Promotional Products + Social Media: The Perfect Giveaway Match

Like all good stories, this one starts with me doom-scrolling at 3 AM on TikTok. Now, I fully admit that I am not a normal person by any stretch of the imagination, and admittedly, my feed reflects that. Which means I have managed to get myself on MortuaryTok.

And let me tell you something about MortuaryTok and the mortuary industry as a whole LOVES their promotional products. They love getting swag at tradeshows, so much so that some host giveaways on their socials. Like this TikTok from Return Home Terramation in which they sent a box of loot to a follower.

@returnhomenor Replying to @pastorgreg1517 sending free swag to our followers! The yeti goes to pastor greg! #deathtok #mortician #terramation #funeraldirector #returnhomies #stuffweallget ♬ Wii – Mii Channel – Super Guitar Bros

And that got me thinking.

What if there was a different way to get promotional products in the hands of consumers other than the traditional ways, like a salesperson dropping them off to a potential client or at a trade show? What if those routes could be a stepping stone?

We know that promotional products work! We wouldn’t be here if they didn’t! The stats tell us that people love to get things because who doesn’t like useful little gifts? Especially when it comes to a surprise package from your favorite social media account or brand.

The statistics don’t lie, either. Influencers and businesses who ran giveaways and contests on their social media accounts found that their conversion rate was around 34%. That’s quite a big jump – so how do they get it?

Let’s break down the anatomy of a giveaway post on Instagram using this post from Grown In Idaho Potatoes (honestly, I wish I had seen this one sooner – I love potatoes). We can assume that with the years worth of fries they’re giving away to two lucky fans, they’ll most likely win some swag too. They’ve made a big, eye-catching image for their post (who wouldn’t want to tap on something that has potatoes AND giveaway in it?) and detailed the way to enter in the description. The way to enter is pretty simple, follow Grown In Idaho, like and save the post, and tag a friend in the comments below.

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A post shared by Grown In Idaho (@growninidaho)

This does one essential thing: hacks the algorithm.

Currently, the Instagram algorithm rewards posts with a fair amount of likes and comments and a lot of saves (the little flag button in the bottom right of a post saves a post). This will boost the post to people who might not normally interact with potato posts. Plus, there’s also a chain reaction – if you tag a friend who then likes, follows, saves, tags another friend, and so on and so forth… naturally, your reach will only grow!

So, how can you get in on the action? Spring is just around the corner, so you’re most likely clearing out your supply closet and warehouses, right? Getting rid of misprints, some product that’s long been discontinued, or maybe you just have too many pens from trade shows. Instead of filling our landfills and oceans with plastic, why not create a contest and grow your social media presence simultaneously? It’s a great, relatively inexpensive (you only have to pay for shipping!) way to get those views without having to spend anything on sponsored posts. To boost your post, you could even ask your friends and family to help with the first few tags and likes – with the understanding that they won’t be eligible for all that swag :).

For more ideas about how you can champion social media, click here!