Online giveaways have become such a popular thing globally. Whenever you browse through social media it is not surprising to come across online giveaways. In Zimbabwe online giveaways have also become a common feature of social media. I have benefited a lot from online giveaways. In 2021 alone, the total worth of stuff I got from online giveaways was over US$650. It is staggering I know but it goes to show you how common online giveaways have become. When brands do giveaways there is always a catch – a pursuit to increase sales. Do online giveaways increase sales though?

Effective For Engagement And Creating Brand Awareness

Giveaways are usually tailored around fostering engagement on online platforms. You will notice that eligibility criteria for giveaways usually entail an engagement activity. For example, a common one is requiring interested people to like a page, comment, share, and tag friends. There are several variations with at times a requirement is getting the highest number of likes. There is an infinite number of ways this can be done – be as creative as possible.

This drives up engagement on your platforms in a short space of time. The more alluring the giveaways the faster engagement will grow. This engagement in turn increases your brand awareness as well. Often time I have gotten to know about online giveaways because someone tagged me. More than half the times a brand is discovered online is through social media – a key stat to bear in mind. Thus the whole framework kills two birds with one stone i.e. increasing engagement and brand awareness (or discoverability). This can be sustained even after a giveaway is done as people will anticipate other giveaways.

I have also noticed, from experience, that if you win you tend to do unsolicited word of mouth marketing for the brand. One of the brands I have gotten several giveaways from is Infinix Mobile Zimbabwe. By winning several times it primed me to recommend the brand to those in my social circle. Even posting about my wins got certain people interested in the brand. Thus another angle is that of the winners; they are instrumental in fostering referrals.

It is a creative way of building a brand’s social media platforms. Increased brand awareness increases the chances of sales. This can be assured so if you find a way to incorporate purchasing part of the eligibility criteria. For example, I recall a particular online giveaway where people had to send copies of purchase receipts to be eligible. So, looking at these dynamics yes, online giveaways can increase sales.

A Means To Have A Contact List Of Prospective Customers

Online giveaways can be done in many ways; it is up to how creative you are as a brand. One of the common strategies though is to encourage participants to share contact details. This is usually in the form of email addresses and phone numbers. This is a smart move in that it creates the building blocks for continuous engagement. You can use the contact details to create email lists which are essential for email marketing.

I once did an article on email marketing; it would be wise to check it out. You can also explore the idea of producing a regular newsletter e.g. monthly. Such a newsletter is pivotal in driving sales and customer loyalty. Those same contact details you would have gotten from online giveaways will be useful in propagating the newsletter. May I remind you that emails have by far the highest engagement rates; way higher than social media.

Conclusively It Is A YES

Yes, online giveaways drive up sales. It is apparent from some of the details we have discussed in this article. Studies have also shown that, on average, for every 10 people reached during an online giveaway, 4 end up making a purchase later on. These are good prospects especially given that online giveaways can be inexpensive. Stuff as simple and low-cost as branded items (e.g. juice bottles or t-shirts), can be used. Yet the returns on that can be a long haul host of loyal customers doing repeat purchases. People are inherently eager to get freebies or goodies and online giveaways thrive on that.

In 2022, I recommend that you explore doing online giveaways if you have not before. There are so many examples to learn from online. Just browse on social media and you will see how others are doing it. Even big brands like Econet, NetOne, and supermarkets, amongst others, do online giveaways. It is high time you get involved too.