With the holiday season approaching, retailers and brands begin eagerly exploring ways to increase sales during the busiest time of the year. As the modern consumer becomes more empowered to research and carefully compare options prior to purchase, it’s more important than ever for brands to put their products into their customers’ hands. Sometimes, this simply means turning to the tried and true method of free product sampling.
So why give out your product for free? Well, pretty simple: it works. In a survey by Opinion Research Corp, 81% of respondents said they are more likely to try a product after they get a free sample. If you need more convincing, we’re giving you three more reasons you should consider gifting your customers a free sample this holiday season.
It cuts through the noise
Offering a free product sample is a great way to get your customers’ attention during the bustle of holiday shopping. It makes for a much more memorable shopping experience, and has a higher chance of influencing a purchasing decision than traditional advertising methods. Think about it, not only are you engaging their senses by physically trying the product, but they’re delighted to receive a free product from your brand. If you’re using digital product sampling, you’re amplifying this experience by delivering a sample to your customers’ door where they can try it in the comfort of their home, as opposed to a busy shopping mall.
So if you’re looking for ways to stand out from the crowd during the holidays, allowing consumers to demo your product before buying it can be a great way to turn potential customers into paying ones.
It drives reviews and user-generated content
As holiday shoppers begin their research, you can bet that they’ll be counting on product ratings and reviews to help them with their purchasing decisions. In fact, about 83% do it according to Google. So if you want to collect reviews and consumer-generated content, product sampling is a great tool to help you do that.
Ask consumers for their honest feedback in exchange for a free product sample. These added reviews and conversations will be key in influencing new buyers just in time for the holiday season.
It captures valuable data
It’s no secret that the holiday season is the busiest time of the year and chances are, you likely won’t experience the same volume of sales at any other point in time. Take advantage of this busy time by running a sampling program that allows you to gather information about your customers and their preferences. Using digital product sampling, you can discover behavioural and demographic insights about your customers as well as which ones respond best to your product sample.
This data helps you continue the conversation even after your program and remarket to high value consumers long after the holidays.
So there you have it! Three reasons why product sampling should make its way into your holiday marketing toolbox. Though getting your customers’ attention during this season is no easy task, going one step further and giving your customers the gift of a free product can go a very long way. After all, it is the season of giving.
