Freebie marketing works.
And yes, there is a BUT coming.
But it has to be done correctly and professionally.
Freebie Marketing Downfalls
Because freebie marketing is such a powerful marketing tool, many companies just assume they can give something away and BOOM new customers. That is not the case. First, the majority of people who take your freebie will not become your customers. That is ok. We will discuss that later.
Another downfall companies make is giving something useless or something that is not quality away. Social media is flooded with poorly made free videos that companies want you to download so they can get your email.
Why would I be interested in your company if what you sent me was poorly made? Even if your business/product has nothing to do with audiovisual technology, you still sent me something with your company’s name attached to it that was subpar. I no longer trust you. My assumption now is that everything you have is subpar.
Purpose of Freebies
The purpose of giving away something for free should be tied to a larger marketing initiative. Freebie marketing is not a strategy. It is a tool. Something to incorporate into your larger marketing plan.
A marketing plan is more than “let’s get more sales.”
Yes, that is the goal. But what is it that you need to do to get more sales?
Do you need more name recognition? Even if a person takes your freebie and doesn’t buy from you, your name is out there. If it is a great freebie they will tell people about it. Your name will get out there. And name recognition is important.
Do you need to showcase an updated or new product/service? Maybe it is not sales in general you are looking for. Maybe you have a new or updated product that you’d like people to know about. Maybe you have old customers that need to know about this update!
Do you need to establish expertise in your field? This is similar to name recognition. Showing your audience that you have the expertise they need is valuable. Giving away how-to videos is a great way to show them that. Even if it does not lead to a sale, it may bring them back to your site a few times which builds trust which turns into sales.
Do you need to build your audience? Freebies are a great way to get email addresses and social media follows. People may follow you to get free stuff with no intention of purchase, but if you keep showing up every once in awhile in their inbox or feed, you may convince them.
These are specific goals that your team will identify and then your marketing team can build a plan around.
Now that there is a goal, it is time to think about how you will use the freebie to HELP accomplish it. The word help is emphasized here because giving away a freebie is not a marketing plan. It is a tool utilized to accomplish the plan.
Before you decide what to give away be sure you know your focus audience. Who are these people? What problem do they have? What do you have that can help them? What freebie will show them that you can help them?
Whatever the freebie is, and we cannot emphasize this enough, it must be quality. And not only should the giveaway be good, but the advertisement for the giveaway must also be of high quality as well.
Consider for a minute giving away a video. The video should have good visual content, good sound and valuable information. We established that. But also consider how you advertise that giveaway. When you are running the giveaway campaign the post or email content should be eye catching. Because even if they do not sign up for their freebie, they did at least just see great content created by you!
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