It’s quite hard to come up with something new in terms of marketing these days. It’s not just that everything has been tried before; it’s that everything has been done to death already. As a result, most people are tired of the same old marketing strategies. There is one tactic, however, that people will always love: Social media giveaways.

Informative articles that show expertise and colorful infographics are pleasing to the senses, but giveaways operate on a more primal human instinct: Our love for free stuff.

If you’re looking for a way to boost brand awareness and grow your business, do a social media giveaway. Here’s why:

The Advantages of Creating a Social Media Giveaway

At first glance, you’d think that giving things away for free would lead to a monetary loss, right? Well, you’d be wrong. A well-planned giveaway will actually make more money. The results might not be direct, but here are the effects it creates:

You Get More Traffic and Engagement

On social media, a giveaway usually involves participants liking your page and sharing it. The benefit is clear: Everyone who participates gets you more exposure. Their friends learn about you, they sign up, and the cycle repeats. That’s how you get traffic.

There’s something about giveaways that makes businesses seem more human, as well. You get the chance to act more casual and to show that you care about your audience. In turn, they will ask you questions and leave comments about the social media giveaway.

That’s how conversations start. And going from there, who knows? You might get a new lead, client or even partner.

Lastly, there’s the “word of mouth” effect. Who doesn’t talk about receiving free gifts? We even brag about getting something for 10% off! Even though we’re in the digital age, don’t underestimate the power of “word of mouth” marketing.

You Decide the Budget and There Are No Hidden Fees

Tweeting about your giveaway and picking a winner is completely free. The only things you might have to buy are the prizes themselves. That being said, you can always offer content as a prize. Not everything has to be iPhones and laptops.

A word of warning, though: If you create the prizes yourself, put your heart into it. The people actually have to want the gifts. Otherwise, the giveaway won’t have much of an effect.

You may also decide to invest in promoting the giveaway. Think about creating a landing page or setting up ads on the channel you’ll use for the event.

All in all, you can create a killer giveaway without spending a penny. The only real requirement is the effort.

You Create Demand for Your Products

You should always make your products and services part of the giveaway. The most straightforward way of doing this is to offer them as prizes. Of course, you can add other things as well.

After you announce the social media giveaway, this will be your audience’s train of thought:

1. Oh, look at these prizes. They seem worth checking out.
2. Man, these products are awesome. Sign me right up! Those prizes are as good as mine.
3. Wow, there are 300 other participants in the giveaway. The chance of me winning is pretty slim.
4. Now I really want this stuff! You know what? If I don’t win, I’ll just buy it instead.

Of course, there are also the people who win. They won’t have to buy your products, but you can count on them to become brand ambassadors after the event.

OK, so, all this sounds awesome, but you need a well-planned giveaway to enjoy all these benefits. Don’t worry; it’s not terribly complicated.

Learn How to Organize a Successful Social Media Giveaway in part two.