. In fact, your interactions—whether they’re in-person, via email, or over the phone—play a huge role in your company’s branding. This is also the point where some businesses lose branding momentum because of lackluster communication or poor customer service.
Let’s look at a scenario where a contractor is going to a potential client’s house.
If you walk into a meeting or go to a bid job and you are prepared and confident, that is a strong reflection on your brand. It shows that you are reliable.
If, however, you arrive and start talking about you were almost late because you had to wait in a long line for lunch, and then had to take a detour because of construction… well, those are just excuses, and they reflect poorly on your brand. Even if you have the best logo design in your industry and a consistent tone of voice, a poor impression with customers or clients is a poor reflection on your brand.
And don’t forget about first impressions. Receptionists might not always get the credit they deserve, but they are the primary contact for customers calling your business. Though their only line might be, “Good morning, Frank’s Auto Supply, how may I direct your call?” it’s amazing the effect that little line can have on a caller. So do yourself a favor and hire a receptionist with a pleasant demeanor, who can handle whatever type of personality calls in. Because the first impression is a lasting impression.
Want to chat with our nice receptionist and easy-going sales team about promotional products? Give us a call at (800) 475-2255.
Branding is your product selection.
This isn’t a quantity vs. quality argument, but rather an idea that what you offer will affect how your customers view your brand. Stay focused with the products or services you offer—and why you’re offering those.
How do I enforce my company’s branding?
Write a brand book! In it, include specific directions for the following brand components:
- Colors
- Fonts
- Proper and improper logo usage – include specifics for social media platforms, if necessary
- Image use criteria
- Tone of voice guidelines
Check out this collection of brand books for inspiration.
Branding doesn’t have to be complex. For many small business owners, their branding comes naturally. Others have to really sit and think, and that’s ok. Your brand is how your audience perceives your business, so take the time to create a brand that really reflects how you see your business.
We’re On The Ball Promotions, and we can help you enforce your branding with promotional products. Find the best branded giveaways for your business at OnTheBallPromotions.com.