Everywhere you look on the internet these days, there are giveaways galore! You can win anything from a flat-screen TV to a spa weekend to a pair of new shoes. As a consumer, the prospect of winning something free is appealing and exciting. But as a brand, giving your product or service away is not quite so appealing on the surface. Why, then, do so many brands seem to be taking part? Let’s dive into the world of branded giveaways and how they can help your company. What are the potential benefits of running a giveaway? And how can you set up your giveaway to ensure you reap these benefits?
Potential Benefit #1: Increase brand awarenessÂ
Giveaways are a great way to get your company in front of some new eyes. Someone who is curious about your brand but not yet completely sold is more likely to come to your site for the chance to win something free than they are to just browse.Â
Tip: Promote in New Avenues and PlacesÂ
To ensure your giveaway is achieving the goal of bringing in new potential customers, you will want to be creative about the avenues you share it through. A giveaway can be a fun way to reward loyal customers, but you do not want all the entrants to just be people who are already fans. Try promoting through giveaway and couponing sites or through a partner or influencer’s social channels. These are all places people tend to look for giveaways so there should be a lot of interest, and you can feel confident you will reach a wider audience and bring in new customers.
Potential Benefit #2: Gather Consumer InformationÂ
Not only can giveaways increase exposure, but you can also take it a step further. Once you’ve grabbed the attention of some new potential customers, you can then also use a giveaway to learn about them. The entry form is a great opportunity to gather basic information and learn who is interested in your product or service.Â
Tip: Keep it Simple to EnterÂ
As tempting as it can be to include a ton of questions on an entry form to gather as much information as possible, that will likely backfire. People tend to avoid long or complicated entry methods, so keep it short and simple. Decide on the 3-4 most important pieces of information for your brand to gather, and stick with those. Usually a name and some form of contact information, like an email address, is enough to be valuable to your business while still feeling simple and non-invasive for entrants.
Potential Benefit #3: Encourage Purchasing BehaviorÂ
This is really what everything in marketing boils down to, isn’t it? You want people to buy your product or service. Hosting a giveaway can help! You can increase purchases among both the winner and the other entrants by setting your giveaway up correctly.Â
Tip: Choose the Prize Carefully and Offer Discount CodesÂ
The prize you choose to give away is crucial. It shouldn’t necessarily just be the most popular item or service in your arsenal. You want to select an item that has value on its own, to entice people to enter, but that would also encourage the winner to make additional purchases. A product or service that pairs well with another of your offerings, or that requires some type of refill or replacement to be regularly purchased for it, is usually a good selection. You also want to look beyond the winner and find ways to encourage the other entrants to make purchases as well. One way to do this is by offering a special, limited-time discount exclusively to those who entered your giveaway. Make it slightly higher than your normal sales or discounts without cutting into your margins too much.
By following and executing the 3 steps above, you can confidently run a giveaway that is sure to help your brand. Be wary of common pitfalls like marketing the giveaway only to your already loyal customers, or making the entry methods too complicated. Promote strategically, keep it simple and choose the right prize, and you will be on your way to giveaway success!
