Whether or not you have a website for your small business, giving away something for free is a tried and tested way to attract new customers. From those cute sachets of beauty products to little tasters of cheese and thimble-sized cups of drink in the supermarket, little samples are great at persuading us to buy a new or different product.
And if you offer a service rather than a product – let’s say you’re an accountant, an holistic therapist, a trainer or a consultant – there are several reasons why it’s very important for you to give something away for free too. Here are a few for you to think about:
Increased Visibility and Credibility – in other words you’ll be able to let more people know that you exist and what it is you do, and that you know how to do it well.
Your Competitors already do this – admittedly not all of them, but certainly the more forward thinking and successful are giving away free stuff as part of their marketing campaigns.
Capture Contact Details - this works especially well when you have a website or blog. Visitors who are also your prospective clients want the free stuff and are prepared to let you have their details in return.
Relationship Building – once you have those contact details (especially email addresses), you can send your email newsletters and marketing messages and keep in touch on a regular (but not too frequent) basis.
It’s Expected Online – just a few years ago, offering free updates or an email newsletter was enough of a novelty for people to willingly part with their email addresses. Now that the number of emails threaten to swamp our inboxes on a daily basis, we’re much more fussy and will only sign up if there’s a good free give-away to be had.
What’s the best give-away you’ve come across so far? I’d love you to share in the comments below 
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I agree with this.I offer products and I have found that by allowing others to sample, you not only get feedback, but you also network & build relationships!
serenitylure.etsy.com
Hi Geri – you’re right, there are several benefits to offering free samples and you can use the feedback in place of testimonials when you’re just getting started (with permission of course).
Thanks for commenting here.
Louise
This is very interesting. As someone who is just starting a business offering a service, I was planning on ‘giving away’ an hour of my service for free to entice new customers. I was advised against doing this as I was told it ‘undervalues my service’.
What are your thoughts on this?
Hi Lynda – thanks for commenting here. I’m pleased you found this article interesting.
I totally agree with whoever advised you against giving away your time. Not only does it undervalue your service, the recipient won’t place as much value on the consultation as they would if they had paid for it.
As a small business owner, your most valuable asset really is your time – and it should never be given away. That’s why creating something to give away is a much better option, because you create it once and then it keeps on working for you – as an ambassador for your services.
I hope this is helpful!
Louise