Should You Give Away Marketing Stickers?
The allure of a simple sticker motivates kids to do their homework, ace every dentist visit, and more. But do adults value stickers the same way? If so, are brand stickers a good move for your business?
Here, we explore the benefits of custom stickers and dive into various design and distribution methods to hype up your brand.
Benefits of Sticker Marketing
Stickers are one of the most effective forms of marketing out today. While social media and online ads are equivalent contenders, sticker marketing offers unparalleled, offline benefits.
Easily Made
Stickers are easy to create and produce. The possibilities are endless and they're bound to be fun for your customers! Consider your options:
Shape
Find the right shape from our selection of rectangle labels, round labels, oval labels, or square labels. We also offer unique shapes for fun occasions and messages.
Cutting machines
Cut your own shapes from sticker paper with an electronic cutting machine. Popular models include the Silhouette Cameo®, Cricut Explore®, or Brother Scan N Cut®.
Material
Search labels by material for a gloss, waterproof, or color material that meets your needs. Pro-tip: avoid clear materials for stickers that will show up on any surface.
Size
Choose a size that matches your intended use. A sticker intended for a motorcycle helmet probably needs to be bigger than a notebook sticker. Shop by size.
Incredibly Cost-Effective
Stickers are comparatively cheap compared to other swag like t-shirts, pens, or socks. This empowers you to give them away plentifully! A small investment can turn into a large return.
Look at Reddit, for example. They started with a $500 sticker advertising budget and the slogan "Please sticker responsibly!" Now the company is valued at $3 billion.
Uniquely Personal
Even in this digital age, you can never underestimate the power of human connection. When someone adds your sticker to their laptop, water bottle, or backpack, they're showing their support for your brand. They're not afraid to rep your company and this long-term, personal endorsement speaks volumes.
Ninety percent of people trust recommendations from people they know.
Effortlessly Shareable
Popular places to place marketing stickers include:
- Laptops/computers
- Backpacks
- Sidewalks
- Walls
- Ceilings
- Windows
- Doors
- Water bottles
- College campuses
- Guitars
- Posters
- Windows
- Work desks
- Cell phones
- Backpacks
- Notebooks
- Skateboards
- Products
- Refrigerators
- Restrooms
- Mirrors
Note: Use stickers responsibility. We do not condone the use of stickers to deface public or private property.
How To Design An Effective Sticker
Design plays a critical role in the effectiveness of a sticker marketing campaign. But while the design should look good, it also needs to be functional and provide value. Use the following tips with our free design tool, Maestro Label Designer, or check out our pre-designed label templates.
Here are three things to consider when laying out your sticker design:
1. Create A Call To Action
Inspire fans to take action with your sticker! Decide what you'd like to accomplish with your sticker then match your CTA to your goal. Here are examples to get you going:
| Goal | Sticker CTA |
|---|---|
| Increase brand awareness | Post a photo of your sticker on social media |
| Gather email newsletter signups | Text/email for a discounted first purchase |
| Increase overall sales | Use this coupon code for a percent off |
| Increase online store traffic | Shop now via a QR code |
| Help customers connect to wifi | Print your wifi network & password (great for coffee shops, hotels, and more!) |
2. Keep It Simple
Identify the one or two elements that will bring the most value to your business and build that into a visual design that appeals to your customers. Keeping your sticker hyper-focused on your brand identity and your intended purpose will bring you the most success. Stickers with just your logo or business name are powerful!
3. Consider The Location
Are you hoping stickers end up on laptops and cell phones or street poles and trash cans? Think through the final use as you're designing the layout and messaging. This will determine everything from the size of the sticker to the material you decide to use.
Creative Ways to Distribute Stickers
Stickers can end up almost anywhere and can be placed by you, employees, and loyal customers. Whether they end up in a static spot like a telephone pole or a mobile location like a laptop, your stickers can generate innumerable impressions throughout the day.
Get customers excited about your brand with these fun sticker giveaway tactics:
- Trade stickers for email addresses, social media follows, or online check-ins
- Hand out stickers at events like farmer's markets, expos, trade shows, industry conferences, sporting events, and races
- Include stickers in swag bags
- Mail stickers in your order packaging
- Have employees give them out to friends and family
- Leave a sticker every time you leave a tip
- Replace traditional business cards with personalized employee stickers
- Post a sticker giveaway contest on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter
- Place stickers next to food samples, utensils, etc at food truck pop-ups, grocery stores, and festivals
- Advertise upcoming events with stickers instead of flyers
- Give sticker swag to your employees at company events and retreats
- Stick on your store entrance doors
If you and your team are the ones who will be placing the stickers, whether that be on shipping boxes, in your store, or elsewhere, we recommend you create your stickers on our custom printed rolls. Our printed rolls are perfect for ordering logo stickers in bulk, as it's cost-effective and convenient. Plus, the included label finish will make them extra durable.
If you plan on handing out or selling stickers to customers for them to place where they desire, custom die-cut stickers are the way to go. These stickers print individually, so the customer can peel the sticker off and discard the liner.
Sell Them
If your sticker distribution booms, start selling your stickers. At the low cost of production, a couple dollars per sticker could bring in substantial profits. Companies like Foodnited and Ron Jon's sell coveted stickers. These can be great "gateway" purchases to rope in future customers, too.
Printing Your Own Stickers vs. Ordering Custom Stickers
The sticker-making process always starts the same way — with the design. There are many design tools out there, some popular ones being Adobe Illustrator, Canva, and even our very own, Maestro Label Designer. With these tools, you can create unique designs that perfectly represent your brand. So, once you have your sticker design, you're faces with the decision to handle the printing (and cutting if you're making die-cut stickers) yourself, or ordering from an online printing service.
When creating your own stickers, you need a variety of tools and materials: sticker paper or label sheets, a printer and ink or toner, and if making die-cut stickers, a tool for cutting your stickers, whether that's an electronic cutting machine, a hole punch, or a pair of scission. This process can be lots of fun, but may not be the most practical or efficient option if you need a medium to large amount of stickers, especially stickers of the same kind.
Ordering custom stickers is a popular option for many businesses, due to the ease and efficiency. All you have to do it upload your artwork, choose your format (sheets, rolls, or die-cut stickers), and we do the rest. Your labels arrive at your home or office door ready to stick or hand out. This saves you time and the hassle of creating the stickers yourself, so you can focus on other aspects of your business.
Stickers are a great marketing tool, one we encourage you to test out for your business. The possibilities are endless with marketing stickers!
Shop custom die-cut stickers to get started.
