Commsor Blog
Sending Swag to Your Community Members Made Easy with CommsorOS and SwagUp
Send your community members sweet brand swag with just the click of a button in CommsorOS.
Shivani Shah
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.
What is CommsorOS’s swag feature?
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.
How does it help you?
- You can manage your entire workflow in one place — select recipients, gather physical addresses, review orders, and track your order status right within the CommsorOS dashboard.
- Banish cookie-cutter templates and send a customized email to add a personal touch to the process.
- Create targeted campaigns, show your appreciation, and send swag to multiple members in one order — even entire segments!
- Keep track of members who have already received swag with an automatically-generated list. Pro tip 💡: Use the Notes tab in a member’s profile to let your team know what swag you’ve already sent and when, so the member can get new swag every time.
Where can I see it in action?
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.
3 tips for sending swag to your members
1. Make it valuable
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:
- What brings your community together?
- What topics are of interest to them?
- What might they value?
- What items are always on the tip of their tongue?
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.
2. Build experiences around swag
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!”
3. Think about logistics for international members
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.
