Business giveaways are often utilized by companies to try to bring new customers to a business. For the small cost of a plastic clock or a bookmark, or any myriad of other objects, a business can gain a new customer that may spend thousands or hundreds of thousands of dollars in his/her lifetime. Not all objects are equal when it comes to business giveaways. People remember receiving things that have practical use, things that they will still have a year from now. Some of the best business giveaways are writing utensils, notepads, calendars, coffee mugs and other desk items.

Small organizations that are just beginning can use business giveaways to build an easy client base. These giveaways don’t guarantee that the customers will remain (as that depends on the quality of the product being sold) but they can at least get the customers to walk through the door, which is half of the battle.  Business giveaways can also be used to remain visible to new and existing customers. The person who initially received the free product or service may never become a permanent customer. However, friends of that original recipient will see that product or hear about that service; if just a couple of those friends decide to try the product than the business has already benefited from the giveaway promotion.

Business giveaways can be made even more productive by personalizing the products that are given away. Imprinting the logo, motto or company name on an object is a relatively inexpensive process that can more than double the possible return on a business’s investment. Methods of imprinting include embossing, foiling and silk-screening.

Business giveaways aren’t just used to generate new customers. They can also be used to keep those customers who otherwise might be tempted to try another product or service. Rewarding customers who have remained loyal usually leads to them staying loyal, and the cost to provide a custom keychain or a small clock with the company’s name imprinted on it is cheap compared to the cost of generating a whole new customer.

Even the possibility of getting something for free is enough to attract new customers.  Sweepstakes, contests and raffles usually have one large prize, which qualify them as business giveaways; however, in sweepstakes not everyone receives a gift. In this way a business can get the best of both worlds. The only catch is that instead of spending money on a lot of little things, the business is spending a lot of money on one big thing.

Not everyone sees business giveaways as a good thing, especially when they involve the federal government using tax dollars to provide those giveaways as incentives for companies abroad to advertise, for example. However, there are as many people who support these giveaways as oppose them.

Using business giveaways to gain new customers and keep their loyalty will continue to be a popular alternative to spending a fortune on newspaper advertisements and cold calls--and business giveaways don’t result in people who are unhappy because they got interrupted during dinner.