Integrating Patches and Social Media for Maximum Brand Power
Integrating social media and custom patches is a powerful way to boost your brand. Here's how to do it right.
Marketing in today’s business environment is more challenging than ever. Brick-and-mortar competitors are always tough. But when you’re battling against massive online retailers with nationwide reach, it’s a different ball game entirely.
You know how important it is to get your brand out there, to make customers aware that you exist. A creative, integrated marketing approach is the best way to effectively maximize your brand awareness.
Many businesses have found custom patches to be a cost-effective way to promote their brand or logo at low cost. But that’s not enough in the modern business world.
Fortunately, there’s a solution that can multiply your marketing clout. By combining custom patches with your social media presence, you can vastly increase your market reach for a reasonable amount of money.
Not sure how to begin? We’re here to help. Let’s take a look at some of the ways businesses of any size can integrate social media and custom patches successfully.
Together Like Chips ‘n’ Salsa
If you’re not yet using social media, it’s past time to bring your business into the 21st century. It’s a must for any business that wants to succeed today. TikTok, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), Facebook and YouTube are powerful marketing tools that no business today can afford to ignore.
In many ways, social media and custom patches are made for each other. Once you have one or more social media feeds, it’s a breeze to creatively add custom patches in creative ways that pique potential customers’ interest. Let’s look at some ways to build your online following.
The Basics: Consistent Brand Identity
One basic factor that you must consider before you design patches or post on social media is your brand identity. Be sure every aspect of your logo or brand is consistent.
If you have a logo or specific colors and fonts for your signage, stationery and other materials, use those on both your patches and social media. Match colors with the Pantone PMS color matching system to ensure accurate color representation.
Maintain the same look in all your marketing materials and programs. This gives customers a reliable indicator of your brand identity.
If you’re a new business, or just don’t have a specific logo, get one. The difference that clear visual representation makes for your brand is huge.
Design Factors
Whether you’re starting from scratch or using an existing logo, think about the image you want your patches and other marketing materials to represent. If you want an image that projects a serious, stable “financial institution” vibe, don’t create a patch that implies “Margaritaville,” and vice versa. Either image could be right, but be aware of which one best fits your business.
Patch Design Basics
Designing great patches requires consideration of multiple factors, including size, shape, color(s), backing material and others. At Patches4Less.com, we’ll be glad to help you create the perfect design for your specific needs.
Bringing Patches and Social Media Together
Merging custom patches into your social media feeds is easy when you do it right. The goal is to use both in a way that generates interest and maximizes customer engagement.
Start with a tease. When you’re ready to release new patches, add bits of information on social media. Don’t reveal everything at once.
Build anticipation among your audience with posts such as “It’s Almost Time…,” “This changes everything…” and so on. Add a little bit of detail with each post, leading up to the big reveal. An aside – this works for introducing new products and services too. Just don’t keep the audience hanging too long, or they’re likely to get frustrated and give up.
Limited edition patches are another great way to keep excitement up. Post info about them on social media, and let people know how many there are and how to get them. Maybe it’s the first 500 people to show up, maybe it’s the first 50 to say a secret phrase in your shop. Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) is a great motivator.
Use Your Patches to Promote Your Involvement
Give your audience a reason to want your patches. Tie them to a specific promotion, such as X% off the price of an order when they show the patch. Or link them to a promotion or charitable event that benefits your community. People love to support worthwhile projects that help their hometown.
Participating in community events, fundraisers and programs makes for great social media. Show your prospective customers that your business is part of the community and that you care about what happens in it. Fourth of July parades, Christmas events, walk-a-thons, and even school events yield terrific social media pix and video, and promote your brand.
Don’t just passively be there for such events. Take an active role, promoting the big holiday parade, city symphony concert or school fundraiser on your own social media. The reciprocal benefits will boost your visibility and add to your brand’s reputation as an active civic participant.
Of course, you don’t have to just use the patches separately. You can attach them to caps, tote bags, hoodies, backpacks and more. Those combinations can be a fantastic draw on social media. You can even expand the idea to create and sell your own line of custom branded merch.
Collaboration Reaps Rewards
To really boost your brand, reach out to social media influencers. A positive mention and a picture or video on their media can increase links back to your own, and really send your brand awareness into orbit. Combine forces with people who match your target demographic.
Once you’ve identified the right influencers, send them custom patches and other products with your brand. They reap the rewards of fresh content, and you get added brand recognition. This is especially effective with products or services geared toward Gen Z.
Video Builds Interest
Don’t just use still pictures on social media. Add video to gain the maximum exposure and engagement with your customers. TikTok video that go viral can reach a huge audience. You can show the patches you’re offering, include a special offer to anyone wearing the patches, even talk about the history and background of your business. Anything that gets people’s attention has video potential.
Show your staff in the office, or wearing the patches at community events. How about a patch on a dog harness? Motion and sound draw people in. Compelling images give you fantastic brand exposure.
Remember, Social Media is a Two-Way Street
The key word in “social media” is SOCIAL. It’s a conversation between your business and your audience. Use it to get information about what your customers want and need, and what they think about your brand. Encourage them to engage with you.
One way to do that is through giveaways and contests. People love having an opportunity to win things. Give them a fun reason to engage with social media-exclusive contests and offers. Shares, likes, comments and hashtags keep visitors coming back for more.
A word about hashtags: use them! They’re a shorthand way to get the word out on social media about specific things you want to promote. For example, the Levitt AMP Music Series that brings free concerts to cities all over the country uses the hashtag #musicmoves to engage audiences and boost awareness. Your organization can use them effectively too!
Encourage your audience to submit content. Hashtags are a great way to get participants to send you content that you can post to your media, whether still shots or videos. It’s part of the two-way conversation.
Keep Up Your End of the Conversation
To maximize the effectiveness of your social media posts, you need to keep adding new content and engaging with your audience. Post on a consistent schedule, and stay engaged through comments, responses and messages. Be sure to include a call to action as well, whether it’s to read a blog post, order products, or visit your main web page.
With just a little effort, you can combine custom patches, social media and the rest of your integrated marketing efforts into a powerful force that builds brand awareness, customer loyalty and sales. Just remember, the easier you make it for potential customers to find you, the more successful you’ll be. For a look at how we do it at Patches4Less.com, check out:
