Welp MagazineGiving something away for free is one of the most popular marketing methods and it’s been proven to be worthwhile in many different industries. Yet, it isn’t simply a question of giving away anything without putting too much thought into it. To make a promotion of this type work, there are some crucial errors you need to avoid.
Don’t Give Away Something People Don’t Want
Perhaps the biggest mistake companies make in this respect is in giving away things that people simply don’t want or need. Pens, thimbles, and travel spoons are among the promotional items to be avoided, according to this list. On the other hand, people love to get useful stuff like portable chargers, keyrings, mugs, and chocolates. Giving your customers the chance to choose makes any offer even better.
We can understand this point better by looking at the online casino industry, which is synonymous with giveaways and freebies due to how competitive the market is. Let’s consider why many online casinos decide to give away Bloodsuckers free spins to new players. This NetEnt slot is based on a vampire theme, and it’s been incredibly popular since its release in 2009. However, while casinos such as BetMGM and DraftKings let newcomers use their welcome bonus on Bloodsuckers, they also allow people to choose other slots if they prefer to try something different.
Don’t Make It Too Complicated
While everyone loves to get something for free, few of us want to work hard to obtain it. Having to send an email or register is fair enough, but if you ask people to collect coupons or carry out a series of challenges then you can expect this to put a lot of possible customers off the idea. The simpler the offer, the more people will think that it’s worth doing.
If we look at it from a psychological point of view, free gifts are designed to make customers feel good and establish a bond with the brand. With really big, expensive gifts, you might make it a prize in a fun competition that people can choose to join. However, it’s also good to offer an alternative where they collect a useful free gift with very little effort.
Don’t Target the Wrong People
Free gift promotions are generally designed to reach as many clients as possible. Yet, we need to bear in mind that not everyone is likely to go on to become a paying client. Therefore, one of the secrets to getting this right is in defining the target market that you want to concentrate on.
Using social media advertising and building up a database of email contacts are both good ways of doing this. Make it clear what’s being offered and then be sure to follow it up, regardless of whether they accept the offer or not. Even someone who doesn’t accept the gift right now might keep your company in mind for the future.
By avoiding these common mistakes, you can make sure that your free offer gets seen by the right people and appeals to them. This isn’t a guarantee of success, but it means that you can hope to attract enough customers to make it worthwhile.
