AMiable Solution #160: What’s Your Candy?

Halloween.  For kids everywhere, that single word conjures up images of fun-sized and, if you’re lucky, full-sized bags of chocolatey and sugary goodness.

Unfortunately, not all distributed candy sends little hearts a-racing.  Some candy is better left at the store.  The same is true for marketing giveaways.  Just because you’re giving it away for free doesn’t mean that your recipients will be thrilled to get it.  Here are two key tips to creating handouts that clients and prospects will rejoice about.

Tip #1: It’s not the thought but the end result that counts.

Ask any group of adolescent trick-or treaters if all candy is created equal, and they’ll show you the duds that they’ll eat only after everything else is gone.  Kids love candy, but not all candy has equal appeal. 

The same is true with giveaways.  Just because you’re giving something to someone for free doesn’t guarantee he/she will use it.  If you’re going to go through the effort and expense of creating a giveaway, make it something that people actually want, use, and will keep for years to come, not something they’ll look at once and throw away.  After all, the point of a giveaway is to create a connection with someone and inspire future communication, where it’s for a sale, service call, donation, or membership.  Handing someone a cheaply made or unattractive “gift” will not only land your freebie in the trash, but it might land your market’s opinion of your organization there, too.

Tip #2: If it doesn’t fit, you must quit.

Giveaways, by their nature, are sales tools.  Handy little gadgets that help your clients or prospects while reminding them of your existence and your services.  If your freebie doesn’t promote not only your organization’s name and contact information but also your main message and image, then you’re missing the point of a giveaway as well as numerous opportunities to create or reinforce brand awareness. 

Unlike the lowly hard candies that are left in the bottom of the trick-or-treat bag for weeks or the king-sized peanut butter cup that’s joyously but all-too-quickly devoured , successful marketing giveaways provide joy and satisfaction both now and in the future.  By planning ahead and designing well, you’ll not only create a legitimate freebie that people will want and use, but you’ll also create an appetite for learning more about your organization, and there’s nothing distasteful about that.