Instagram and TikTok are the wild west of social media platforms these days. They seem untamed, with only the masterful few being able to conquer them. So, with this frontier of videos and photos in front of us… how can we use them to our advantage within the promotional products industry? Luckily, these platforms go hand-in-hand when it comes to what you can do with them – and we have a few ideas for you!
1. Show Off the Hottest Trends
Consistently, we see that shirts and bags almost always take the top spot for searches in SAGE Total Access.
We know that apparel and accessories are some of the biggest sellers in the promotional products industry – and it’s important to keep up with fashion trends as they continue to shift. Things like fanny packs, color-blocked shirts, and bright primary colors have made a massive comeback from the 80s and 90s. Staples Promo Products Canada does a great job highlighting this by featuring a link to their Fall + Winter Apparel Guide on their Instagram. Featuring products on your Instagram or TikTok account is a great way to inspire those searching the tags for ideas. Plus, you can show off that you know what you’re talking about regarding fashion!
Are you curious about current trends? Take a look at our blogs on that subject here.
2. Use Tags!
Speaking of tags… the way that Instagram and TikTok work is through tags or hashtags (#). You can’t expect anyone to find your company without tagging your products/services in the description of your video. #PromoProducts, #PromotionalProducts, and #Swag are all great places to start. If you’re showing off a branded item for a company, tag them in the post with a # and @ their company like Big Bunny Creative did in this post.
3. Show Off Kitting!
Kitting is the newest trend in promotional products and probably one of the coolest too. It’s basically taking a bunch of related promotional products and putting them into a branded bag or box. It can either be completely custom with different things like our welcome kit for new SAGE employees, or it can be curated like one of HPG’s Batch + Bodega kits. The options are endless, so have fun showing off all the different possibilities that can be achieved when it comes to kitting.
4. Post General Marketing Tips
This is another area where using tags comes in handy. When people browse Instagram, TikTok, or other social media platforms and search for a specific promo-related tag, they’re not just looking for inspiration for their brand – they’re looking for guidance. When it comes to promotional products, no one knows them better than promo professionals! Your customers look to you as the experts, so posting tips and tricks to better market their brand using promotional products is a great way to help them put things in motion.
5. Promo Facts & Stats
It’s a fact: people love to look at numbers and see how things measure up! And who doesn’t love a good fun fact? Fun facts are some of the most popular videos on TikTok, like @mndiaye_97, who posts animal facts. Like this adorable, fun, fact-filled video he did about manatees!
@mndiaye_97 Reply to @bychito_rec22 You can’t name me a more wholesome animal #manatee#nature#wholesome#animals ♬ Newbie Melody (“Runescape”) – Vulshy
There are many resources out there to give you stats about promotional products, like @promotionalproductswork on Instagram. You can share their posts to your stories for some quick interaction with your customers. Or, you can even use the facts that we’ve made here!
6. Think of Your Accounts Like a Portfolio
I follow many tattoo artists on Instagram and TikTok, not only because I love looking at all the gorgeous artwork they produce but because I also want to know that the artist I choose will do quality work. We do that a lot in our lives – like when choosing a graphic designer to hire, we look at their portfolio to ensure that they do good work that can stand up to our standards. The same goes for clients looking for promo products: they want to see that you can produce good work that holds up to their brand standards.
7. Have Fun!
Whether it’s posting facts on Instagram or showing off an unboxing of your latest order of cool shirts on TikTok, have fun with it! Showing the behind-the-scenes of your office or having fun with a TikTok dance or challenge will ultimately show potential customers how fun (and on-trend) your business is! They’ll be confident in your expertise and skills to help them get the promo products they need!
@logoincluded Just for fun 😆 Did we do that right? #promotionalproductswork #promoproducts #promoitems #promoindustry #promo #foryourpage ♬ Blue Blood – Heinz Kiessling & Various Artists
TikTok and Instagram may be the wild west of social media – but they don’t have to be a bucking broncho (the University of Central Oklahoma, anyone!?). Just relax and have fun, and you’ll tame the wild beast. Are you looking for more marketing inspiration? Check out our blogs here!
