Promotional keychains are a cost effective marketing tool. When current or potential customers put your company keyrings on their keys, they remind your customers of your company every time they use their keys. Additionally, anyone who meets that person's keys will notice your keychain.

Using keychains as part of a marketing plan takes advanced preparation. When you develop a marketing campaign that includes promotional key chains, you should consider these three promotional key rings basics:

1. Use a catchy logo to make your promotional keychains stand out.

2. Choose appropriate custom keychains that effectively represent your company.

3. Increase a customer's awareness of your company with functional key chains.

Action Steps for Finding the Best Custom Key Chains and Key Rings
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Design a memorable logo for your promotional key chains

The logo that you use on your company promotional keychains needs to attract as much positive attention as possible. When you design your company's promotional keyrings, use a clear picture, catchy words, bright colors, contrasting colors or a combination of these elements.

I recommend: LeaderPromos.com has a design center that allows you to work with their staff to create the best looking promotional key chains for your business. You can email them a basic design; they will clean it up for you and email you a proof to show you how the finished product will look. Zazzle has an online design studio that lets you upload a complete design or create a design to place on your promotional keychains.

Find your promotional keyrings' style that effectively represents your business

Promotional key rings are available in numerous styles, shapes and colors. When you use keyrings as a promotional tool for your business, you should find a style that represents your company. A flexible key ring shaped like a dog paw, for instance, is a good option for a dog care business or pet store.

I recommend: Marco Promotional Products and Casad Company both offer varied selections of custom keyrings. Both of these companies offer free samples and customer service during normal business hours to help you pick products that will effectively represent your business.

Use functional custom keyrings to make a lasting impression

Functional custom keyrings are effective marketing tools for some businesses. The idea behind these functional keychains is to remind people that your company is useful and actionable. For example, a promotional keyring that includes a pill box is a good marketing tool for a pharmacy. A USB keychain works well for computer or data storage companies.

I recommend: InterPro and ePromos both offer multi-function personalized key chains, including custom key chains that include a bottle opener or miniature tool kit. Both companies offer bulk discounts.

Tips & Tactics for Designing and Distributing Custom Key Chains and Key Rings

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Consider ordering multiple styles of promotional keychains so you have at least one that appeals to every current or potential customer.

If there is one quality that applies to every customer and prospect, it’s that they can’t get through the day without using keys at work and at home. Many people like to keep more than one set of keys, which means that a personalized key chain with your company logo could be put to work immediately. Custom key chains and key rings (the terms are often used interchangeably) are so compact, they’re easy for your recipients to carry back to the office, and easy for you to ship to a trade show.

Why custom key chains are a smart giveaway:

1. Customers will be reminded of your brand every time they pull out their keys.
2. When you include your Web site URL on your custom key chains or key rings, you make it easy for prospects to log on and learn more about your products or services.
3. Personalized key chains and key rings are an economical way to give a practical gift that reflects your company’s good taste.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Multi-tasking key rings

When is a key ring more than a key ring? When it doubles as a pen, a voice recorder or another handy device. Give your special customers promotional key rings that go the extra mile.

I recommend: We all have those moments when we need to quickly re-fasten a screw or jot down a note but there are no screwdrivers or pens in sight. Branders.com offers personalized key rings that are attached to useful items such as compact tool sets, nail clippers and pens. Also check out TradeshowExhibitor.com where you’ll find a key ring that also serves as a voice recorder. What’s more utilitarian than a portable light source? At Absorbent, Ink you can choose from an assortment of personalized key rings with lights that can be switched on in a darkened car or elsewhere. You’ll find more multi-tasking custom key rings at Business.com.

Custom key chains with a theme

Hand out a personalized key chain that relates to your industry or a particular market segment.

I recommend: There is a themed key chain or key ring for every field. For example, looking for sports-related giveaways? PromotionalKeychains.biz carries a variety of personalized key rings for golfers as well as baseball, basketball, football and tennis enthusiasts. If you’re in an entertainment-related field, check out the key chain/movie clapboard at TradeshowExhibitor.com.

Custom key chains on a small budget

Giveaways for major trade shows and other large gatherings don’t have to put a serious dent in your promotion budget. Get your logo embossed or engraved on simple personalized key rings.

I recommend: For low-cost, customized vinyl key tags, it’s hard to beat PromotionalKeychains.biz where you design the shape and they’ll make it. From Wholesale-Carabiners.com comes another option: 5,000 key chain bottle openers or safety whistle key chains for 25 cents each, including logo engraving. Check Business.com for other deals from personalized key chain vendors.

Posh promotional key chains

If you serve a higher-end clientele, a small plastic key tag won’t do. Spend a little more and give them a personalized key chain that fits their lifestyle.

I recommend: A slide show in a keychain. Yes, at epromos.com you’ll find a personalized key chain that stores more than 50 digital photos which can be viewed on the key chain’s 1.1” LCD monitor. These custom key chains come with a USB cable for uploading photos, a charger cable and a gift box. Or, picture your logo suspended inside a diamond-shaped crystal keychain, thanks to a laser technology used by epromos.com that gives your logo, photo or other design the appearance of being suspended. At 4Imprint.com, one of many suppliers of personalized key rings and other promotional products on Business.com, you’ll find simpler personalized key rings made with high-grade leather, solid brass and zinc.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Be careful to not crowd your custom key chains with too many graphics and words. Your logo and a Web site URL or phone number should be enough.
• •  Tuck your custom key chains into holiday gift bags that contain items that are related to travel, automobiles or another theme associated with keys.
• •  Know what you’re getting. Before placing a personalized key chain order, ask the promotional products company to send you a sample.

Promotional key rings are an effective advertising tool since most people use their keys on a daily basis. There are many different types of promotional keyrings available.

The key to making the most of promotional key rings is to find a way to make your key rings stand out. Consider these suggestions when developing the advertising campaign for your company keyrings.

1. Think about your company image and message when choosing promotional key chains.

2. Make an impression by offering current and potential customers company keychains in lieu of business cards.

3. Make promotional keyrings a key component to a company promotion, such as a giveaway.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Pick different types of promotional key rings that represent your business

Promotional keyrings are available in a variety of styles and colors. When you are looking for custom key chains, think about what your company represents. For example, a school could market the school using an apple or ruler keychain. A company that sells designer office supplies could use an elaborate metal key chain as a promotional tool. Additionally, using functional key chains can be a good promotional tool.

I recommend: PromotionalKeychains.biz has a varied selection of promotional keychains, including functional keychains like USB keychains. This company offers competitive prices and fast turn around time. A Better Idea! has over 1,000 key chain designs and a user-friendly search tool to make it easy to find a key chain to represent your company.

Give out promotional key rings instead of business cards to advertise your business

The majority of business owners and executives have business cards to pass out to advertise their company. These cards can easily get lost or destroyed. Instead of passing out business cards, hand out personalized key chains. You can order flat key chains and put three or four on your keychain so you always have some handy when you need them.

I recommend: ArtPromos.com sells a variety of key chains, including flat metal keychains, soft keychains and deluxe keychains. You can customize all of the keychains using your artwork or the company will design art for you. Click 4 Promos has inexpensive flat plastic key chains in a variety of shapes and colors. This company will customize the key chains using your company logo.

Use promotional key rings as part of a giveaway

If your company has promotional giveaways, key chains can usually be incorporated into the promotion. For example, you can use numbered promotional keychains instead of tickets for a drawing. You can also use them in conjunction with cut keys as part of a promotion that features a winning key, such as a key that opens a safe containing cash or prizes.

I recommend: LeaderPromos.com offers a varied selection of promotional keyrings. This company has live chat support and informative articles to help you determine the best ways to use promotional keyrings. Keyworks USA sells promotional keys. This company offers key blanks and cut keys to use in a promotion. If you need individually printed keys, such as numbered keys, this company can help you if you call their customer support team.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Make sure that the ink and materials used to make the custom keychains are lead-free and kid friendly if you own a family oriented company.

Sure those plastic or rubber personalized key chains with your logo on them are nice, but who doesn't have at least 10 laying around the house? If you want your key chains to stay with the keys and out of the drawer, you need to do something to differentiate them.

The good thing is that there are a lot of promotional key rings types and styles out there besides the run of the mill plastic shapes. Three that offer extra utility but are still economical are:

1. Custom key chains that double as small flashlights;

2. Key chains that can be used as bottle openers;

3. Key chains that have carabiner clips on them.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Look at custom key chains that double as flashlights

Flashlight promotional keyrings are favorites of people who have to walk to their cars late at night and have trouble finding the door locks. The flashlights on these keyrings aren't powerful enough to light up a room when the power goes out, but they are perfect for emergencies. That makes them great to keep handy, so your logo stays in view.

I recommend: Check out Crestline to see the traditional flashlight promotional key chain model. It has a logo on the side and a button on the top near the ring that the user can press to activate the light. Crestline has 15 colors available. If you're looking for something a little different, Absorbent, Ink offers 12 types of what it calls key lights, including solar powered ones and ones shaped like cars or hard hats.

Consider bottle opener promotional key chains

Bottle opener promotional key rings are very popular with bar and restaurant owners looking to promote their businesses, but anyone can use them as an effective advertising tool. People need bottle openers, not only for beers, but for sodas and even some brands of milk drinks. The best part about these keychains is that people use them a lot at large gatherings. That makes for lots of brand impressions.

I recommend: If you're looking for something that will set your brand apart, consider the alligator shaped bottle opener from USimprints. The company also offers bottle-shaped openers, corkscrews and even an opener with a divot tool, all in keychain form. If you want a bottle opener with a more sophisticated look, try Motivators' Bottle 'n Can Opener. It is sleek and translucent. There is space for a 1"x 3/8" imprint on the back.

Visit sites that sell promotional key chains with carabiners

Many active people and those who lose their keys a lot love personalized key chains with carabiners attached to them. The metal hooks that are easy to open and close let them clip their keys to their handbags, backpacks and belt loops in seconds.

I recommend: Look at the carabiner key rings Promopeddler offers. It has models shaped like number ones, stars, awareness ribbons and bones, plus some with pens, markers and even mini fans attached. Then go to Empire Promotional Products' webpage to take a peek at their carabiner keychains with compasses and whistles. All of them can feature your company's name.