All business owners have had a situation where they end up with a surplus of promotional items after an important event. Perhaps you hosted an event where you wanted to thank your customers or ordered some promotional items for the holiday season. Minimum order quantities can land you in this situation as well, as can overestimating customer turnout. 

Whatever the reason, it’s always challenging to decide what to do with the extra boxes of your marketing tools. If you run a large business, you will have more events at which to use them. However, if you don’t, you may find yourself in a bind.

Repurpose

Repurposing or finding new ways to send your promotional items to customers is a great way to use your extra inventory. Try to find creative ways to surprise your customers with gifts when they least expect them. It will have a significant impact and change the way your customers perceive your brand.

For instance, if a customer has a complaint, send them a set of custom coffee cups or cardholders with your brand logo on them. It can drastically improve their experience. Another option is to gift these items to new leads. It may just do the trick in closing deals.

Donate

You’d be surprised to find how many non-profits would love to partner with you and find a better use for your leftover promotional items. If you’re still wearing your business owner hat and wondering how it may give you ROI, donating also provides you with brand exposure.

You can donate to a charity that can sell it to support their cause. Another option is to sponsor events like marathons or local sports events that support research and other noble causes.

If you have a surplus of stationery left from your previous event, you can give it away to community schools. 

Giveaways

Your social media presence is essential to the popularity of your business. Even if you are a small business, social media can expand your outreach and significantly increase customer recognition. One of the strategies that digital marketers use to increase their followers is by announcing giveaways. 

You can run contests on social media platforms to increase your engagement with followers and gift your leftover promotional items to the winners. 

You can also run small contests in your brick-and-mortar store. For instance, you can select a random buyer every day to win your branded custom T-shirt. It is a simple way to make your customers happy when they are expecting it the least.

New Customer Touchpoints

To do this right, you may want to identify where the customers may come in contact with your brand. Social media, review websites, points of sale, communities, parking lots, and promotional events are a few examples. You can use your leftover promotional items to develop deeper bonds at these touchpoints with your potential customers. 

Recycle

If you can’t think of any other ways to reuse promotional items, the best option is to recycle them. If you are into managing events, you may not find another occasion to reuse cups with special messaging written across them.

In such situations, you can drop your items at your local community recycling center. If you have leftover electronic items, like pen drives or flashlights, it is advisable to hand them over to companies specializing in recycling electronic waste. 

There are a few other materials that require special recycling processes. You can find such processes online and dispose of your leftover items, like flags and outdoor banners, the responsible way. It’s also an effective way to reduce the carbon footprint of your business.

With the easy tips shared above, you no longer have to worry about your leftover promotional items. You can repurpose, recycle, donate or simply decide to delight your customers. All you need is a little creativity to decide the best possible use of your surplus items.