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At times, running a business can seem like a juggling act. There is marketing, technology, sales, inventory, and customer relations. And if you don’t balance it all out correctly, you lose customers to the guy that can.
So how do you get the customers to stop by initially so that you have the opportunity to try and retain them? Digital giveaways are a great tool for opening the door to any type of store.
Set a Goal
Remember, you are not working on this alone. You need to set clear goals so that your team is always on the same page as you.
Are you setting out to grow your social media following? Or, are you just worried about traffic on Twitter?
Do you need to get more people to download your mobile app or subscribe to your blog?
Setting clear-cut, well-defined goals is the most important step in launching any digital giveaway program.
Plan for Engagement
Regardless of the platform, you hope to use to launch your digital giveaway program; you want to make sure that you have some sort of customer engagement strategy in place.
Let’s face it, the millennial generation and its predecessor, Generation Z, are products of the digital age. While we can thank technology for giving us the answers to any questions we have, we also have to deal with the fact that it’s created a culture of “right now”.
Your customers expect you to be active on social media and on your blog at least three times per week. You need to have a plan in place to keep them engaged throughout the duration of your giveaway.
So, if you are not planning to keep your customers engaged, and if you are not equipped to handle the “right now” train of thought, you better keep planning.
Choose a Giveaway Tool
For some people, throwing up a landing page on a subdomain is as simple as ordering their morning coffee. To others, it’s the Calculus of the 21st century. Depending on where you land on this spectrum, you might want to consider some online give away services.
There are services all over the Internet that range in price and services. Look for one that accomplishes your goal and fits into your plan. Here are some you can look into:
- Rafflecopter
- Gleam
- OfferPop
- WooBox
Offer Awesome Prizes
Research shows that brands that are humanized have a much greater chance of building a loyal customer base—especially with millennial customers. So, you need to make sure that you are giving away prizes that, well, don’t suck.
Gone are the days of stopping by the bank to pick up your toaster. And you can forget about that cheap MP3 player that doesn’t have a screen. People want iPads, flat screens, and prizes that make it worth their time to stop by your Facebook Page or to share your Tweets.
After all, the world is full of conscientious consumers these days. No one wants junk cluttering up their “green” living spaces. Make sure your prizes say, “We value our customers, and we want to show them just how much.”
Promote Your Place
In addition to a customer engagement plan, you also need a promotion plan. One of the easiest ways to do this is to partner up with some industry influencers.
If you are a brick-and-mortar store, you can ask your neighbors on Main Street to wear promotional buttons that showcase your giveaway. If you are digital, partner up with a store that compliments what you do—coupon codes can make miracles happen!
Think of creative ways to team up with people who can help spread the word about your giveaway. Use custom branded promo items like buttons to market your giveaways.
Conclusion
Remember it costs five less to retain a customer than it does to earn one new one. So, while your giveaway program might be a bit expensive, as you grow your customer base, as long as you have a solid retention plan, it will cost you less to keep the customers you gain through your content.
So, now that you have gotten people into the door of your store, your next step is to start working on a plan to earn their loyalty.
Also read: Little-Known Facts About Know Your Customers
About the Author
Ian McRoberts is an business sales expert and writer. As a consultant, he has helped many e-Commerce entrepreneurs build their brand by delivery value based content and getting the right message in front of the right audience.
