The word has come down from on high. You’ve been charged with putting together a promotional campaign for your organization. Here are some tips on creating a successful effort.

The first step in any campaign is also one that is often passed over. Simply put, what are you trying to achieve? “Promoting our company” is not the correct answer. Are you trying to thank current customers? Attract new customers? Go back to former customers and bring them back in the fold? The more you think about it, the more you will come to realize that the entire form of the campaign depends on the answer.

Once you’ve figured out who you are after, you need to think through your resources. Specifically, what’s your budget? Now, how does it apply to your intended audience? If you are a magazine trying to go after new subscribers, a $1,000 budget might as well be used for an office party. If you are a dentist going after new clients, $1,000 can be a big budget. It just depends.

Your ultimate goal is to get the most bang for your budgetary dollar. This means you not only need to know your budget, but also think through your audience. If you are trying to entice CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, pens with your logo on them are not exactly going to get the job done. Those same pens, however, might have a much bigger impact at a conference where the CEOs need to keep notes on the proceedings. Again, think the process through.

The third tip has to do with your promotional items or products. I don’t know about you, but I have just about all the coffee mugs, pens, hats and so on I can take. By its very nature, a promotional campaign is designed to attract prospects. If your promotional item isn’t unique, are you really meeting this goal? What is one more coffee mug?

It is my personal view that you are far better off using a promotional item that is unique. First, stick to things that are relevant to your organizations area of interest. A travel agency really doesn’t need to be giving away calculators. Now, look for something out of the norm. If it makes you pause or do a double take, you’ve found a potential product for your campaign.

Unique promotional items are the types of thing that make people remember your company. That is your overall goal, isn’t it?

Rick Chapo is with NomadJournals.com - makers of travel journals that make unique customized promotional products for your event or promotion.