July 8, 2007
Free!
Experienced direct marketers will tell you that the word free is perhaps the most frequently responded-to word in marketing.
People like
free stuff. They'll do all kinds of crazy things to get something for
free that they wouldn't pay a dollar for. And if something is actually
valuable—genuinely useful advice or a trial version of your product,
many people will happily give you something that is even more valuable
to you—their contact information and permission to market to them.
So a free offer in your materials is a good idea. Maybe a coupon for a free product, like an appetizer or an initial consultation.
(Coupons are useful because you can put a small code on them that tells you where they came from—they're highly measurable. Measurable is good.)
Maybe an offer of a free additional product if they buy your main product—a free wax with the car wash. Maybe a loyalty program—that's the jargon for those little cards your coffee shop clips every time you buy a cup of coffee at a premium price.
But 21st century customers don't just like free, they like options.
We complain about the dizzying number of blogs, cable channels and breakfast cereals, but nonetheless, that's what we want.
So add some power to your free giveaway—let your customer pick the reward. A menu of several attractive options (or hundreds, if it's feasible) gets your customers sitting down and thinking about your product in a highly positive way. They feel loved. They feel rewarded. They feel smart because they're getting something free, and they get to pick. When customers sit down and enjoy good feelings about you and your product, you've won.
Next action: Look at any current free offers you may be making. How can you add some appealing options? If you're not currently making a free offer, decide how you will.
Dive deeper: What do your free offers communicate about your business? What could you do to make them more remarkable? What could you give away that would get people talking?
Would your company benefit from more repeat business and referrals?
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