Online Promotion: FREE Advice on Freebies!

Eye-catching, isn’t it? That magical word, “free.” Whether it’s free shipping, free gadgets, or free food, we love getting something for nothing. Many online businesses have harnessed that primal urge and offer “giveaways” or “freebies” on their sites as a way to drive traffic to their site. Use your blog, Twitter status, or other social media to promote the freebie, and watch the traffic make a sudden U-turn to your website! Nothing goes viral faster than FREE!

What do I give away?

In a word, anything! If your site sells something, you can give away an actual product. Jenny Jones, a  blogging editor-turned-mom ("Buby & Bleu"), is hoping to launch an online baby products store by the end of the year. She started giving away products such as diaper bags and baby wipes cases, to draw traffic to her blog. It worked – her readership was up on the weeks of the giveaways. She hopes that many of these visitors will become shoppers when her site goes live.

But you can drive traffic to your site without offering a physical product. Use your social media sites to advertise giveaways of fun online gadgets, including screensavers, greeting cards, icons, or templates. Smashingmagazine.com, a website dedicated to web design and web development, is a frequently-mentioned site when it comes to giveaways. They are known for giving away WordPress themes, website templates, and nifty icon sets.

Free solutions or information are always in demand as well. Offer a free trial on your product, free reports, e-books, or consulting sessions that meet the needs of your target audience. A web-consulting business could give away a free two-hour individualized session, or perhaps a collection of articles on building a successful website. It’s old-fashioned bartering – but instead of bartering two cows for three sacks of grain, you’re offering free services, and in return, gaining new customers.

Get Creative with Contests

Contests are a popular venue for driving traffic. You’ve seen them: “You may already have won a million dollars/flat-screen TV/cheeseburgers for life! Click here!” However, many audiences are wary of such random, lottery-type of contests. You will better connect with your audience if the contest is interactive, so that the participation itself is enjoyable. The blogger “adiirockstar” (www.adi.co.za) wanted to promote her company’s new web theme. She created a contest on Twitter – come up with an original explanation for the theme’s name, “Cushy.” The prize: A free download of the theme. The contest went viral, and not only did she receive dozens of entries, but her participants were hyped up and talking about the next contest!

Give It Away on Conduit

Your Conduit community toolbar is a great location to place your giveaways. People like getting free stuff themselves, and they LOVE to be the one to share the loot with their friends and contacts. Add an icon advertising a freebie, whether it’s a free trial, free product, or a new contest. Your customers’ toolbars will immediately be updated with the new icon as well. They will be motivated to pass along the goods to friends in their network who share a similar interest. Their friends will download the toolbar to take advantage of the offer, and more downloads equals more hits on your site. Keep your customers engaged by updating your “freebie” icon frequently.

Freebies are a great way to drive traffic to your site. They tap into a basic human motivation – if it’s free, they will come – and everyone who visits your site for the freebie has the potential to become your next customer. But remember not to go overboard with the freebies. Your customers will be turned off by “information overload.” Choose wisely - make sure the giveaways connect to your target audience, and are useful and high quality. In short, your freebies should be something that YOU would love to get for free!