March is full of offbeat days that are perfect opportunities for local businesses to hold promotional giveaways. Local entrepreneurs should celebrate minor holidays and attract consumers with unique promotional products. 

Consider scheduling a promotional event on one of the following days. 

National Pi Day
March 14 is every mathematician’s favorite day of the year because of its numerical significance. National Pi Day celebrates the most important irrational number known to mankind. The number is commonly rounded to 3.14 because it is a never-ending, non-repeating sequence. According to PiDay.org, the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation in 2009 recognizing the importance of March 14. 

Branded calculators are the perfect promotional marketing products to distribute on National Pi Day. Small businesses can give the gifts to customers who have trouble working with irrational numbers. Students and other young customers will certainly appreciate the calculators when they are doing their math homework. 

Spring equinox
The first day of spring is not an official holiday, but many consumers celebrate because it means that warm temperatures will be arriving shortly. According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, the spring equinox is on March 20 this year. Small business owners should help their customers enjoy the changing of the seasons by preparing for spring’s weather. 

Proper hydration is important as the temperature starts to climb. Promotional water bottles are the best gifts to ensure that customers can quench their thirst and battle the warm climates. Additionally, spring is traditionally a very rainy season, so small businesses should distribute branded umbrellas to help their clients stay nice and dry. 

The day the pencil and eraser came together
Pencils and erasers were not always attached. Pennsylvania State University writes that the two tools were not officially combined until March 30, 1838, when Hymen Lipman patented the first pencil with an eraser. 

The functional innovation should be celebrated by every American. Small business owners should distribute branded pencils as promotional items during their giveaways. The small gifts should have the date inscribed on the outside to ensure that consumers understand the significance of March 30 and truly appreciate Lipman’s innovation. 

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Real estate agencies must be prepared to capitalize on renewed interest in home ownership. Licensed agents and brokers should create marketing strategies to find potential clients. Advertisements such as unique promotional products can help real estate firms reach out to consumers and increase brand awareness. 

Finding new clients 
Multi-channel marketing campaigns are more effective than efforts that only use one platform. Real estate agents can increase their market penetration by combining promotional items, direct mail and online content. 

Businesses can buy mailing lists based on demographic information to find potential leads. Brokers will want to target consumers who share traits with homeowners in the local area to increase the likelihood of finding new customers. 

Small gifts like promotional wall calendars can be sent instead of traditional mailers. The packages stand out from other pieces of mail, so they won’t be lost in the shuffle. Contact information for individual agents can be printed next to pictures of gorgeous homes on every page. 

Additionally, the functional gifts can be used to direct potential homebuyers to online real estate listings. Unique web addresses, hashtags, and Quick Response (QR) codes can be embossed on the calendars. The digital features will also direct consumers to an agency’s website. 

Remaining memorable after meetings
Homebuyers don’t commit to new properties after viewing online advertisements – people typically visit multiple residences so they can find their dream homes. Some consumers work with multiple real estate agents during their search, so salespeople must be sure that they leaving lasting impressions. 

Firms can distribute promotional tools to every client during house hunts. Items like promotional pens and note pads can be used to take notes of important amenities or the differences between two properties. Additionally, branded calculators are great gifts for homebuyers who have to find out if they can afford certain houses. 

The promotional gifts forge bonds between agents and their clients. Homebuying is daunting for consumers, and salespeople can demonstrate the value of their services by giving buyers functional presents that simplify the entire process. 

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According to Business 2 Community, most trade shows are held during the spring, so small business owners have to start developing their marketing strategies now. An excellent sales team and unique promotional products are the best resources that independent companies can have in their booths. 

Highly-trained salespeople
An effective sales pitch can be the difference between finding a new customer and losing potential business. However, regular sales strategies might not work when it comes to promotional events. 

“I have no doubt companies’ sales staffs are terrific at doing what they do every day. But a well trained staff is the most important part of your trade show experience,” Malcom Gilvar, vice president of sales at a trade show firm, told Inc. Magazine. 

Entrepreneurs should hold training sessions in the weeks leading up to a trade show. The seminars should focus on specific goals to ensure that every representative will know what tactics to use. Additionally, owners should encourage their employees to work together when it comes to qualifying leads, to find consumers who are most likely to become customers. 

The right promotional items
Many companies distribute branded gifts at trade shows. Potential clients are bombarded with dozens of advertisements during the events, so it can be difficult for them to remember an individual enterprise. Small promotional marketing products provide consumers with physical reminders of businesses. Phil Cavanaugh, the vice president of events for Monster.com, told Inc. Magazine that his company prefers to distribute functional items instead of frivolous presents. 

“We still believe in giving people something tangible to walk away with, but you want something beyond the useless tchotchke,” Cavanaugh said. 

The best items depend on the nature of a trade show. For instance, attendees at a technological conference would enjoy small devices like promotional flash drives and calculators. The more relevant a gift is to a trade show, the more value it has as an advertisement. 

Alternatively, businesses can use functional items that are consistently popular. Consumers always appreciate promotional pens, water bottles and calendars. The branded gifts can be used at work or home, so companies are creating reliable advertisements that last longer than a trade show. No other marketing materials can match the longevity of the small items.

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According to LiveScience, getting out of debt is one of the most common new year's resolutions. Businesses can assist customers by giving away branded tools that simplify financial planning.

Calculating every expense
Calculators are some of the best promotional marketing products that banks and financial consultants can distribute. Consumers can struggle while going over monthly expenses and tallying their numbers, and some of your customers may not be able to easily to track every penny by themselves. Clients can use branded calculators to track their expenditures and ensure that they aren't exceeding their monthly budgets.

Calculators also reinforce your company's visibility. Each time your customers use the electronic giveaways, they'll be exposed to your logos and develop familiarity with your establishment, which can help you hold onto your clients.

Planning ahead
The most important part of every budget is knowing when money will be spent so funds can be allocated accordingly. Tracking regular spending can be difficult for some consumers, but financial services can distribute branded calendars to help customers schedule all of their recurring expenditures.

A pocket calendar may be the best giveaway for a business client. Small business owners must stay on top of their finances, and small schedules allow entrepreneurs to remember important deadlines and how much they're paying every day. Promotional wall calendars are more suited for homeowners, as the items can be used as decorations.

Writing it all down
Some consumers turn to financial planners for all of their budgeting needs. Before offering advice, consultants can give their clients promotional pens and notepads to take notes on their discussions. Customers will use the giveaways to write down important information and refer back to it when they're going over their expenses.

The giveaways have functionality beyond financial planning so your clients will hold onto the branded gifts. For instance, pens and paper can be used for shopping lists during the holidays, so your customers develop brand recognition even when they aren't focusing on their budgets.

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Americans are concerned about how the fiscal cliff will affect them and are turning to financial planners for assistance. These businesses must raise their visibility to capitalize on the increased interest in their services. Promotional giveaways and mailers can help these companies reach out to consumers.

Financial planners can buy mailing lists and send leads items branded with contact information. For instance, a firm could mail local residents small flyers and logo-emblazoned pens. This strategy puts marketings materials directly into consumers' hands so they'll develop awareness of a company.

Once leads come in, you can reinforce your relationships by giving away other promotional items like calculators and notepads. These branded gifts can make your new clients feel appreciated so they'll be more likely to retain your services, which can help you in the long run because it's more cost-effective to hold onto customers than find new ones.

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Agencies must raise their brand awareness and ensure that vacationers hire their services. Making a strong first impression is important in a business relationship, so employees have to put their best feet forward to find new clients. Giving promotional items to likely travelers can help companies turn consumers into regular customers.

Travelers want to work with agencies that send them to their dream destinations. Some families want to visit their roots in foreign countries, while others want to tour the United States. Unfortunately, many trips are expensive and their costs can prevent consumers from going on their journeys. While branded calculators are promotional giveaways commonly used by accountants and financial services, travel agents can distribute them as well so clients can budget for their vacations.

Some of your clients may not have a destination in mind and need some inspiration. You can give these would-be globetrotters promotional wall calendars with some of the world's most beautiful locations on each page. Every month, your customers will see a new scene and may decide they want to stand in that very spot.

Making travel easy
While vacations are meant to be relaxing, that's not often the case. Traveling is stressful, especially for consumers who are flying and face lengthy security checks before takeoff. Agencies can help ease some of these vacation stressors with their giveaways.

All of your vacationing clients can use branded tote bags, as suitcase space is limited and packing can be difficult. Travelers can even hold onto the bags to carry home souvenirs from their trips.

If you have customers who frequently go abroad, you can give away passport holders. Everyone needs to keep their identification safe, especially when they visit another country. It's incredibly difficult to go through customs without a passport, so your clients may appreciate your gift.

Travel agencies can use their promotional gifts to raise their visibility and help customers on their vacations. Consumers appreciate functional giveaways, so the marketing items may help them turn one-time vacationers into regular customers who are ready to see the world.

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