For many businesses, offering gifts, rewards or incentives to earn the trust of customers requires both manpower and money. Many small businesses or startups don’t have that kind of time or cash. However, there are several simple and inexpensive gifts you can offer that will show your customers you care, help establish your brand, and even attract new customers. Following are three reasons why using gifting as a marketing technique works well.
Gifts Are Marketing Hooks
If you’ve searched the internet for inexpensive promo gifts you can offer customers in place of a business card, you’ve probably discovered a sea of options. Just remember: people don’t like to be sold, but they do love free stuff. A free gift is great on its own, but if it’s clever too, it might just make their day and create an emotional connection to your brand.
As a business owner, making their day should be your ultimate marketing goal. There are dozens of original gift ideas to choose from; you just have to take a little time to find the one that lets your customers know they are valued. Once you do that, they’ll be hooked.
Increase Your Response Rates
A gift offered at just the right moment can increase response rates for your website, web store, email marketing, or social media advertisements. Customers click through more often when they know they’ll receive something for their effort. With an average click-through-rate of 2% for most online advertising, a unique gift that solves a problem can be very valuable. For instance, offering a free digital planner or similar product helps your customer develop organizational skills.
Build Trust
Building trust in today’s business world is a difficult task. Offering a gift that tells your customer you appreciate their business will help you build that trust, hopefully converting them into repeat customers in the process. Thoughtful gifts such as scented candles packaged in a box with your business logo and tagline, can work wonders for developing goodwill. Imagine the smile on a customer’s face when you tell her “Happy Mother’s Day” and hand her a chocolate rose (even if she hasn’t purchased a thing).
In business, it’s all about relationships. Small gestures like gifts help you earn the trust and loyalty of your customers. When they see you value them as people and not just a paycheck, you’ll be well on your way to success.
