Finding a detailed promotional product business guide can be HARD.
Don’t worry, today’s your lucky day…
I’ve been an avid eCommerce entrepreneur and fanatic for the past decade. I have launched multiple promotional product businesses. And I’ll show you my EXACT blueprint. So you increase your brand awareness. Plus, make hundreds of thousands of dollars for your business.
In this guide, I’ll cover how promotional products will help your business. Launching a successful promotional product business. And its benefits.
Let’s go…

- What Are Promotional Products?
- Is Promotional Products A Good Business?
- How To Start Perfect Promotional Products Business
- Reasons Why Promotional Products Work
- Benefits Of Investing Promotional Products
- People Also Ask about Promotional Product Business
- What’s Next
- Do you want a successful import business?
What Are Promotional Products?

Think of promotional products as tiny billboards for your business/company. See how that Mcdonald’s billboard by the roadside ALWAYS catches your attention? That’s pretty much it.
It serves as a constant reminder that Mickey D still has the FRESHEST burgers in town. (Gosh…I’m already drooling!)
So, promotional products are simple customized items you give to customers. Or clients, employees, shareholders, business partners, etc
Printing business logos on items like water bottles, t-shirts, and tote bags. Is the most common way in which businesses offer promotional items.
FUN FACT: The promotional products industry market hit an ALL TIME HIGH of $25.5 Billion in 2022. Pretty insane, right?
I’ll show you how you can use promotional products to rake in tens of thousands of profits.
Here’s the secret…
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Like I said before, the promotional product industry is worth over 20 billion dollars. (which is Alibaba’s Quarterly revenue, BTW). Making it one of the most profitable industries during these HARSH economic times.
But why should I Invest in promotional products?
I’ll give you my story and let you decide.
I started an eCommerce website a few years ago.
First product? Beauty and Cosmetics products. Did I make a million dollars in 6 months like that “fake” online guru? NOT EVEN CLOSE!!
Yes, I had a few sales, but ZERO return customers.
One Saturday evening, I was B******G to a friend who seemed to be killing it. And he encouraged me to start selling promotional products.
It was a huge stretch, considering I was barely making profits from my business. But that single decision changed the trajectory of my business for GOOD.
My problem wasn’t the products in my store. It was that nobody remembered my brand.
So, for the next few months, I started to offer customized cosmetic bags. Customized apparel (e.g., t-shirts and hoodies), mirrors, and branded educational materials.
I ain’t even capping; my sales margin went over the roof.
2 months in, I had more customers and multiple repeat customers. I wasn’t making a million dollars just yet. But I was making tens of thousands of dollars MONTHLY.
Is Promotional Products A Good Business?

YES, 100%.
Some of the benefits of having your own promotional products business are:
- HIGHER ROIs
- Increase in sales
- Grow your customer base 10X
- Improving brand awareness
I’ll cover these and much more later.
Did you know? 40% of customers say they’ve owned their promotional products for close to a decade.
Hence, this creates a long lasting brand impression to the customer. Improves loyalty. Lead to repeated profitable sales, which is the bloodline of your business.
You can’t lose with promotional products!
Let’s look at how to start a 6-figure promotional product business.
How To Start Perfect Promotional Products Business
Here’s a step-by-step blueprint to start your new promotional products business:
Step 1) Determine your Target Audience

This is the MOST CRUCIAL part of launching a promotional products company.
Deciding your target audience gives you:
- Insights to what your customers REALLY like
- What your customers need
- Creating marketing messages PRECISELY
I can go on and on, but these are at the top of the list.
IMO, your ideal target audience should be a B2B client. That’s because of the brand exposure and network opportunity you’ll get.
For instance…
A B2B client will purchase promo products and distribute them to employees. Clients or customers. Especially during events or special holidays.
Another reason is bulk purchases, which is self-explanatory.
So, where Can I start?
ANYWHERE – as long as you love that industry.
I’m a sports fanatic (#GGMU💪). Hence, I’ll pitch sports academies, fitness centers, or sponsors for charity runs and walks.
Assume you love giving back to the community. A genius idea would be to pitch NGOs.
There’s no limit. Just find an industry you are passionate about, and hit up the big dawgs. That’s how you win!
Step 2) Determine your Budget
Have a budget and stick to it. SIMPLE!
I didn’t have a budget when I was starting to sell promotional products. And that F***** me BIG TIME. I spent tons of money on unnecessary products. And partnered with suppliers I couldn’t afford.
I was behind on my eCommerce subscriptions, salaries, storage fees, and everything!
Here’s the thing…
Your business still needs money to operate. If ALL your money is spent on promotional products, then you don’t have a business(˘・_・˘)
Get this – a budget will help you manage resources properly. Improve decision-making. Evaluate your online business performance.
Step 3) Establish a Unique Selling Point (USP)

What makes you different from that seller down the road?
In fact, here’s where 88% of new sellers go wrong in the promotional products industry.
But I have a solution…
Instead of copying and pasting what your competition is doing right. Figure out what they are missing.
Brace yourself. This takes weeks, even months, of market research.
Maybe they have a wack customer service. No one ever answers the call. EVER. Get a GOOD customer service team. Make sure you are ALWAYS present 24/7.
Do they take 2 – 3 weeks to deliver the customized products? No problem! Partner with a RELIABLE courier and deliver in less than a week.
This improves customer satisfaction. Set you up for long term success in the HIGHLY COMPETITIVE industry.
Step 4) Determine the RIGHT design tool
There are two ways to go about this…
- Outsourcing designs and production
- In-house designs and production
This brings us down to your budget.
When I was starting out, I had to outsource the entire design process. Here are a quick pros and cons to this method:
Pros…
- You don’t need a HUGE budget to start – I started with less than $500. It saved me from spending unnecessarily on overhead costs such as warehousing.
- Require less labor – besides packaging and delivery. My supplier handled EVERYTHING ELSE. No need to worry about salaries or employee taxes.
- Unlimited designs – quite self-explanatory. I had a wide variety of print designs to choose from.
Cons…
- I did not have the flexibility to bring out my creativity EXACTLY how I wanted
- Maintaining consistent quality was the BIGGEST challenge
The in-house design process is my favorite. You get 100% control of the design process. Flexibility to tweak designs. Maintain consistent quality to destroy competitors.
For the designs, I use Magento Product Designer (my favorite).

I know…
But that gets the job done for me! Don’t stress. These tools are very simple to use. Plus, there are a lot of online tutorials. So, you’ll be fine.
Step 5) Build Strong Relationships with Clients
Behold: this is the icing on the cake.
Relationships with your customers determine the success of your promotional products businesses.
I don’t know how else to say this. But the more clients are happy with your promotional products/services. The more sales. And they are likely to recommend you to their friends or other partners.
Simple things like FASTER lead times. TIMELY deliveries. And PROFESSIONAL customer service can really go a long way.
If you don’t believe me, give them mediocre items/services and see for yourself.
Reasons Why Promotional Products Work

There are a couple of reasons why promo products are HIGHLY BENEFICIAL. First, they are easily noticeable.
I’m not just talking about how easy it is to spot Google’s printed hoodie. Or a Coca-Cola jacket that is noticeable from miles away.

I’m talking of that logoed pen, tumbler, or water bottle seated at your desk. It creates a physical presence that never goes unnoticed.
Also, promotional products create a “special” kind of connection between your brand. And customers. Ever heard the saying: “It’s the thought that counts.”
Yes, promo products make customers feel special. It shows them you aren’t just interested in their money, like other brands. But you value them 100%. Of course, they will come back for more purchases.
In fact, 8 in 10 customers say they like receiving promotional products. While 7 in 10 wish they get promo items often.
Lastly, promotional products are very flexible.
Here’s what I mean…
You utilize them for spearheading a new product launch, during Customer Service Week, and for appreciating your employees. Or opening up a new branch/location.
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When do Promotional Products Work?
We aren’t just giving these products away. NOT AT ALL!
Companies offer promotional products with the intent of getting something BIGGER in return. For instance, more information about them or an email.
If you are selling fitness products…
You offer branded gym gear in return for a customer’s email. Or simply ask for their email to offer them personalized workouts. This serves as an opportunity to email them new products or services.
Cool, aye?
Another common instance is when growing your social media pages. Or increasing social media reach. You can ask for a like, share, or retweet in exchange for a customized item. That way, it’s a WIN-WIN situation.
Here’s a good example of using promotional products to grow social media reach:

Benefits Of Investing Promotional Products
These are the top 5 benefits of having your own promotional products:
Enhances Brand Awareness
Selling promotional products is one of the most powerful methods. To promote your brand.
Close your eyes. I want you to remember a brand based on a product you received. It could be T-shirts, a water bottle, pens, or a diary. Share that brand’s name in the comment below.
Now, that’s how promotional products increase your brand recognition.
Mine is Red Bull’s. I got one cap EXACTLY like this a few years back:

Every time I would rock this bad boy with my skinny jeans – it was much like free advertising.
That’s what promotional promotional products get you. It’s like a free marketing tool that screams, “Hey, wanna check out my business?”.
If a customer wears your promotional product or uses it every day. It provides consistent exposure for your business. As people interact with your brand each day, your sales increase TENFOLD.
Economical Marketing Tool
I find offering promotional products to be cheaper than other advertising methods, such as Google Ads, Facebook ads, and TV advertising. Using product flyer template as promotional material can also be an effective advertising tool, providing a cost-efficient way to reach potential customers.
It’s also a perfect solution to increase your customer base. Without having to spend hundreds of thousands on marketing EVERY MONTH.
This saves you time too…
I mean, you don’t have to crack your skull open brainstorming a new sales video. Or creating a sales pitch deck. Just put creativity into your promotional products. Watch how you attract more customers, like a vacuum cleaner on steroids.
For example: It costs less than $400 to offer customized pens and t-shirts. Awesome, isn’t it?
Gives you a Competitive Edge

Offering unique promotional products sets you apart from other sellers in the marketplace.
If you offer branded items that aren’t commonly sold in your industry. Customers will always flock to your store.
Like for me…
Branded mirrors weren’t a thing when I started out. I saw this gap and seized the opportunity. I sold EVERYTHING from customized pocket mirrors to full-size mirrors. That, coupled with free personalized beauty guides, made my brand IRRESISTIBLE.
Again, having printed logos on items makes your products noticeable from a MILE. You get more sales and increase your profit margins TENFOLD.
Even if you are a complete newbie, just sell promotional products online.
With these, there’s no telling how your business will grow in the first year ALONE.
Cross-selling is VERY EASY
Say you are sponsoring a health and wellness expo in three weeks’ time. You offer a gift bag with branded fitness apparel, gym gloves, etc
You add customized yoga mats, resistance bands, or water bottles. That’s not even an exhaustive list. The possibilities to cross-sell here are ENDLESS.
Or, say you are hosting a tech event. You’d probably offer branded tech tee’s, power banks, and hard drives. Then, cross-sell by offering personalized laptop sleeves, headphones, ear pods, or phone cases.
By the way, customers tend to keep personalized items longer.
ASI agrees. A report revealed that customers are likely to keep a logoed item (e.g., a pen) for 9 months. With 51% of the customers saying they are likely to buy from a business that gifted them. That’s a pretty good investment, HANDS DOWN!
Improves Customer Loyalty
One of the reasons for offering promo products is to facilitate return purchases. Offering these products helps build relationships with customers. Set the ground for future purchases. Or don’t you like free items?
Giving customers promotional products ensures your brand is ALWAYS with them. That you are the first that comes to their mind when purchasing what you are offering.
Common sense dictates maintaining visibility in the eyes of your customers. Improves brand loyalty. That way, they will ALWAYS pick you over your competitor.
SIMPLE!
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People Also Ask about Promotional Product Business
1. How long do people keep promotional products?
Customers can keep promotional products for up to 1 year. However, this might vary depending on the quality of the product. Or how useful it is. Umbrellas and T-shirts are kept for a long time. Compared to headwear and writing materials.
2. Where do promotional companies get their products?
Most companies get their promotional products from distributors or suppliers. Technically, there are about 3,500 supplier companies in the market today.
3. What are the best promotional products in the USA?
There are tons of promotional products in the USA market. Some of them include:
· Pens
· Koozies
· Key chains
· Pop sockets
· Hand sanitizers
· Wireless earbuds
· Paper bags, just to mention a few
4. How do I find a variety of options for promotional products for my Business?
Work with local suppliers or distributors that specialize in promotional products. Review their catalog and select the best one that fits your brand.
Also, research online suppliers. And check out their offerings to find inspiration for your promotional product.
5. What is the best platform for promoting products and links?
It depends.
Who is your audience? What is your niche? Where do your target audience spend most of their time?
Answering these questions could lead you to Social Media Marketing. Email Marketing. Influencer marketing. Content marketing. Or Google Ads.
What’s Next
There you have it, mahn! Everything you’ll ever need to start a promotional product business.
For less than $500, you start a promotional product business. Just remember to identify your target audience. Set a budget. Offer QUALITY promotional products.
I’m really rooting for your success. If you start today, you’ll probably see TREMENDOUS results by the end of next year.
Want help launching your promotional product business?
Don’t stress; Leeline Sourcing is here to help! Send us an email. And one of our agents will be in touch SHORTLY. We help you find best-selling promotional products. Improve your sales. Scale your profit margins!
Related Resources
Ecommerce Business Guide
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