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Think about the last time you got an unexpected gift or swag pack in the mail — maybe it was your ‘welcome to the community’ pack, or as a thank you for attending or speaking at an event, or even just a surprise ‘thank you for being an awesome human’ appreciation gift.
“The element of excitement generated when a community member receives a package in the mail is a feeling that’s hard to replicate,” says Shannon Brennan, Marketing Content Specialist at SwagUp, Commsor’s swag partner. “Our goal is to keep that excitement buzzing, through delivery day and unboxing.”
As a Community Manager, you want your community members to experience that same element of excitement you get when a swag pack reaches you. CommsorOS's swag feature lets you do just that — right within the platform itself.
Our integration with SwagUp means you can send swag to your community members with just a couple of clicks in CommsorOS. All you need to do is choose the swag available in your SwagUp inventory and select who it’s going out to, and we’ll take it from there.
If you have a SwagUp account, log in to CommsorOS and you’ll see a tab for Swag in your sidebar. Once you’ve connected your SwagUp account, you can get started with sending swag right away!
If you don't have a SwagUp account yet but want to understand how the feature works within CommsorOS, check out our knowledge base article.
Put some thought into your swag pack to send community members things they’ll be sure to use on a regular basis. “Think about key items that resonate with your community,” says Shannon. “Swag like apparel, microphones, cocktail kits, or custom board games is very popular with vlogging or streaming communities, while communities on other platforms tend to place a higher value on custom home swag, like portable speakers, cozy blankets, branded mugs, and phone accessories.”
Some questions the SwagUp team suggests to help you create the perfect swag pack are:
One item that seems to be universally popular – socks! They’re infinitely customizable, trendy, and a creative way to show off your brand. Plus, you won’t need to collect sizing information to send off a pair.
You can also use swag to enhance community-building events and experiences. The SwagUp team has sent swag packs for game nights, with themed board game packs filled with snacks and fun conversation starters; virtual mixology classes, paired with a pack that included a cocktail kit, stemless tumblers, and mixers; and livestream events where the attendees received Blue Yeti mics, cozy hoodies, and sparkly insulated water bottles.
“A current client created a Parisian swag pack with French cookies, a baguette stress ball, and other on-theme items for their virtual company retreat,” says Shannon. “Although they’d originally planned to meet in France, COVID travel restrictions forced them to pivot to a virtual model, so our talented team worked closely with the client to develop a swag box that would make the team feel like they were as close to Paris as possible!”
It’s not just about what you send — think about how to make the experience smooth for members who live abroad. “Swag items shipping overseas will have a longer journey and will normally travel by some combination of air, sea, and ground transportation,” says Shannon. “For that reason, we recommend planning your international swag packs early, and selecting products that are durable, non-perishable, and comply with shipping ordinances.” Some of the most popular international swag items are apparel, soft accessories like towels and backpacks, and insulated tumblers.
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