Incentives That Bring Results
The other day, I came across a giveaway that I had to do a double take on. Not because it was so amazing, but because it was so… tiny. The effort it would take me to do what was asked was really not worth the prize that was being offered. Lets call it getting a pencil for answering a survey. Clearly the prize is an attempt to engage users with some incentive, it just misses the mark a bit. A lot, actually.
Granted, not everyone can give away a free round-trip to an exotic foreign destination, but that doesn’t mean you can get away with using office supplies as a carrot stick. That trick barely works for my seven-year old. Here are a few things you can pop from under your sleeve for some giveaway magic:
Inventory. If you have products/inventory piling up, and it’s something seasonable and still relevant, give one or two away. This will increase sales of said product and increase traffic on your Facebook and website. We call that a double win.
Free Service. If you’re a service-oriented company, you can give away a service package or a free upgrade on an existing package.
Money. Oh, who doesn’t love a little extra pocket change? You can do this with gift cards – either financial gift cards or gift cards to popular shopping and dining destinations. An example: gas gift certificates when gas prices are climbing.
Almost anything…of value. If you’re willing to shell out something relevant that significantly impacts your clients’ pocketbooks, you will receive a valuable return. It’s up to you to know your clients well enough to surmise what will impact their wallet and thus create incentive. Whatever you decide, make sure you widely announce it to make your generosity worthwhile. Just don’t expect them to spend 15-30 minutes of their precious time in exchange for a pencil.