A promotional giveaway is as old as the art of marketing. As far back as shops have sought customers, the occasional free gift has earned more than a little new interest and return patronage. Treat shops distribute tasters outside the store to lure customers inside and hotels give away free weekend getaways to inspire new guests, on-site buys, and longer stays.
The fact of the matter is that giveaways have always been an effective marketing strategy, and still are. Small businesses also have a lot to gain from online giveaway campaigns, often conducted on social media to get the most visibility and participation. Why are promotional giveaways still so effective? Let’s break down the details of customer motivation.
Everyone Loves Free Stuff
First and foremost, everyone loves the opportunity to get free stuff. Even free t-shirts – something few people actually need – are a fun reward when the cost is zero and it makes the recipient feel like a winner. Whether your branded giveaway is a contest or a raffle, getting something for free is a motivator for most people and will draw attention to your brand both from regular social media followers and people who see an opportunity to win.
Give Them Something to Talk About
Every marketing campaign needs something to talk about. A giveaway creates an event that you can hype for weeks or months in advance, producing graphics and inspiring conversations on your page for that entire time. You can push content by talking about why you are doing the giveaway, hyping the items or services you are giving away, and encouraging everyone to sign up before they miss the deadline.
This creates activity on your page that is friendly, positive, and focuses on your brand while simultaneously offering to give something to your audience which helps you to escape the marketing echo-chamber. On top of this, free giveaways tend to get the community buzzing about their goals to win and the themes of your campaign.
Build Your List of Interested Leads
Of course, a branded giveaway is also a huge sign-up opportunity when it comes to lead generation. Every single person who signs up to get the free gift has entered their name, email, and shown that they have some interest in enjoying your products. The email lists alone from your giveaway event can be massive, and fuel your outreach marketing campaign efforts for months after the event. For a small business, this kind of lead generation is a powerful tool.
Friendly Competition Spices Up Engagement
Promotional giveaways also tend to inspire the sense of friendly competition which both brings together a community and adds a little spice to the sauce. Competition gets people excited, whether it’s an art contest or a randomised raffle. Even better if you have a grand prize and a few runner-up prizes so more than one person could be a winner. The greater the chance to win, the more people will feel like they, too, could be a winner.
Promotional Samples Become Return Customers
As many brands have discovered, promotional giveaways often lead to increased purchases – both from winners and non-winners alike. Those who win your products or services will likely enjoy the experience and come back for more as return customers. At the same time, many of the people who don’t win will have spent that time thinking about how much they want your products and then realise that they can just buy some for themselves with or without a raffle ticket.
Opportunities for Brand Collaboration Events
Lastly, branded giveaways give you the chance to collaborate and share audiences with other brands. You might partner with another small business for a Summer Fun Giveaway with your cool shades and their stylish towels, or you might create an Outdoor Adventure Giveaway featuring your awesome backpacks stocked with useful products from partner brands like water bottles, socks, and useful gadgets.
These collaborative events can multiply your audience and visibility because they will be hyped by multiple brands and create combined interest based on the added value of the prizes when offered together.
Launch Your Promotional Giveaway with Oracle Tree
Here at Oracle Tree, we not only love giveaways, we’re also great at making them happen. If your small business is ready to launch a new promotional campaign that will get your audience really excited with weeks of wind-up and a big final event, we can help you make your branded giveaway a truly amazing experience for everyone involved. Contact us today to get started on planning the giveaway of the season for your small business.
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