The Little Bonus That Could…

In business, nothing provokes action like the word FREE, and when it comes to your marketing efforts, a little bonus can go a long way. Whether a limited time offer on a direct mail campaign, a free gift as incentive for an email sign-up or site registration, a reward for repeat customers, or simply free info on your site, giving a little can bring you a lot in return.

Create an offer and post a sign-up form whereby you will e-mail, or link to, a coupon, free e-book, or other special incentive. Watch how quickly your in-house marketing list will grow!

Think ahead. Many companies neglect free offerings for fear of breaking their budget with no guaranteed results. I’ve worked with a surprising number of creative teams who tell me,  “Yeah, that’s a great idea. But we don’t have anything.”  The truth is…you do, and in ways you can definitely afford.

Inexpensive bonus options are all around you. Start with what you have. Information itself is valuable. At the most basic level, your own marketing materials can be “given away” with perceived value. Your brochure, correctly positioned, is now a free information packet. You can offer a free catalogue, free pamphlet on your company, your products/services, or industry concerns. Create a “special report” and offer it for download on your site. Give little “how to’s” that generate interest back to your company.

For example, meet Ted. Ted is an IT contractor looking to build his client  base. Ted decides to offer a special article such as “10 Ways to De-Bug Your PC” or “Spyware – Find it and Keep it Out!”. He offers this as a free PDF on his site, or perhaps as a mailing to existing and potential customers.  He has identified a common problem and frustration faced by his customer base and provided simple tips and expert advice on how to handle it. It is a piece of literature his prospects will likely keep handy. Let’s say a prospect now has an additional problem, or he has difficulty implementing the advice in the article, he now has Ted, a trusted IT man, whose contact info is right in front of him. Ted has positioned himself as an expert and fostered trust in the very fact that the helpful advice was entirely free.

Identify common concerns to your customer base. Offer a Free White Paper or Informative Report with helpful tips, strategies, and resources. Bundle a few articles, reviews, or reports, write an introduction and table of contents, and you now have a Free e-book.

A quick and easy bonus can be more than information. Be creative –what can your company offer? A free consultation? Free analysis of their needs? Free trial? Free sample? Yes, giving away your product can often be a good thing. When launching a new product or service – give it away! For a short time, of course. And make sure you gather testimonials for future marketing.