It’s official: we all love free stuff. Companies and brands across all industries realize the power of a freebie, as a way of promoting their products and services, broadening their reach, and rewarding loyal customers, and fashion brands have long seen the benefits of giveaways. While it may seem counterproductive for businesses to give away free stuff, actually the opposite is true — freebies can push growth and increase brand visibility. Free products and samples generate buzz, and if they get into the hands of influencers, well, the buzz just gets louder.
How Fashion Brands Grow Their Business With Freebies
Free Samples and Trials
Many of us are hesitant to give new businesses a whirl, preferring to stick to tried-and-tested brands, but free samples and trials are a great way to dip one’s toe in the water — what have we got to lose? If you run a fashion brand you can use free samples as a versatile marketing tool, to help launch a new product, heighten brand awareness, or foster company loyalty among your existing customer base. The nature of free samples all depends on the nature of the business, and whether you offer products or services. For services, a free trial version with a limited time frame is a good starting point. You could also offer a free 30-minute consultation, on, for example, client consultations or visual merchandising.
If you make clothes then there are different options available. You may be able to send a free item, depending on the cost of manufacture, and the likelihood of a customer purchasing further items from the range. Alternatively, you could offer free sewing services or alterations. The most important thing to remember is to offer freebies with a clear objective, and to demographics you have researched who are most likely to become paying customers.
Purchase Bonuses
Rewarding customers for responding to a call to action or making a purchase is an effective way to foster brand loyalty and promote other aspects of your product or service range. This goes for fashion brands and across all other industry sectors. Take online casinos as an example — most operators offer generous bonuses for signing up, such as free spins or, if you prefer poker, free WSOP chips. These will get customers playing in no time, and once they’re enjoying the casino games they’re more likely to continue to engage with the business.
How Fashion Brands Grow Their Business With Freebies
Fashion brands often offer small but generous gifts to supplement customer purchases, thereby adding brand value and upselling pre-existing items. Customers are much more likely to complete a purchase when they’re getting a little something extra for their buck.
Influencers and Social Media
Fashion brands also benefit from giving out freebies if they get into the right hands. The power of influencers should not be underestimated, and it goes without saying that any fashion brand worth its salt should have a strong and accessible online presence on social media.
Following on from that, social media can also be harnessed in conjunction with freebies to promote brand engagement — giveaways and contests offering free items often encourage users to engage with the brand’s social media accounts by liking, sharing, or tagging friends. This increased interaction not only boosts visibility but also strengthens the brand’s community, converting casual viewers into loyal customers.
Freebies are a valuable method of brand promotion in the fashion world. By investing a little in trials, samples, giveaways and contests, brands can promote engagement and foster all-important customer loyalty.
