What is a Lanyard Used For? The Top 10 Uses for Lanyards

what is a lanyard

Remember being in high school and seeing everyone walk around with lanyards hanging out of their pockets? It was a cool trend for a while, but it doesn’t work once you reach college.

Still, lanyards are used by people of all ages for various reasons, which is why it’s difficult to define what is a lanyard in one standard way. Some people use lanyards to help them keep track of everyday items, while others use them for business purposes – like to reach customers in their target market.

To help you understand everything a lanyard can do, we’re breaking down the uses of lanyards into practical and promotional terms.

Check it out below.

The Most Common Practical Uses of Lanyards

While you’re not really making much of a “cool” statement with a lanyard after a certain age, there is a bit of value in holding onto one if you have it.

Here are some uses you can get out of your old lanyard:

1. To Hold Keys

This is one of the most popular uses of lanyards of all-time. The little hook on the end of this string makes it much more difficult to lose your keys. It’s great for women who carry around big purses or for men who don’t want to go digging in their pocket just to get in their car.

Adults love it, and kids learn a bit of responsibility with it. When parents give their children a house key for the first time, they usually let them pick out a lanyard for keys, too.

2. To Display a Nametag

If you’re not using lanyards for keys, chances are, you’re using them to introduce yourself. Think of the last convention or conference you went to. You were probably given a name tag of some sort, which might have been on a lanyard.

Sometimes, conventions save these for VIPs. Instead of giving a lanyard to everyone, they reserve them for all-access pass holders at music festivals or speakers at professional events.

3. To Clip on to a Badge

Here’s a place where all lanyards are made alike: an office environment. If your company operates on a single floor of a building, you may not know what this is referring to.

But, if you work in a high-profile building that the company owns, or your job handles sensitive information, you probably have a work lanyard. Instead of being the long, name tag looking things that hang around your neck, work lanyards are usually short badges with a clip.

The clip has a string that extends to open doors or show security guards, which winds back in to keep your badge in place. It makes it easy to access your workspace and practically impossible to lose your badge.

4. To Keep Electronics Safe

What’s worse than losing your badge to the company building? Dropping a camera or cell phone while you’re on vacation. A badge can quickly get replaced, but damaging an electronic can ruin the whole trip.

Keep this from happening by getting a lanyard that you can secure your electronics too. Then, slip the lanyard onto your wrist or around your neck as you’re out and about. This will prevent your electronics from hitting the ground if they slip out of your hands.

5. To Prevent Loss or Theft

Speaking of slipping out of your hands, think of the last time something important slipped through your fingers. It’s hard to feel a pickpocketer when you’re in a crowded space or on the go.

To give yourself a little more peace of mind in large groups or big cities, attach your essentials to a lanyard. Just be sure the string isn’t hanging out of your pocket!

The Major Promotional Uses of Lanyards

The practical uses of lanyards come in handy for everyday life as well as on special getaways. If you’re more interested in using lanyards for business purposes, though, keep reading to discover what you can do with them.

6. To Connect with Consumers

Custom lanyards are an amazing promotional tool when used effectively. They don’t really make sense to send in the mail, but they’re great to hand out at trade shows or to greet guests with at an event you’re hosting.

Free stuff always gets people excited, and it’s even better when they can use it. When you hand someone a custom lanyard, you’re giving them a way to display their nametag and network at the event or at least hold on to their room key.

7. To Expand Your Brand’s Reach

However you choose to hand out your lanyards, the result is still the same: you’re expanding your brand’s reach. When a person receives your lanyard, they’re more likely to remember you than someone who is given yet another business card. This helps create more brand awareness and brand loyalty at the event and in the long-run, too.

8. To Stand Out

Speaking of branding, you can’t just think of loyalty in terms of your own business. You have to think about what competitors are doing and how you can beat them out of their market share.

Lanyards help do that. They create a personal connection with consumers, encouraging them to try your product over a competitor’s and to keep coming back to you.

9. To Raise Awareness for a Cause

Sometimes, the reason for ordering promotional lanyards is bigger than your bottom line. They’re a great way to raise awareness for a cause you’re passionate about.

Whether you’re interested in finding a cure, talking about social justice, or encouraging patriotism in our country, a lanyard can help you get your message across loud and clear.

10. To Support a Long-Term Marketing Effort

The final benefit of using a lanyard for business purposes is that it’s an evergreen marketing tool. The value mentioned above isn’t just between you and each user that has a custom lanyard – you’re also able to connect with the people who see others using your lanyard.

This can double or even triple the amount of exposure your brand gets. Not to mention, it’s incredibly cost-effective for all the returns available!

Defining What Is a Lanyard for Yourself

Lanyards are a classic promotional item and an everyday tool. They work great to support business initiatives and to make life a little easier, which is why you really have to define what is a lanyard for yourself. You can see it as either a good investment or a nice thing to have, or both.

One thing is for sure, though, lanyards are definitely here to stay – even if you’re not hanging them out of your pocket anymore. For something that makes a much better fashion statement, click here.

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