When you order promotional items, quantifying your expectations is crucial to keep your budget as long as possible. You can save more on high quality promotions by ordering in bulk, making sure you don’t run out of giveaways at the next trade show. You don’t want to have 200 more umbrellas than you actually need, only to find your company gobbling up costs.
Unfortunately, there is no magic formula for how many promotional items you need to order for your next marketing campaign. Instead, follow our guidelines to master the basic numbers so you can confidently list them. 
Look at your calendar. The number of ads you order will depend on your marketing plan and how much your brand will promote this year. Do you attend an industry fair or event every month? In this case, it’s more cost-effective to order in bulk a multi-purpose unique promotional items such as pens and hats. You’ll save overall costs and make a lasting impression by stocking your office with transportable giveaways. Hats alone can generate over 3,000 impressions!
Use existing data. Your marketing probably won’t start from scratch. If you are organizing an event, did you hold a similar event last year? Read the event’s registration list and final indicators to see how many people will participate. This will give you a general idea of how many freebies, such as water bottles and tote bags, you should have on hand.
This is also true if you don’t go to a trade show, but simply order a promotion for your sales team or have some branded office supplies in your office. Talk to your human resources manager or office manager to see if you have any data on how many promotional items your company ordered last year and how many you used. This will help you make adjustments and order the optimal number of promotional products.
Limit orders for special events. Targeted events — such as earth day for the environment or health care week — offer unique opportunities to show gratitude to niche customers or to boost confidence in your brand. However, these special events have a clear deadline, so order the quantity conservatively advertised, making your dollar stretch even further.
Consider the size. Choosing the right size and proportion is as important as buying the right clothes when ordering wholesale promotional items such as t-shirts. If you don’t research your audience, you may run out of sizes or have dozens of shirts left over. 
Try some samples. When you have a physical sample in front of you, it becomes easy to gauge how many promotional items you should buy. Browsing the web to determine the quality and style of our promotional products has its limitations. We suggest you order a few samples and familiarize yourself with the promotions you are considering before placing a large order.