When it comes to selling products, free stuff can work wonders. No, really! Sometimes giving things away can be the best method to actually move a product.

Yes, if you’ve never done it before, giving free samples away might sound like the total opposite of cost effective. But sample marketing is proven to work. According to Shopify, free samples have increased sales by a whopping 2,000% in some cases.

A sample might just be the one thing that convinces people to buy your product – the difference between a sale or lack thereof. Let’s take a look at how sample marketing can help your business.

Make their day better

Providing a sample that improves the customer’s day can make them that much more likely to buy the product. Doubly so if it’s something that they’ll actually use once they’ve gone home.

Here’s a little personal example. I actually received a sample vial of cologne in the mail last week. I tried it on and was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked it! The best part was that there was enough for multiple uses. However, there weren’t so many that I’ll soon forget about the fragrance once I’m out of it.

Demonstrate value

While the product should speak for itself, it has to be presented in a way that makes it seem useful or desirable. You need to demonstrate the value of the product to the customer.

It’s sort of like how movie trailers work. While movie trailers are a more traditional form of advertising, they have a lot of in common with samples. Movie trailers work well because they’re literally portions of the movie that are edited and cut together in way that’s designed to make people want more. You watch a movie trailer and you make an instant decision on whether or not that’s a movie you’d like to see. The same logic applies to any product.

Nail the sale

Wherever you’re handing out your freebies, you’ll want to make sure the product that they can actually buy is nearby. If it’s not immediately available to purchase, you’ll be losing out on the snap-judgment sale. The people that say “Huh, this sure is nice. I guess I’ll just slide this into my cart.”

You’ll also want to ensure it’s clear what product they’re sampling. If the customer gets a sample of cologne, but the label only indicates the brand, rather than the specific product, then you’ve got a problem. Flavors of food or drinks can easily get mixed up as well. You don’t want your customers buying the wrong product.

Digitally Promote With CoGoBuzz

With CoGoBuzz, promoting your business at the digital level has never been better – or more effective! It’s all thanks to the power of mobile engagement. Leveraging advanced WiFi, SMS, and Email solutions, CoGoBuzz promotes your marketing efforts directly to mobile devices. Want to let your customers know what samples you’re featuring today? You’re just a click away with your brand new, text-based loyalty program.

To top that off, our service is designed from-the-ground-up to discover your customers, generate loyalty, and create repeat customers automatically. We ensure that you have all the information you need to come up with the right samples for the right customers. Check out the rest of our website to learn more!

Ever try giving out samples? How did it go? Sound off in the comments!