Thinking Outside the Promo Box

Let me tell you with six writer’s conference coming up, most asking for hundreds of promo, I decided to either go broke ordering it online or make my own promo.

I did a bit of  both. Ordered items and made some. I like the stuff I made better. Well I do love the buttons and the coasters are sooo cute.

First ask yourself, have you ever bought a book from a pen, coaster or button? Probably not. I have purchased books from excerpts, blog postings and from word of mouth.  Truth is, that’s what gets books sold. Nonetheless, conferences sharing our promo gets our name in front of readers and name recognition coupled with word of mouth, excerpts and blog postings, will get books sold.

Here’s what I did for inexpensive, but fun promo this year. I ordered coasters, koozies, buttons and brochures.  They only covered part of the conferences since  I have to provide 2,500 promo items total.  More if I count the smaller reader’s luncheons.

So I’m going to share some of the things I made that are inexpensive, but I think will work better than the usual stuff,

I bought packs of little notebooks (Dollar Store, packs of 4  for $1) – printed labels with my book cover and website to stick on them. People keep these in their purse, added a piece of candy and a button and voila!  Cost  for 100 = $70.00 (.70 each)

Conference Emergency kits.  Small plastic box, safety pins, hair bands, bobby pins and a cinnamon hard candy. My sticker (Vista Print) on it and voila.  Cost of $100 =  between $35-$50!  (I’ll be giving these out at AAD and RT ) Feel free to use this idea elsewhere, it’s awesome!

Baggie of promo.  Since we’re not supposed to bring “paper items’ to most conference, make something to put your paper promo in! Package of 100 zip bags at Hobby Lobby are $2.99, with coupon way less.  Place your cards, some little fun item like a pen and a piece of chocolate in them and there you go, promo for cheap and people will keep them cause it’s packaged, which is also awesome.  Cards are available at Vista for not that much, about $20 for 100. Pens are cheap and readers will keep them, cost between .19 and .35 for low end ones.  Cost of this Promo $100 = between $25-$35 depending on the candy you use!

I will do a post on the promo I bought as soon as it all arrives, give you a peek!

What you do think?  Do you have ideas for inexpensive promo to share?