FREE! Now Do I Have Your Attention?

Want to attract attention?  The solution is simple... give it away for FREE.  I'm not suggesting that it is good business to give away all of your inventory and not drive any revenue, but I can confidently say that the easiest way to drive traffic and grow your awareness is to offer it up gratis.

The perennial BOGO (Buy One Get One) is a proven strategy to move product.  It's been a staple of retailers since the first caveman gave away one rock if you bought a second.  Sure, you cut your profit in half (or more) but you serve to get the product or service in your customers' hands.  It's not a long-term strategy for success but it can definitely boost sales and invigorate traffic for a short blast.  Significant discounting is a great loss-liter approach if you want to then up-sell other brands or showcase your scope of offers.  It attracts customers and no one ever refuses FREE.

There are many studies that suggest the Groupon model isn't successful and there are those who say they have had an uptick in traffic when offering an extreme discount only to have the traffic evaporate once the deal expires.  Like everything in business, there is no surefire method to be successful but try doing a BOGO or FREE sample and see if you don't increase the amount of chatter about your brand.

Now, I'll put my money where my mouth is.  Or, with FREE... where my money ISN'T!  To incorporate several principles of The Surfer's Guide To Marketing including the need to provide rewards and incentives for your social followers, we will incorporate FREE BOOK FRIDAYS!  Simply "share" The Surfer's Guide To Marketing Facebook page on your own page and you are entered for a chance to win a FREE book!  Simple as that.  Let's see if it works.