You might be a little reluctant to give away free samples or demonstrations of your products and services. After all, there’s no guarantee that you’ll see a return on your investment. However, isn’t that the same for any other form of marketing? Promotional merchandise is all about raising brand awareness and associating your brand with generosity.
When you’re giving out samples or demos of your product itself, however, it can seem like you’re throwing your money away. It’s what you do best, and you know it’s a worthy product or service that should be able to prove its worth, so why should you give it away for free? However, free samples can work if they’re given out thoughtfully and in the right quantities. We’ve compiled a list of some of the benefits of giving away product samples for free:
1: Spreads the word
If you’re giving out free samples, you’re immediately increasing awareness of your brand. Work out the best way of getting free samples to your target market and let them spread your brand with others in their friendship group.
2: Shows your generosity
Giving out free samples shows that your firm is generous. You’ve given out free samples with no strings attached. You don’t expect feedback, a tip or a future purchase – you’re just trusting them to use or consume the product and judge it for themselves.
3: Gets feedback
Of course you might not expect feedback, but that doesn’t mean you won’t get any. If you’re giving out free samples in person, you might be able to receive some instant feedback. Include a hashtag or your Twitter handle on the packaging, and it’s likely you’ll get some online feedback. You can retweet the most positive endorsements that your product receives, further improving brand awareness.
4: Tries out potential new products
Once you’ve undergone a rigorous testing procedure for new products, you might want to produce some samples for your target market to try out before you commit to mass producing the product. If you hear great feedback, it might be all you need to get the go-ahead from the manager to order the new product for bulk manufacture.
5: Tempts existing customers
Why not tempt your customers to spend a little more by offering free samples when they spend above a certain threshold? The samples could be for new product lines or related products – anything that’ll tempt them to buy that product in the future.
6: Receives publicity
If your free demos or samples are given out in a particularly noteworthy way, you might receive some press coverage or internet buzz about your company and your products. Obvious publicity stunts don’t always go down well with the public, however, so be subtle.
7: Shows confidence in your product
If you’re willing to give out free samples of your product, it shows that you expect to hear only positive feedback in return. Companies that have no confidence in their products are hardly likely to want to stop groups of people on the street, only to hear that they don’t like the product.
Of course, free samples are just another form of marketing. They might not work for your company, but they are particularly effective if you’re selling food, drink or cosmetics. Stay Sourced believes that promotional marketing should not be overlooked and be a key part of a marketing strategy if your business niche allows.
