At Jottful, we’ve experimented with a number of different giveaways in order to drive awareness and deliver sales.
So, no, this isn’t an article about swag. (Although we love swag, too!) We’re here to get strategic — with five giveaway campaigns you can try in your business.
1. A gift to give
An excellent way to bring in more customers is to reward your current customers for making referrals. Here are some ways to do just that:
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- Reward both parties with a discount or gift. This is called a double-sided referral campaign. We do this at Jottful. When one of our customers comes across a business that needs a new website — and they refer that business to us — we reward both parties once the business becomes a Jottful customer. You can see the details of Jottful’s referral rewards program here >
- Blue Apron lets loyal customers gift a free week of their meal-kit service to a friend.
- Warby Parker’s Buy A Pair, Give A Pair promotion makes a charitable donation with each eyeglass order placed.
2. Loss leaders
A loss leader is a sale created by drastically cutting the price of specific items in your store, to the point that you actually take a loss on those items.
Loss leaders are common at grocery stores (think: lettuce and dish soap deals!) because they get shoppers through the doors who then purchase other items.
3. BOGO
BOGO — or Buy One, Get One Free — is a promotional strategy typically applied to products that are stockpiled (e.g., soap, canned goods, dog food).
Why does it work? Because the opportunity to get something free is more attractive to many shoppers than a 50% discount, even though that’s really what they’re receiving.
💡 WEBSITE INSIGHT: Don’t forget to feature your BOGO Promo on your website’s homepage!
4. Free trials
Free trials give your prospective customers a way to experience your offering before committing to a purchase. Commonly found at makeup counters, and for online courses and subscription services, free trials are popular with prospects because, hey, what do they have to lose?
For more creative ideas, read our blog post, 7 ways to offer something for free.
5. Loyalty & points programs
Last, there is the loyalty program giveaway. Think of the grocer, Kroger, for this giveaway. When you shop with a Kroger card, you win discounts and points you can spend on gas —but Kroger is also able to track your purchases and learn valuable information about what customers like to purchase.
Thinking of something a little less high tech? A simple punch card keeps people coming back for that free product at the end of the card.
