How natural retailers can gain value from giveaways

Sales and special offers are classic attention-grabbers on social media for all retail businesses. But are you gaining value for your store or just giving it all away? Follow these three tips to get as much as you give.

Award quality over quantity. There’s no doubt that prolific social media posters—those who “like” every post—catch your attention more than fans who might comment only once. However, don’t be fooled by who’s actually “more engaged.” On Facebook, a “like” is easy to ask of your fans, but it’s not worth much to your business in the long run. Instead of asking people to “like” a post to win, ask fans a specific question such as, “What are your three favorite brands that we carry?” That way you gain helpful information and customer loyalty.

Send surprises. If you have an e-commerce store that captures shopper information, you can easily reward your customers with a surprise. Occasions include a bonus with their first purchase (try free samples!) or a birthday coupon. If you don’t have mailing addresses, collect shopper emails through a monthly newsletter sign-up. Let customers know that every month you’ll choose someone at random to win a $25 gift card (or similar prize) to your store. This is a great incentive for shoppers to opt-in (and stay opted-in) to your e-letter, a powerful marketing and sales tool.

Make incentives time-sensitive. Creating a sense of urgency to turn product is something you know all too well. It’s why you put effort into sale prices and special offers. Do the same on your social media platforms. Have a sale in store? Announce it on social media. An in-store flyer? Send a PDF or graphic out in your e-letter. Countdowns for seasonal produce or specialty items work well when posted as graphics on social media. For example, are pumpkins soon to go out-of-season? Ensure shoppers stock up before they’re all gone with a countdown to Halloween.