2 Quick & Easy Marketing Strategies for Creating a Memorable Free Giveaway

In today's business community, there have been revolutionary steps made in strategies for marketing thanks to the internet, smart phones, and all the new gadgets and widgets that roll out each year. All of these have made it much easier to implement a marketing strategy that allows small businesses to obtain the e-mail addresses and contact information for potential customers, also called leads, by offering what is often referred to as a “free giveaway.” Once you have leads in your database, you can follow up with them until they either become customers or remove themselves from your mailing list.

Offering a free giveaway to the group of people who you hope will buy your products or utilize your services is a quality list building technique to put you in touch with prospective clients. And a free giveaway provides them with an easy way to become familiar with your company and through which to preferably begin building a long-term relationship.

Free Giveaway Strategy #1: Give them a taste of what you offer

Ideally, you will use your free giveaway to not only attract clients who are new to you but to also set yourself apart from the competition. One of the best (and easiest) ways to do this is to choose a gift that is a representative example of what you supply, such as a limited-use software download (with the ability to pay if customers want more features or functions), or a free smart phone app (if you have an online app store). Coaches or consultants may offer a complimentary consultation to give potential clients a taste, if you will, of what working with you will be like.

Free Giveaway Strategy #2: Become a welcome presence in their everyday lives

Another great marketing strategy for list-building purposes is to give away something that your prospective customers can use often…therefore keeping your company in their mind of a regular basis. If you give away something useful, like a yearly calendar branded with your company’s name and logo, for example, there’s a good chance your prospects will hang that calendar in their home or office, and they’ll think of you (even if it’s on a subconscious level) every time they see it. You’ll inadvertently become a trusted (and welcome) presence in their lives. Other examples of daily-use gifts are mousepads, bookmarks, pens, etc., all branded with your company’s logo so that you stay top of mind whenever they need what you offer. If you don’t have the budget right now to mail out such giveaways to everyone who becomes a lead, consider running a monthly contest, where one lucky winner each month will receive a mousepad/bookmark/etc. To enter, people need to provide their name and email address…which enters them into your mailing database for future follow-up.

Even if your giveaway is merely a small sample of the services you provide, your prospective customers will feel like they are considered important enough to get a glimpse of what you have to offer, and it shows them you are confident enough in your products and services to know that a small sample will give them reason to return. The challenge, however, comes in creating a marketing strategy that will cause your customers to take notice, so get creative with your free giveaway idea. And then trust that what begins as a simple free gift can end with a customer who will return for a lifetime.