| I know it sounds crazy to give away your best | | | | expensive bottles at a discounted rate. Typically, I |
| stuff for free, but it is quite possibly one of the | | | | would choose a bottle that costs $20 or less but |
| best marketing techniques you have in your | | | | this past Saturday I bought a bottle of wine for |
| arsenal. | | | | $51. Why did I buy a more expensive bottle of |
| Now, this marketing technique isn't recommended | | | | wine than usual? Because the wine shop gave me |
| for all products and services. For example, you | | | | a free sample of it and I thought it was |
| can't give away houses all the time or airplanes. | | | | phenomenal wine. If I wasn't given the free |
| This method of giving away your best stuff for | | | | sample of this wine, I would have never bought it. |
| free is often used in content marketing. For | | | | That's the power of giving away your best stuff |
| example, look at a website like ESPN. Most of its | | | | for free. |
| content and best stuff is for free. Then, you | | | | In today's economy where customers are holding |
| have ESPN Insider - ESPN's premium content | | | | onto their wallet tighter, it is important to find |
| service. With the free ESPN, you may get thirty | | | | ways to attract them to your product and |
| or more articles a day while with ESPN Insider | | | | services. One of the best ways to do this is to |
| you may only get two to four. | | | | give away your best stuff for free. By attracting |
| So if ESPN is giving away their best stuff for | | | | more customers by offering something for free, |
| free, why do people still buy ESPN Insider? | | | | you gain the opportunity of building customer |
| Its simple - all the free stuff ESPN offers builds | | | | loyalty, brand credibility, and a larger customer |
| customer loyalty and brand credibility. That loyalty | | | | database. The information you can gain from |
| and credibility makes a customer feel more | | | | these free offers such as a free newsletter can |
| comfortable with purchasing additional services | | | | help you build a list of customers to market in the |
| such as ESPN Insider. | | | | future. Besides, re-marketing your existing |
| This technique isn't just effective for content | | | | customers (whether they are from free services |
| marketing though, it is also effective in other | | | | or not) usually costs five times less than acquiring |
| forms of marketing. The other day I went to my | | | | a new one. |
| favorite wine shop. This wine shop every | | | | Again, please note that this technique isn't for |
| Saturday has a free wine tasting. Usually, the | | | | every product or service but if you find a way to |
| tasting features some of the store's more | | | | integrate it, you will truly reap the rewards. |