How To Make The Most Out Of Your Promotional USB Flash Drives

Promotional USB flash drives are a popular product amongst other promotional products. Here is how you can capitalize on these devices and use them to maximize your brand awareness and advertising.

Key Takeaways
- Promotional USB flash drives are a cost-effective marketing tool. They generate hundreds of impressions and are kept for over a year on average.
- Get creative with your marketing strategy. Know your audience and design the USB drive to best fit their needs.
- Don't just give away your USBs. Have a unique distribution method and use them as a way to connect with your potential customers to maximize your ROI.

What are promotional USB flash drives?

Promotional USB drives are one of many promotional products that are used to advertise a brand. These items are intended to increase brand awareness for companies while providing a functional use to those who receive them.

Like most promo items, you can personalize them with your logo or business information to match your brand's identity. Unlike other products, with USB drives you can add value to them in various ways by personalizing them to best fit your event and audience.

According to a study conducted by ASI, each flash drive generates over 800 impressions during its lifetime. They are also extremely affordable in comparison to other advertising methods, giving you the best 'bang for your buck' as they say.

These storage solutions can be very effective when promoting a brand, and there are various ways you can use them strategically to ensure you're maximizing its advertising potential.

How To Use Promotional USBs Effectively

Most people will put their logo on a product and give it away just so their brand can be seen. While this does generate impressions, this does not maximize the use of these products.

Imagine you're using another form of advertising like digital ads. Would you create an ad and have it shown to anyone just so they can see your brand? This is an ineffective way to advertise your brand, and you'll essentially be throwing away your marketing budget.

 The same goes for promotional items. You need to take various things into consideration to advertise your brand effectively with USBs.

Know Your Target Audience

Before deciding on any of the customization options or even the style of the USB, you should know who your target audience is. Your audience may vary on the event or occasion you're using the USB drives for. Knowing this can change how you design your USB for the event.

For example, if you're going to an aviation convention to promote your catalog of aircraft parts, then you know who's going to be receiving the USBs. It's likely people in the aviation space who enjoy anything related to that field.

Knowing this, you can then focus on other things that will leave a positive impression on the recipients.

Design Your Drive To Fit The Theme

Now comes the fun part of promotional USBs, which is the customization. How you customize your USB flash drives can have a big impact on your branding and leave a great impression of your brand on your recipients. 

Most businesses will print their logo and call it a day, but a branded USB has much more potential. A logo is essential, but you can increase the likelihood of people keeping your USB and remembering your brand by considering the following.

Add a Catchy Phrase or Slogan

Try to have certain words or a phrase that is relatable to the industry or event that you are attending. This will tie your brand to the event, giving your recipients something more meaningful to remember you by.

Using the aviation convention as an example. You can have your logo printed on one side while printing something like 'CAVU Life' or 'Too High, Too Fast, Too Late' on the other side. This adds humor and is something pilots and aviation experts will understand and appreciate.

Choose A Relevant Style

While there are over 50 styles to choose from, sometimes simple is better, but other times, choosing a more unique style will go a long way. The most important part is to find a style that you know your recipients will be wowed by.

A classic swivel USB may be nice for an aviation expo, but it has limited print space, and that style can be found at any store that sells drives.

Imagine the difference in someone's facial expression when you hand them a small airplane-shaped figure, but it's actually a USB drive! Yes, you can create your own custom-shaped USB drives that can be shaped like anything you can imagine!

You could also make the body of the drive match the color of the event to blend in more. Some brands will change the colors of their logo to also match the event and create an exclusive look for the brand. Think of it like a collectible or exclusive item that you could only get at that event.

Tip:
If you want to get even more creative and you know of a certain company you will be giving this to, you can choose their colors to have your USB fit their theme. Their representatives will surely like that small touch, and you'll have different designs throughout the event so not everyone will have the same exact drive.

Distribution Method

Lastly, one of the most underrated parts of all promotional products is how you distribute them.

Promo items increase awareness but you have to think outside the box in all the ways you can leverage that.

You shouldn't just give these items to people passing by your booth in hopes they will one day search for your brand online. Every person who gets a promotional USB is an interaction, a potential lead, and eventually a way for you to get your return on investment.

A custom USB drive is the connecting piece of you (the business owner) and the recipient (a potential client).

Some ideas for handing out your USBs can include:

Create a game:
Creating a game like Spin the Wheel or something related to the event. For example, at the aviation event you can hold a competition on who can make the best paper airplane fly the furthest.

Do A Giveaway:
Another method is to have people provide your email to enter a giveaway. The giveaway can be a free order of your product or service. Regardless of the winner, anyone who enters can be given a branded USB. This generates brand awareness and now you've acquired new leads.

To Conclude

Promotional USB drives are an advertising tool. They are more than an item to simply give away. To make the most out of the, know your audience and personalize them in a way that will get other's attention.

Most importantly, use them as a tool to generate instant leads, do not wait and hope for them to come to you. Get creative with your overall marketing strategy and get the most out of these unique data storage items.