Details In Business Blog

by Elizabeth Cusulas
Details In Retail, Inc.

There’s a wonderful old bawdy blues song that says “if I can’t sell it, I’m gonna sit down on it.  I ain’t gonna give it away.” 

Not a good marketing strategy.

One of the best ways to market without money is to “give it away”.  It’s not a new concept.  The food industry has known this for years – give potential buyers a taste and they will want more.  Retail and restaurant industries use punch cards to increase sales.  But there are ways to leverage giving into whatever you hope to achieve for your business that go way beyond, buy 9 and get the 10th for free.

Free your mind…
Don’t think of your business as just “get, get” get.”  Sometimes giving is the shortcut to meeting your business goals.  In the mid-90s, I was part owner of a small internet company (wasn’t everyone?).  I wanted to do more web site design.  I needed a way to get real-world experience and also build a portfolio to show to prospects.  I accomplished both by working for free.  I contacted several non-profit organizations I admired and offered to do their web sites for free.  Most business weren’t on the web yet and non-profits didn’t have the budget to risk money on an untried marketing medium.   It was a perfect match.  I got to do large web site projects and work out the kinks in my presentation and design skills.  The non-profits discovered that the internet was a wildly useful resource.  The work I did for free led to more work – paying work – because I now had a portfolio.  I made contacts, and friends, I never would have made if I hadn’t said, “hey, I’ll do this for you for free.”   It was the beginning of a beautiful thing.

How can you give it away?  Get creative and find what works for your particular business.  Here are just a few examples.

Donations – ‘tis better to give AND receive
Donate your product or service to a non-profit for a fundraising auction.  Do some work for free - board members, staff and volunteers will notice a job well done.  Remember, non-profits often list contributors on their newsletter or web site and non-profits do a lot of mailing.  A few small gifts can put your business in front of a fairly extensive new audience at a very low cost.  Do some good and good will come to you.

Freebies, Incentives, Value Added – give till it hurts
According to a recent article in Advertising Age, even brothels are offering incentives in the form of punch cards and free food.  If the oldest profession has to fight for its share of the public’s discretionary income in today’s economy you know things are bad (sorry, the AdAge article is now available only if you pay for a copy from their archives, but there’s a Newsweek article at http://www.newsweek.com/id/141848). 

The word FREE always gets noticed – especially in tough times.  It works for goods or services: 10th visit is free, buy one, get one free.  Yes, you see it everywhere – that’s because it works.  Just give it your own creative spin.  Try it, you’ll like it.

Rewards – “you like me, you really like me”
Reward your fans.  If you’re doing a good job or selling a great product, you have a built-in referral base.  Offer existing customers freebies for every new client they send your way: a discount on their next order, a free bonus item – whatever.  Don’t think of it as a bribe, think of it as a reward.  The best part? It only costs you money when it actually generates new business.  Wouldn’t it be a wonderful world if all your advertising costs were results-based?

“Give” it a try.  Find ways to give away a little… and you’ll gain a lot.

Shameless promotion: Need a creative marketing plan customized for your business and budget?  Details in Retail can help.

Related Posts:
Marketing without Money – Lesson 1

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