Brainstorming for Promos

I've been thinking about promo items lately. I like the idea of giving your customer just a little something extra to say "Thank You", but it's hard to find things that won't get tossed in the trash or break the bank.

Now, there are tons of great sellers on etsy that do a fantastic business making cool promos, such as buttons, magnets, etc... But, as a DIYer with crafty tendencies, I like to find things that I can make. The most recent thing I made were magnets. I'm also in the process of making some matchbook notepads. If anyone would like a tutorial on these, just let me know.


I think the best thing is to try and be creative and keep in mind what the customer is buying. Are you selling aprons? How about printing out your grandmother's famous oatmeal cookie recipe on cardstock and enclosing it? Is it Springtime? How about picking up some flower seed packets at the dollar store and putting your own printed label on the package? My next plan for a promo to go with my Market Totes is to do a grocery list with a magnet on the back to stick on the fridge.

I looked through the etsy forums on this subject, and here are some of the other popular ideas...

• bookmarks
• silver cleaning cloths
  
• soap samples
• stickers
• key ring charms

I found a few articles as well -

• Matchbook notebooks and gift tags at Bliss by Heather.
• Using pictures to customize your promo items at Hello Craft.
• Storque article on finding creative ideas for promo items.
• Moo Cards - always popular.

If you have any other ideas for thoughtful promo items, please leave a comment. I would love to gather more ideas on this subject.