When competition is fierce and customers are continuously bombarded with products and services, how can you stand out from the crowd? How can you make customers believe that what you offer is superior? How can you gain their trust and loyalty?

Branding is the answer. While good branding can help you stand out and be recognized above the competition, it’s important to remember that branding goes beyond your product or service. It’s more than just a name or logo. Branding incorporates how you communicate with your customers and provide service, as well as how your customers perceive you.

Promote your brand both on and offline. Make sure your brand is visible on your websites and social media posts. Offline, a proven method that companies both big and small have relied on to promote recognition of their brand is the use of promotional merchandise. Whether you’re distributing promotional products at events, conferences or trade shows, you’re building awareness of your brand while reaching out to potential clients and customers.

Here are a few ways to grow your brand awareness with the use of promotional merchandise:

1. Reinforce Your Existing Services

Remind potential customers and the community at large of your services and what you have to offer. Send out personalized Just Sold, Just Listed or seasonal postcards proudly displaying your brand. Potential customers will appreciate your recipe or kitchen measurements postcards and calendars, likely keeping the item—and your company brand—on their refrigerator. Your mailings will provide visibility, help increase loyalty, and possibly motivate clients to refer your offers to their friends and families.

2. Introduce and Promote New Services

Whether you’re introducing new team members or a new service, increase awareness by promoting them through various platforms. Distribute branded keychains, notepads and magnets to highlight your news at open houses, trade shows, sporting and school events, and fairs in your local community.

3. Create and Promote a Good Reputation

Your reputation can be a very powerful tool for brand recognition. There are many ways to touch lives and make a difference within your community. Our customers include football schedule magnets in their neighborhood fundraiser goody bags, and use our Made in the USA American Flags to help communities celebrate our nation’s patriotic pride. Sponsoring organizations with humanitarian causes is another way to build a good reputation.

4. Help Retain or Recapture Current and Past Customers

Stay in touch with current customers and past clients by sending promotional items with your brand name boldly printed on them. Popular items include key holders, pens, writing pads, seed packs and football/baseball schedule magnets. You can also give personalized closing gifts to your clients.

5. Let Your Employees Help Spread Your Brand Name

Empower employees by giving them branded promotional items, such as notepads and pens, magnets and calendars, to distribute in their various communities. People will appreciate these free gifts, and you’ll have a chance to promote your brand.

Promotional products have had a long and successful history of increasing awareness and building up the trust of a brand. Because they’re so varied in nature, the sky’s the limit when it comes to the ways in which promotional merchandise can build your brand.

Jackie Amato is customer service manager at RealEstateCalendars.com.

For more information, visit www.RealEstateCalendars.com.