David Friedland
Don’t you as a consumer face a dilemma when you discover a new product on the racks of your go-to Supermarket? It appeals to you, but you’re unsure whether it’s worth the price you’re ought to pay for it.
Most buyers stick to typical brands that they’ve been using. Seldom are they open to try out new products.
Here’s where free samples come in. Free samples might initially feel like a vain attempt, but as research shows, they’re not!
Benefits of Free Samples
A. Increase Brand Awareness
Who doesn’t want free stuff today? Everyone is willing to stretch their boundaries when trying free stuff. Even people who are very cautious of the brands they use are very likely to try a product sample for free. Free samples not only allure customers but they also increase your affinity and exposure. People become aware of the quality that your brand offers and this in all probability fosters the brand loyalty and customer base.
B. Helps Customer Make Decision
Experience always allows one to make better decisions. Before customers make a purchase, they recognize the need for the item, and then they start looking for the best available option monetarily. The quality, availability, and personal preferences also play a big role. Social influence i.e. opinion of the society about your product also plays a major role. A wide range of buyers buy products because they’re widely known and liked.
When you provide a free sample, all these conditions are wiped off and the customer is swooped off his feet to buy your product.
C. Reciprocity
This is the urge to do good for someone who did good to you. When you offer free samples, they create a sense of obligation on the buyer to buy your product. This phenomenon has been explained in persuasion strategies as Foot-in the door technique wherein a small request is made, which the consumer accepts followed by a larger request.
A few other benefits include enhancing customer loyalty, improving buyers’ confidence etc.
Can free samples promote your products? They most certainly can. Below are mentioned a few tips for promoting your product successfully in the market.
1. Choose Your Customer Base
If you begin distributing free samples to everyone in the market, it might turn out to be non-economic. This is why you should always choose your probable buyers. If you choose the correct people, this will result in a better ROI. Prioritize past customers, people who enquire on email Ids, social media platforms, and then a small demography.
2. Free Samples For Everyday Use
Provide free samples that have a regular usage. When people are continuously exposed to samples with your logo; an affiliation for your product is created due to repeated ‘Exposure Effect’. People are more likely to develop a positive attitude towards something they are continuously exposed to. If you provide items that seldom come out of the cupboard, your brand popularity will perish right inside the doors.
3. Give Away Products With High Perceived Value
Try giving free samples of something that is believed to be expensive in generality. Items like contact lens, cosmetics, perfumes, handmade products are assumed to be highly expensive when for real they won’t be exorbitant. If you give away free samples of such products, it will make you superior in the eyes of the consumer.
4. Use It To Stand Out In Events
Free samples can be best used at workshops, trade shows, seminars etc. Give something that really stuns people, and not something generic. This will let them remember you explicitly for the unique sample that you provided.
5. Use It As A Surprise Gift
Who doesn’t like surprises! Provide your free samples as surprise gifts. This strategy strengthens the relationship.
6. Source Of Lead Generation
If you provide a free sample, try and get the details of the consumer- name, address, phone number. This can help you generate leads for follow ups and in turn get you probable buyers.
Conclusion
Free samples make your customer believe in claims that you make; they get the chance to actually try something before they invest in it. Everyone wants to be certain that the money they spend isn’t a waste. Traditionally, free samples were put up in stores. But since worldwide digitalization, various digital product sampling websites work with displaying free samples of brands online. This not only gets you a geographic audience but makes you known globally.
Platforms like Sampler make every penny you spend worth it by reaching an audience that will most likely buy your brand. Contrary to popular belief, free samples are not futile, they are an investment into customers that bring you closer to be renowned and be the next most demanded brand.
