We love sending creative and practical gifts to our clients as a way to say thank you for partnering with us. The best gifts a small business owner can receive are ones that are memorable and can be used on a regular basis. When you get clients gifts they can use often, it’s easier for you to stay top of mind. In this blog post, we’ll talk through eight creative and practical client gift ideas other than your typical mug, tumbler, or hoodie.
Getting cool branded swag from someone else’s company is great, but seeing your own logo on a product — in real life — is priceless. Since we help small businesses with their logos, websites, and other branding and design needs, we love giving thank you gifts that include the client’s branding. That way, they can use them around the office or something that helps promote their business.
Depending on the type of business you have and the type of business your client has, you can send gifts that are really creative. And we think sending a gift with your client’s logo is a huge win because it’s something they’ll use and help promote their business at the same time.
8 Creative and Practical Client Gift Ideas
NFC Business Cards
One of our most recent client gifts that people have been raving about are NFC Business Cards. NFC (near-field communication) business cards allow you to tap your business card on someone’s smartphone for them to download contact information or open a link. It’s really easy to set up and people have been so impressed with them.
We ordered our own NFC business card through a company called V1CE. We’ve been so happy with the quality of their cards that we decided to start making branded business cards for our clients too.
We love giving clients their own NFC business cards because it helps them promote their businesses. And because they’re different than your typical business card, most clients (and their customers) are really impressed by them. When people ask them where they got their cards, your clients can share your info with them. Win-win.
V1CE also has other products to try out like Apple Watch wristbands, iPhone covers, and more.
QR Code Business Cards and Stickers
NFC Business Cards can be on the pricey side so if you’re on a tight budget, consider making regular business cards and stickers with QR codes on them. This is a great alternative to the plastic NFC business card.
QR code stickers are a great way to market a business. if your client owns a brick-and-mortar store, they can place them on the counters or windows around their shop. If they sell items at marketplaces, they can place these stickers on signs or where payments can be made. Business cards and stickers can also be passed out to their customers and potential buyers who might want to stay connected or be happy to spread the word.
Luggage Tags
If you have a client who travels a lot or is extremely mobile in their business, having an ID badge or luggage tag to display their logo is awesome. Just imagine how many people would potentially see their logo through the airport, on the plane, in coffee shops, etc. We suggest including a QR code on those badges so if someone asks them about their business, they can scan the QR code on the tag that sends them to your client’s website.
VistaPrint and Shutterfly are great options for personalized luggage tags and badges.
Temporary Tattoos
Temporary tattoos are a really creative way to promote someone’s business. You should keep in mind who your client is and what they do when thinking up creative thank you gifts. Your gifts should make sense for your client’s business. Temporary tattoos might not make sense for most, but if your client owns a tattoo parlor, snag your client’s most popular designs and turn them into temporary tattoos! This would be a fun way for them to use as a marketing tool and promote their business.
This temporary tattoo idea isn't just for tattoo shops either. They can also be used in a fun way for a toymaker or illustrator to promote their work. We haven’t seen too many done of these, and they could be a huge hit.
Inkbox is a great option for temporary tattoos that last up to 1-2 weeks!
Refrigerator Word Magnets
Getting custom refrigerator word magnets that you can customize would be a great client gift for a copywriter. You can make refrigerator magnets of your client’s key phrases, core values, mission, and messaging. It’s such a fun and creative way for your clients to remember the strategy work you’ve done with them but also make it an interactive way to see the words around their brand every day.
Magnet Poetry Kit is an option we found for custom refrigerator word magnets. Once we find a company that allows you to create with a low minimum count, we’ll come back and update this post.
Free Trial or Yearly Subscriptions
Running a small business successfully takes a lot of systems and processes. Gift your client a free trial or temporary subscription to a useful platform that helps them grow their business. Free trials or discount codes are great because they help your client work smarter, don't cost you a thing, and if you have an affiliate link, you could make yourself a few extra bucks too.
Digital Planners
Business coaches, virtual assistants, and service providers help people track goals and habits, or measure progress. Creating a custom digital planner for them would be so useful. It’ll help them move the needle in their business, and they’ll keep you top of mind because they’ll use the planner all year round.
Creating custom digital planners totally from scratch can take up a lot of your time. So if you’re not a designer or can’t start from scratch, consider purchasing a digital planner template so you have a base to start with and customize from there — it’ll save you a lot of time.
Cornhole Boards
Small businesses that really want to create a fun experience for people allow you to get really creative with thank you gifts. If your client is an event planner or someone who loves bringing people together, custom cornhole boards to display their logo would be a great way to promote their business.
Let’s say you have a client who is a business consultant and hosts fun networking events. How amazing would they feel if you got them custom cornhole boards with their logo to use at these events? It’s especially thoughtful because you’re keeping your client in mind. It’s less about you and more about them.
It’s the thought that counts.
Whether you have the budget to send something big or small, it’s the thought that counts. The best client gifts are ones that are memorable and, to us, ones they can use to help promote their business in creative ways.
Next time you’re getting ready to send out a thank you gift, be sure to keep your clients and their business in mind…and have fun thinking up more creative ideas!
Until next time,
Happy Branding!
