You know that feeling you get when you go through an expo or conference and absolutely fill your bag with postcards, keychains, flashlights, USB sticks, pens, sticky notes, and stress balls?

Pure joy.

Now let’s fast forward to when you get home and open that bag again. It’s time to find a home for all the clutter.

You experience the cold realization that you have a bag of quasi-useful trash. It’s wasteful to throw it straight out — even though you already have so many pens, flashlights, and USB sticks — so you shove it all in the junk drawer.

ICK.

So how do you make swag that people actually like? It’s easy. Here are a few simple rules to get started:

1️⃣ Think beyond your logo.
People may love your company but not want to wear it plastered on their body. Your brand is so much more than your logo.

Think about your brand values and start there for merch.

You might want to print something funny, inspirational, or beautiful. Just always keep in mind what your customers and employees actually want to wear and own.

2️⃣ Don’t print junk.
Skip the throwaway items and invest in something a little higher quality. Sure, you can get 500 pens for the price of a handful of T-shirts, but are the 500 pens you’re printing actually doing anything for your brand?

If you’re going to print merchandise, do it well.

3️⃣ Don’t worry about finding the most unique item.
T-shirts, mugs, and hoodies are staples for a reason: everyone likes them. With the right design, you can make any item something beautiful and special.