Want Friends and Fans? Get Stickers.

I’m in a band, and it’s good. Really. I’m not just saying that. My band mates and I bring it at every show. Every time we play we see new and more faces because people love our music. I’d like to think one day we’ll be “discovered” and instead of playing parties and bars, we’ll be up on stage at a big venue, or laying down tracks in a real studio.

It will happen, but between now and then, we have a lot of promoting to do. This means being visible. From booking shows, physically networking, getting on line and creating actual collateral like posters and custom stickers that people can take away from our shows.

Seen and Be Seen

We often play shows with more than one band, but we want the crowd to remember us the most. Of course, we sell CDs, and we let people know who we are during our set, but we like our fans to have something to take with them at the end of the night. That’s why my band mates and I put our heads together and decided to design and print custom stickers to hand out at shows and put in our CD cases.

Originally we thought about having T-shirts printed. We will one day, but right now, we’re funding our own tour and money is tight. Custom stickers are pretty inexpensive and easy to design and print. For our stickers, we chose the logo of our band. We made sure to add the addresses of our website, MySpace Music and Facebook pages, so folks could find us after the show.

We had the choice of a few different kinds of stickers, and we decided to have some of each printed.  We had some vinyl stickers printed. They are pretty high quality, waterproof, and they take images really well. We figure that the stickers might find themselves in visible places like skateboard decks and outdoor spots, and we wanted them to be durable so that people would remember our name and come to our shows.

We also designed and printed bumper stickers. We thought it would be pretty cool to see the logo and name of our band rolling down the road when we least expect it.  Last week, our drummer spotted a couple cars and a moped with our bumper stickers on them. It’s the kind of advertising that can’t be beat.

We went with some economy stickers, too. These were a little smaller and less expensive, and we don’t expect them to end up outside. We slip these into our CDs cases hoping folks will stick them on their laptops. Our fans really like them.

Give the Gift of Stickers

Since we are just getting started, we don’t have a lot, but we do want to give something back to our fans.  We feel like when we give these stickers to them, we’re giving them a gift. They won’t forget us or the great time they had at our show.

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Custom Stickers Promote Your Club’s Brand and Its Bands

It was a great night! The show was sold out, and I could tell the crowd was really into it. The club had a nice mix of diehard fans, who mouthed the words to the songs as the band belted out its tunes, and newcomers brought along by friends who couldn’t stop talking about the venue: good atmosphere, good music, cheap drinks. It was the kind of night where the energy surrounding the event was real. It was the kind of night that lands us in the black. And, as a promoter, I want every night to be that way.

How do I make that happen? I work hard to ensure guests really do enjoy themselves, so they develop some loyalty to the place. If they feel like they have a stake in it and its success, they’ll keep coming back. Lately, I’ve been printing custom stickers for the club and for the bands that come through.  Event stickers are a nice take-away for patrons who might not want to shell out the cash for a T-shirt or CD. Give them a free vinyl sticker with our club logo on it, and they’re more than happy to take it.

The great thing about this tactic is that it’s easy. Promotional sticker provide a big benefit in a small package, and they are a fairly inexpensive part of an overall promotional strategy. The process only takes a few days from design to placing the order to receiving the stickers, so if I have to plan an event quickly, I know I can have them on hand.

Every once in a while, I see one of those custom printed stickers when I’m out running errands around town. I might be at a local coffee shop. I look up from my cup of Joe, and there’s a sticker with my club’s logo affixed to someone’s laptop or backpack.

About a month ago, I ordered custom bumper stickers. I’m starting to see them now on cars around town! Since that takes some commitment, I can only assume that folks think our club or its logo, at the very least, is awesome. I can’t help but think about all the free advertising we get as those bumper stickers roll through the city.

Along with printing custom stickers for the club, I have them made up for some of the bands that we book. It’s not expensive, and they appreciate it.  Since I’m already preparing promotional materials, I can easily use their logos, and have their own stickers created. They can hand these out to guests as their shows to help promote their music.

I plan on keeping custom stickers in my line up of proven promotional materials. In the future, I hope every night is as energetic, crowded and fun as this last one and that I see more of those vinyl stickers around town as time goes on.

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Stickers for Kids: Fun for the Young

When you host your next big event, don’t forget your younger attendees. Whether you’ve booked teen sensation Justin Bieber, plan on screening the newest Twilight movie, or are hosting a local battle of the bands, your tween and teen guests may be among the most enthusiastic and important in the crowd. Win their loyalty, and you’ll have a core group of potential attendees to promote to as they grow.

Whether they bring home a coveted T-shirt or poster or hold onto concert wristbands as keepsakes, many kids and teens like to have something physical that they can show off to friends and family that proves they’ve been there and done that!  Young people love to collect. It pays to help them in their efforts.

Custom printed stickers are a great option when you are catering to the younger set. Whether they end up decorating the base of a teen’s skateboard decks or the stickers get tucked away neatly into a memory book next to tickets and photos of the big event, custom stickers are doing their job long after the day is over. Your logo goes with your tween and teen audience, creating a brand recognition and affinity that was definitely worth the cost of printing.

Vinyl stickers are durable, waterproof, and fade resistant, so they will stand up to a little showing off. Whether event stickers get passed around as part of a story told between friends or find space on a notebook cover or folder, you will want them to last so that the memory of the event lasts with it.

In order to ensure that coveted place somewhere amidst your teen fans’ paraphernalia, you will want to choose a design that is attractive to them. You can create custom stickers that include the logo of your organization, the event itself, or create stickers for individual performers. Make sure each sticker includes a web address as well, so guests can find out more information about the organization, event or bands after the show.

Having a number of different custom printed stickers available at a particular event can also provide some distraction for your teen guests. Interested in having one of each to grace their albums, your younger guests can make a game of collecting all of the custom stickers available at your concert or festival. If money is an issue, you can even choose inexpensive economy stickers, so you get more stickers for less money.

Teenagers can be the most vocal and fervent of all your attendees. With a little buzz and some smart promotional work, invested teens can raise the level of excitement surrounding any event and its performers. Anyone who has heard the words “Bieber Fever” or “Twi-hard” can attest to this and knows the importance of winning this key crowd to their cause. Your tween and teen attendees can make your event a success, so don’t forget them in the planning stages.

Custom vinyl stickers geared to this demographic are an excellent choice when it comes to choosing the right promotional materials for your cause.

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When you're ready to take your message to the streets, custom bumper stickers are the perfect vehicle for your organization! Custom car decals and stickers can deliver word of your business to a wide audience at a low cost.

I May Be Slow, but I'm Ahead of You

How often have you been driving only to find your eyes drawn to a color car sticker on the bumper ahead of you? You need to pay attention to the driver in front, and because it's impossible to ignore them, it's also nearly impossible to ignore the message they've chosen to share with the public.

When you design and print bumper stickers for your business, you put your promotion on wheels. Your message is seen all over town and beyond. A well designed car window decal or bumper sticker can illicit interest from whole new audiences.

Speak Your Mind

While a bumper sticker may not have as much space as a poster or billboard, a well designed one can help you get your message across just as well. You're working with limited room and limited attention, so you'll want to choose a message that stands out and captures your audience right away.

When deciding on a message for your car stickers, choose something concise and memorable. How much information do you want to share? Is a slogan or a logo enough? Should you include the phone number of the business or its website address? Share enough information that the curious will be able to find you easily without cluttering your design.

My Other Car is a Bicycle

With the growing green movement, more and more folks are hanging up their car keys and using their bikes instead. This is great for the environment, and it can also be great for your advertising campaign. When you envision bumper stickers, you may picture a long rectangle with a bright, witty slogan, but you can also print quality weather proof square and oval bumper stickers which can wrap easily around any part of a bike frame or cart.

You still have your promotion on wheels , and you can be happy in the knowledge that your traveling marketing campaign is having less impact on the environment!

The Art is Not in Making Money, but in Keeping It

One of the great things about using bumper stickers is that they can reach more folks than traditional advertising, helping you stretch your marketing budget even further.  When you buy ad space on billboards, newspapers or on the web, it stays put. Readers and visitors only see your message  if they drive by or remain on the page. When you make your own stickers, they get around, touching many more potential customers as they go. When you share them with current customers, you also help to reinforce their bond with your brand.

Making custom stickers is a relatively easy process. You can design and print custom bumper stickers in a variety of sizes online. You can upload your own images and logos to show off the unique nature of your brand. Choose waterproof, weather resistant vinyl bumper stickers to ensure your message lasts for a very long time.

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A Real Sticker

When it comes to promoting your product or business, nothing beats the power of word of mouth advertising. Putting your boots on the ground, attending trade shows and promotional events, and distributing collateral, like custom made stickers with your organization's logo, in person can be essential elements of your promotion. Real conversations between you and your customers and within your customer group can do more to grow esteem in your brand than any marketing campaign, and product stickers are the perfect way to open that dialog.

Employing Brand Ambassadors

Who represents your organization at trade shows and promotional events? Brand ambassadors provide the public face and voice of your product or service. A brand ambassador speaks directly with potential customers and works to build loyalty by sharing information and passing out collateral like custom stickers featuring your logo. When your business is just getting off the ground, you are most likely your own brand ambassador. You know a lot about your product and potential customers will enjoy talking right with the source.

Got a New Band to Promote?

Depending on the type of product you're promoting, you may want to hire a brand ambassador who is able to connect with the group you're trying to sell it to. For instance, if you're promoting a hot new alternative band, you should look for individuals who embody the look and know the language of your potential audience members.  Let your brand ambassadors loose at promotional events. They can hand out custom decals and bumper stickers featuring your band's logo while sharing their enthusiasm for its music. Real fans love displaying stickers featuring the logo of their favorite band, and prominently displayed stickers help share the message to new fans.

Working with Brand Evangelists

Have you ever owned a product you liked so much that you found yourself wholeheartedly recommending it to friends and family? If so, you're a brand evangelist! Brand evangelists are customers who are invested in a product or service and spread its word far and wide. They share their opinion of the product with peers. They aren't paid, but they feel a strong loyalty toward your brand.  It's well worth investing some effort in growing your community of brand evangelists. If they like your brand, they'll love your stickers.

Looking to Gain Exposure for your New Restaurant?

Let your most loyal customers help! Invest time talking with potential brand evangelists. They enjoy coming to your place, often bring new guests and share positive reviews online for others to see. It has become an important part of their lives, and they want to share it with others. These highly invested customers want you to succeed and may proudly use products emblazoned with your brand. Consider sharing t-shirts, coffee mugs or vinyl bumper stickers with company slogans.

Providing the Right Tools for your Ambassadors and Evangelists

Your brand ambassadors and brand evangelists are excellent resources when you're promoting your business or product. Whether these individuals are paid representatives of your company or they just really like your product, it pays to put promotional tools in their hands. A couple of the most valuable tools you can give them are custom stickers and bumper stickers. They are less expensive than some other types of collateral, and tend to end up posted in public spaces for other potential customers to see. Brand ambassadors can put these directly in the hands of potential patrons. Brand evangelists will covet them and will be happy to share them with others.

Designing and Printing Custom Stickers

While you can make your own stickers or find cheap stickers online, you'll want to make sure they are made of a quality material. Vinyl bumper stickers, for instance, are waterproof and durable. They'll last a long time. You can often share your own design or pick a design that suits your needs just right. Often you can find matching promotional materials, so that your brand can be shown off in a variety of ways.

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