Reasons Why Companies Give Away Free Samples to Consumers - By Connee Blamer

Question: just why do companies give away all those free samples? Answer: it's all about marketing their products to potential customers. And ever since the popularity and wide use of the Internet, free samples are more available than ever. Let's look in more detail at some of the objectives that companies are looking to obtain by offering free samples.
Free samples increase their customer base. Many companies realize that in giving away free samples they will ultimately increase their customer base. The thinking goes that when a customer tries a product for free they may very well like it so much that they look to purchase the full sized product for many years to come.
Free samples encourage brand uncertainty. Companies are trying to get customers to switch from their regular brands to the brand that is being offered as a free sample. The objective in this case is to get you to start using, and paying for, their product on an ordinary basis and to stop using your previous regular product.
Free samples build brand awareness. This type of promotion is often designed to promote a new product line or service that people have never tried before. Also, awareness of a new product, or even a well established product, is likely to increase for the duration of the free sample giveaway. Companies find that in the long run this is actually an economical way of advertising their product and that loyalty will be boosted as people who have received the free product are appreciative and therefore more likely to continue using the product in the future.
Free samples allow companies to collect data on customers. An added advantage for the company to giving away free sample merchandise is the facts and figures they gather on prospective customers when they send out the free samples. Be aware that your personal information may be added to their database when you sign up for freebies. It is possible that they may send you additional promotional materials based on your free sample preferences.
In summary, by giving away free samples, free stuff and freebies companies are aiming to market their products. If it's a new product, then the free sample giveaway is actually in a pre-market stage but it plays a key role in the success of universal commercialization of the product. This marketing solution has many benefits in contrast to other promotions. Since the sample is completely free, it significantly diminishes the companies marketing expenditures. Further, it is effective because free samples introduce the product directly to consumers who may eventually decide to buy the product on a regular basis.
People are eager to get free samples and freebies. They basically do not want to pay for everything. They want to get products and taste them, try them, use them, etc. It gives them great satisfaction when they are able to taste, try or use the item when it is available as a free sample.

My We Luv Free Stuff blog is full of links to free stuff to be found on the internet. The best part is - it's like one stop shopping for all things free. Check it out here: We Luv Free Stuff

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Connee_Blamer

Why Should You Pay When You Can Get Free Stuff? By Jessica N King

It feels nice when you get some free products once in a while. Who wants to pay lots of valuable money for clothes, shoes, fashion accessories and baby products when you can actually get them for free? Yes, there are lots of freebies available on the internet. There are many websites which offer their products for free as a preliminary offer or when they have launched a new product and want their customers to get familiar with it.
If you are interested in getting free stuff like makeup, baby care products, clothes and even laptops or other computer hardware, then the best place to start looking for them are the free giveaway websites. These websites basically promote the products of various companies and they have fun and innovative contests and draws whereby a surfer can win lots of free stuff.
There are some other companies which give away their products for free so that customers can try them out. The best way to look for such offers for free products is to check the websites of such companies or if you have been their customer for a longtime then you will get notification of such free giveaways. Sometimes it so happens that a company has just ventured into a new line or products and they deem fit to give away free samples of their new product with purchases of their old product.
Free giveaways are found everywhere and if you are interested in getting them then you just need to know where to look for them. Advertisement banners of auction sites like eBay or Amazon will also give you an insight into which websites are giving away free products and for how long the offer will go on.

More information is available on freestuff.me. They offer information on coupons for free stuff, including how to give your free stuff away.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5768444

Free Stuff on the Web --By JL Scott

At the risk of being drawn and quartered, I'm going to say - once again - the erroneous idea that everything should be "free" on the Internet has done more to pull down levels of online professionalism than any other single idea. It has also done more to harm online commerce than any other single idea.
I could send you to a bazillion web sites to prove my point but I'll settle for one. YOURS. If you are an online business owner - you're selling something. You probably have a "sales letter." You've been taught that the only way to get people to buy your product/service is to give away the farm for that $20 sale. You've been taught that you'll never have a successful online business if you don't deliver the moon. You'll go broke!
And online customers have been spoiled rotten by this. They actually believe now that if they spend $20 with you, they should receive $2,000 worth of free stuff! They expect it! They demand it! What is wrong with this picture?
Remember the last time you visited a department store? Did they have anyone standing around offering you a whole aisle of free stuff if you would buy just one $20 product? Did every product have a price tag that promised to GIVE you 14 other products if you would just PLEASE buy this one?
I'm not talking about the cosmetic companies who offer you a whole bag of goodies at half price if you'll buy one $40 product. That isn't free. That's a back-end sale and it isn't worth any more than the "half price" they offer.
I mean FREE! Come on - we all know that the only thing you'll get free at an off-line establishment is a smile when you walk through the door of Wal-Mart. They pay people to stand at the door and give away a "Hello" and a smile! FREE! And it works! But products? Not likely! Think they're going broke? So why should it be any different for an online business?
Okay - I know you're not going to take the free stuff out of your sales letters. But maybe we could use a little reason here. Maybe we could just be a bit more realistic.
Is that piece of software you're giving away REALLY worth $499? Who ever paid that much for it? Has anyone ever actually paid you $1,000 for that 60 minute consultation you're offering for free? And that free eBook. It's really worth WHAT? The time it took you to download it? When's the last time you read ANY book that contained "thousands of dollars worth of information" you couldn't get somewhere else for next to nothing?
Of course, at the grocery store, you MIGHT get a free loaf of bread if you buy their lunch meat. That's IF you buy six packages of lunch meat. But they don't try to tell you that the 99 CENT loaf of bread is worth 99 DOLLARS. For six packages of lunch meat, you probably deserve a loaf of bread. But do you deserve a whole new kitchen?
When I see a sales letter with inflated prices for the free stuff - I lose all respect for the merchant immediately. Who really believes that you are going to give away thousands - or even hundreds - of dollars worth of free stuff for that lousy $20 sale? Not me!
If you know who Andy Rooney is - try this. Read your sales letter and pretend he's the one reading it. What do you think you would hear on "60 Minutes" next week? I don't know about you - but that scares me!
I only WISH I had the whole answer. All I can say is that we've turned into a community of enormous greed. The consumer demands everything for nothing - and the merchant promises everything when it is, in fact, very little. So why are we surprised at the amount of theft - scams - libel - and illegal activity on the Internet?!

Dr. JL Scott is the Founder of the International Council of Online Professionals (iCop) and also the publisher of the Online Business Trade Journal - the ezine that keeps you up to date with online business coming of age. For your FREE subscription: http://www.i-cop.org/trade-journal.htm.

Getting Free Stuff - How Freebies Work -- By Timothy Alan

If there is one thing that we enjoy it is getting something for free. I've seen people get excited about getting useless junk without having to pay for it. Yes in the land of the free we surely love getting stuff for free. Game shows are built around these premises. Win cars, home or cash without having to pay for it. We aspire to be apart of such action. If we can't we spend time in front of the television watching other people getting free stuff.
There are several factors though that has made free things available to the masses. First is the fact that free is so powerful. When it comes to marketing the most important word is free. It drives people to its source. Because of this companies look to capitalize on the opportunity. If they give a product of their own away for free they attract attention.
Other companies use free stuff to their advantage. Take for instance the vacation industry. You can take free vacations, get free park attraction tickets or even get paid to vacation. The reason is so that they can give you their 2-4 hour sales pitch. Be assured it will come. They use this tactic every day. Why? It works for them.
So when it comes to free stuff the fact of the matter is everyone comes out a winner. As the consumer we end up with something that we didn't have to pay for. Companies benefit because by craftily giving something away for free they end up benefiting their bottom line.

This Freebies Service is one that I use to get Free Stuff from :

What To Look For When Getting Free Stuff Online -- Ross Gordon

There is tons of great free stuff all over the internet. But there are also many freebies to be wary of. But how do you know if you are getting a legit freebie or not? Here are some things to look for when getting freebies online.
Cost associated with free stuff
Is there a cost involved? If you are getting something for free online then it should be free. If you have to pay than be weary. The only exception to this rule is that sometimes free stuff online will have a small shipping fee associated with it. In my opinion it is only worth it to pay a shipping fee if it is significantly less then the value of the freebie. I would never pay a $5.00 shipping fee for a free sample of shampoo or anything like that. But I would consider paying a shipping fee on a freebie like free 250 customized business cards, b/c if shipping is a few bucks it is still well worth it.
Signing up with personal information for free stuff
Almost all online freebies will require you to give your email and a shipping address. You should not worry about this as your address is needed to ship the freebie to you. And I recommend creating a special email address for freebies so you don't flood your normal email with junk mail. But be sure you don't give out any other personal info like credit card numbers etc.
Free trials
Many companies offer some really good free trials that are worth getting. But when signing up for free trials you have to make sure to cancel before the billing period starts, otherwise you may be charged. Make sure you make a note in your calendar for a few days before the trial period ends to make sure you cancel your trial offer. And you may end up liking the product or service in which case you might want to buy or subscribe to it. Just make sure that the free trial you sign up for is from a legitimate company. Do a Google search first.
Referral program freebies
There are many referral based marketing programs in which you can win free game systems, mp3 players, and other cool electronics. But in order to win them you have to complete a number of offers or refer a number of people. Some of these programs have good reputations, like Transcendent Innovations, who does free xbox 360's, free Ipods, Free PS3's and much more. But there are also a lot of frauds out there. Always do some research on the company before you sign up for anything. Also, be aware that these companies have strict Terms and Conditions and will not hesitate to deactivate you for even the slightest violation (even if you did not know it was a violation). I know from experience.
Free paying surveys
There are a lot of great free paying surveys out there where you can get real cash or gifts. There are even companies that you can sign up to and regularly do surveys for money. Again, do research before you sign up to any of these companies. And never sign up to a company that requires you to pay to be a member. There are companies that do this for free.
Free vacation packages
A lot of companies offer free vacation packages or other freebies that just seem too good to be true. That's because they are. Stay away from any freebie that seems too good. There is almost always a catch involved. For example, last week I was offered a free 2 night vacation with paid airfare. I asked the lady who called me a number of times if there was any catch or if I had to make any payments down the road. She said no and assured me it was a free vacation package. All i had to do was come to them and pick up my free tickets and listen to an hour pitch from some company. But I was still a bit skeptical so I googled the company's name who called me with the offer. Sure enough I found what I needed. Turns out the offer is a free vacation, but they don't give you it for two consecutive nights, and they book you at a crummy discount hotel of their choice. Plus they try to sell you all this stuff you don't want or need. Bottom line: stay away from anything that looks shady
Now that you have some information on what to look for when getting freebies, you can hit the net and start searching for free stuff. Good luck!

Ross Gordon is a freebie expert who finds great freebies, coupons, and deals and posts them to his blog for everyone to enjoy. You can see the best freebies at Free Stuff Finder

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