Free Samples

Free samples are long-standing marketing tools, and for good reason--they often lead to amazing results. The concept is very simple--give people a taste of what you have to offer, and sit back and watch as some of the samplers turn into customers. Can sales get any easier than that?

Supermarkets are famous for working this system to perfection. We're all familiar with the well-placed stands that offer a little bit of that exotic cheese or funky fruit, without which, we soon learn, we cannot continue. Milk, eggs and peanut butter fall by the wayside as we dive for the shrink-wrapped package or thin plastic bag that contains our newfound treasure.

Free Samples in Other Fields

You'll hardly be surprised to learn that free samples work very well in other industries as well. Both film rental companies that give away free flicks and credit card companies that offer free cash find themselves inundated with interested customers. Many other kinds of companies have also enjoyed great success with this strategy.

Of course, it can be difficult to figure out how to design such a campaign on your own. Luckily, help is close at hand. Look for a consultant that specializes in incentive-based marketing. Some of these consultants deal only with free samples for online marketing, making them an incredibly valuable resource for the online businessperson.