15 DIY Swag Bag Ideas for Clients, Events, and Giveaways
Everyone loves free stuff! Swag bags are great promotional tools because everyone loves free stuff. Whether you’re in charge of complimentary swag for clients or putting together giveaways for events and social media contests, we’ve got some great swag bag ideas for you. Providing giveaways at conferences, events, and trade show exhibitions are excellent opportunities for businesses to increase brand visibility, engage with potential clients, and foster relationships with existing customers.
Why Give Away Items at Your Event?
Custom promotional products and corporate gifts play a crucial role in these interactions, serving as tangible reminders of the brand and its message. Simply put, giving something away can help you sell more tickets. If people know they’re going to get a free item at your event, they’re more likely to buy a ticket than if they weren’t receiving anything at all—and it’s more likely that they’ll show up to claim their item, decreasing the number of no-shows at your event. Furthermore, offering a freebie is a great way to show your appreciation while providing something that may spark fond memories of your event.
Planning Your Swag Bag
There is no hard and fast rule as to how many items should be included in a swag bag, however, we recommend aiming for at least five items. Although the size, weight, and value of the items can easily shift that number. Most importantly, consider your budget and audience. Then factor in current trends and the impact, size, and weight of items when brainstorming swag bag ideas. You want your freebie to be something that attendees will opt to keep in their homes or use in their daily life, not something that ends up in the garbage a few weeks after your event. That’s why daily necessities like clothes, water bottles, and tote bags are popular choices.
Top Giveaway and Swag Ideas
- Custom Printed Canvas Tote Bags: While free stuff is awesome, you don’t want clients or potential customers struggling to carry items. Tote bags are not only practical but also environmentally friendly. They offer a large surface area for your logo or company message, making them a great promotional product.
- Custom Printed T-shirts with Logo: Like tote bags, free t-shirts are a time-honored swag bag idea. They can be customized with your company logo or slogan, making them walking advertisements for your brand.
- Custom Printed Water Bottles: Customized water bottles are a practical and environmentally friendly promotional product. They can be used during the event and long after, providing constant exposure for your brand.
- Personalized Notebooks and Pens: Notebooks and pens are practical gifts that attendees will use during and after the event. Personalizing these items with your company logo ensures your brand remains in their mind.
- Customized Tech Accessories: In today’s digital world, tech accessories like phone stands, cord organizers, or screen cleaners can be a hit, especially with a tech-savvy audience.
- Customized USB Drives: USB drives are a practical and portable promotional product. They can be pre-loaded with your company’s promotional materials, product catalogs, or presentations.
- Raffle Tickets: A raffle is a great way to create buzz at promotional events, make use of high-value donated items, and collect emails.
Comparison of Popular Swag Items
| Swag Item | Main Benefit |
|---|---|
| Tote Bags | Environmentally friendly; large branding surface area. |
| Water Bottles | Practical usage during and long after the event. |
| T-shirts | High visibility as walking advertisements. |
| Tech Accessories | Engages tech-savvy audiences; frequent usage. |
| USB Drives | Portable; can be pre-loaded with digital materials. |
Free Tools for Customizing Swag
While there are many options out there for creating custom promotional items, often they are limited. High minimum order quantities, graphic designers, and expensive “file processing” fees can eat up a lot of your budget. But when you sign up for a free Avery account you have access to free tools for designing your own swag bag ideas. Avery Design and Print Online (ADPO) is free online software for designing labels, cards, and tags. With ADPO you can design from scratch on blank Avery templates, or modify predesigned Avery templates with custom text, graphics, logos and so much more. Our professional WePrint® service allows you to order as few as two sheets of labels, cards, and tags or hundreds with zero file-processing fees.
Event Marketing and Awareness
Event giveaways aren’t just for attendees. They can also help you market your events to a wider audience. Giveaway items with your event, brand, or company name and logo on them might catch the eye of people who didn’t attend your event, leading to potential conversations and recommendations. This word-of-mouth marketing can be invaluable for raising awareness of your events and could help sell tickets to future events. Choose high-quality materials and stylish designs to ensure your apparel and items are used frequently.
