Who are the best promotional goods company/website out there? I’m building my press kit for graduation this fall and I want to have a little goody to hand out. Unfortunately, a lot of the promo companies that I find do not take an order of less than $200. I’m a student, so money is tough when they tell me they can’t just make 50 or 100 of one item. I don’t need a 1000 pens!

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First of all, the extra (takeaway) item you include in your press kit does not need to be fancy or expensive. When dreaming up an item to add to your press kit, consider usability. You didn’t mention your major, but an item that can be worn, stuck to a surface or pinned up for display will probably be more appealing to the recipient than a knick-knack that collects dust. Though, to keep things headache-free, try to avoid items that require sizing, such as t-shirts (unless you’re very familiar with the recipients).

The coffee mugs, baseball caps, paper weights, keychains and ballpoint pens on the big sites that are produced for behemoth corporations usually lack personality. They simply slap their logo on the front of a standard-issue product, print up a few thousand and hand them out at company meetings and conventions.

Certainly, you can make more of an impact on a smaller budget while still reaching your target market.

The top promotional items that I can think of for a small budget are:

1. Pinback button: The appeal is universal and if the person chooses to wear it, your promotional appeal majorly increases. There are tons of sites out there, but I highly recommend Busy Beaver Button Co., who I’ve used many times. There are many shapes and sizes of pins to choose from (the squares are super cute!) and the quality, price and service are all fantastic.

2. Sticker: Everyone loves stickers! And, even if your sitcker gets affixed to a car bumper or street sign, it’s still working to promote you! Just remember to include your website URL or email so people who love your work can find you. Sticker Robot did an awesome job on my Mouth With Pill stickers:

3. Postcard: Postcards are a perfect way to showcase your work. Think of a fun, catchy and imaginative design that makes people want to tack it up on their bulletin boards, refrigerators and office cubicles! If possible, get your name or website on the front. Chances are that viewers won’t take the time to flip it over. Overnight Prints produces postcards for reasonable rates and the quality is great. Out of all of the online printers I’ve tried, they have been the best by far.

4. Tote bag: A little bit more expensive, but highly functional. Do you have an amazing logo, phrase or image that should be splashed across the canvas panel? A tote is nice because you can bundle your your press kit inside of it to hand off! Most of the sites that I could find had a 50 tote minimum and went up from there. My boyfriend runs a screen printing business and did mine, so I didn’t have to worry about the amount. If you do plan on getting totes made, I’d suggest contacting a local printer who can work with you in person to pick out the tote, inks and discuss other printing details.

5. Calendar: If you’re going into a design-related field, showcasing your skills on
the promotional item is a great way to impress the recipient. One of my favorite projects in school was this calendar, which conveniently fits into a CD case.

It’s the perfect size for displaying on a desk and if done in InDesign, updating it every year is super easy.

Readers: Do you have any more promotional suggestions for a press kit? What do you use?