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<\/a><\/p>\nI wrote all the copy in a Word doc and tossed it out to my audience. Within a few hours, I had a few hundred new subscribers on my email list. Seeing people jump onto my list in exchange for the value I was offering was an exhilarating feeling. After that, I was hooked.<\/p>\n
Over the years I\u2019ve made dozens of freebies to help me grow my email list and in the process, I\u2019ve learned what makes a freebie generate leads successfully.<\/p>\n
Table of Contents<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n Freebie marketing is a strategy where businesses offer a product or service at no cost in exchange for a customer action. Freebies can be digital or physical and the most common customer actions include signing up for an email or text list, engaging on social media, or downloading an app. Freebie marketing has the power to increase a brand\u2019s perceived value, customer loyalty, and leads.<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n In most purchasing decisions, customers perform a mental cost-benefit analysis to determine whether a purchase is worth the cost and risk.<\/p>\n With freebies, however, an interesting phenomenon takes place. Psychologists have found<\/a> that labeling an item as \u201cfree\u201d skews the traditional cost-benefit analysis. It boosts a product\u2019s perceived value, sometimes even above a higher-quality paid item. This phenomenon, known as the \u201czero price effect,\u201d activates an emotional response in our brains. To me, it feels like a dopamine hit. A freebie can:<\/p>\n Now, will freebie marketing work at converting your new leads into paid sales? That depends on how well you\u2019ve aligned your freebie with your audience \u2014 and what you do after the offer.<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n There are hundreds of types of freebies. The wrong one could seem off-brand or attract the wrong audience. The right one, however, can boost your visibility and give long-time lurkers the nudge they need to take action.<\/p>\n First, take a look at the wide range of freebies businesses use to attract customers \u2014 some of these are better for B2B, while others for B2C.<\/p>\n With all these choices, here\u2019s how to know which will work best for your business.<\/p>\n First, I always ask, what\u2019s the number-one thing my audience is struggling with right now?<\/p>\n Freebies should feel like a shortcut to solving that. For instance, a lot of small ecommerce businesses struggle with choosing the right tech stack and overcoming platform limitations. So, I might want to consider creating an \u201cEcommerce Tech Stack Cheat Sheet\u201d with a list of free and affordable tools and the best third-party apps for each of the major ecommerce platforms.<\/p>\n Second, the best freebie ideas are the ones you don\u2019t have to reach for.<\/p>\n Think about checklists, swipe files, or tools you’ve already created for clients or internal use. What are the topics you could get on a soapbox and talk about for 30 minutes without warning? One of my best-performing lead magnets came from a slide deck I almost deleted.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re a service-based business, you don\u2019t want to give your entire<\/em> proprietary framework away, but you can offer a pared-down preview of what you do for clients. Consultants and service businesses often don\u2019t share enough of their process with prospects, but this gives just enough of a sneak peek for potential customers to feel comfortable hiring you.<\/p>\n Next, consider the format for your freebie. If you\u2019re offering a consumer product for a giveaway or BOGO offer, choose something low-cost and high-inventory that will work across sizes and genders.<\/p>\n On the B2B side, consider what format your audience is most likely to respond to. Should it be long-form or short? Interactive or static? Text or multimedia? Here are a few formats that have worked well for me:<\/p>\n To test if you\u2019ve found the right freebie, start small. Launch a free offer or A\/B test multiple offers, track your conversion rates, and tweak the offer or format based on how people respond.<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n Here are six examples of how brands have used freebie marketing to reach their goals.<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n At HubSpot, we love a good freebie. And we\u2019ve learned that you love it too. Most marketing, sales, and service pros didn\u2019t major in the field we end up working in \u2014 our work changes fast and we figure everything out as we go. For that reason, free knowledge templates are worth their weight in gold.<\/p>\n We\u2019ve built a library of 116 (and counting!) free business templates<\/a> powered by HubSpot tools to help knowledge workers win at work every day. One popular one is our free marketing plan template<\/a>, a Google Doc that marketers can simply copy and complete.<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n The template comes with fill-in-the-blank example copy to make planning quick and easy, with tips for completing each section. Other templates include a social media content calendar<\/a>, a sales plan template<\/a>, and a coding template<\/a>.<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Most resource-strapped small business owners know that AI can save them time, but they don\u2019t have the skills to get started.<\/p>\n Enter Google: In partnership with America’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC), they started offering free AI training<\/a> to small business owners. They offer a one-hour workshop, two 10-hour courses, and an AI course for educators.<\/p>\n This is a smart move for Google since small business owners make up a large proportion of their Workspace and Ads customer base. The more skilled they are, the less customer support they\u2019ll need and the more they\u2019ll use Google\u2019s products.<\/p>\n And, of course, it\u2019s beneficial to help business owners learn and grow.<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n When I picked my daughter and her friend up from school the other day, they begged me to drive them over to Dairy Queen for free cone day. So, eyeing the opportunity to be the hero, I drove them to the nearest DQ. While we only saved about $6, everyone was happy and the win felt much bigger.<\/p>\n One year in a tongue-in-cheek \u201cstudy,\u201d<\/a> DQ found that a free cone made 92% of people happy, increased in-store traffic by 10%, and drove in-store sales by 12%.<\/p>\n Wendy\u2019s has another twist on this promotion \u2014 instead of offering Frosties just one day a year, they sell a $3, limited-release keyring<\/a> allowing customers to claim a free cone all year.<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Travel brand Pixory knows how to do a giveaway right. This classic social media giveaway offered the chance to win 11 different products including plane tickets to NYC, a 5-star hotel stay, Sax gift cards, new luggage, and other luxury items for the winner and a friend.<\/p>\n To enter, participants simply needed to follow their account, then like, tag, and share the post. The Instagram giveaway boosted engagement and visibility for the brand, earning 32,612 likes.<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n The only thing better than a freebie? Repeated freebies. Several years ago, I was delighted when my MyPanera rewards account offered me a free coffee every day for a month. You can bet that I was there before work most days that month and bought quite a few pastries too.<\/p>\n Today, that offer still exists in the form of Panera\u2019s Unlimited Sip Club membership. While the membership costs a monthly fee, you can get started with a generous two months free before paying anything. That means that for two months after signing up, you can claim a free hot or cold beverage every two hours with unlimited refills.<\/p>\n Panera, like many other brands, has learned that a freebie can bring people in the door for larger purchases and build habits that will be hard to break once the trial period ends.<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Want to build your email list? When I want to tackle something new, there\u2019s nothing more valuable than insider knowledge from someone who\u2019s been there, done that. In the case of email marketing, that\u2019s HubSpot Creator Jenna Kutcher<\/a>.<\/p>\n Kutcher\u2019s List to Launch Lab is a step-by-step blueprint for growing an email list, packed with core strategies, email copy templates, and plug-and-play guides for creating lead magnets.<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Her genius offer taps into free educational content as a lead magnet, creating value upfront to build trust and increase the likelihood of future purchases.<\/p>\n By offering valuable content like step-by-step guidance for email marketing for free, it attracts and nurtures a specific target audience who are trying to do the same thing and can later convert into paying customers.<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n There\u2019s much more that goes into a successful freebie marketing campaign than the freebie itself. If I were starting from scratch again, here\u2019s the strategy I\u2019d follow:<\/p>\n First, determine what goal you\u2019re trying to accomplish. Is it email signups? App downloads? New social followers, or demo requests? Make sure your freebie maps directly to that outcome.<\/p>\n Remember that perceived<\/em> value matters. Make it feel premium \u2014 even if it only took you an hour to make. Try to offer a case study, data, or some juicy insider knowledge that isn\u2019t already available on the internet.<\/p>\n Then, write an offer that speaks to your audience\u2019s pain points (Remember: solve their problems and make their lives simple!) and reflects your unique voice. A focus for my brand is that all my offers truly feel like they\u2019re coming from me, because they are!<\/p>\n Next, create a mobile-friendly, SEO-optimized landing page with a clear CTA.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s the very specific, very actionable CTA that Kutching uses for her course. You\u2019ll find \u201cEnroll Now\u201d and \u201cGet started for just $79\u201d on the landing page as well, but this one is the most compelling.<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Pro tip:<\/strong>\u00a0Use HubSpot\u2019s free landing page builder<\/a> to create a mobile-friendly, SEO-optimized page for your freebie campaign with a clear CTA. You can even generate a first draft with Content Agent<\/a>.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s the most important key to success with freebie marketing: you need to set up a workflow for what happens after<\/em> someone claims your freebie.<\/p>\n For example, connect your freebie to a follow-up email sequence welcoming the prospect and sending them relevant content or another offer to bring them in-store or connect with you for a consultation. You can add them to retargeting ad campaigns to remind them to use the freebie or upgrade to paid products or services.<\/p>\n This doesn\u2019t need to take manual work. Instead, use a CRM with automation to create multiple touchpoints with the prospect. Reach them with website pop-ups or follow-up emails to nudge them to the next step in the journey.<\/p>\n\n
\n
What is freebie marketing?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Does a freebie marketing strategy work?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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![\"marketing](\"http:\/\/www.dietdebunker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/freebie-marketing-2-20250625-4243007.webp\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\nHow to Choose the Right Freebies to Give Away<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Freebie Marketing Ideas<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n
1. Know your audience.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
2. Leverage what you already know.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
3. Pick the right format.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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4. Test and iterate.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Freebie Marketing Examples<\/strong><\/h2>\n
1. <\/strong>HubSpot Marketing Plan Templates<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"freebie](\"http:\/\/www.dietdebunker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/freebie-marketing-3-20250625-9052264.webp\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"freebie](\"http:\/\/www.dietdebunker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/freebie-marketing-4-20250625-6573314.webp\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\n2. Grow with Google AI Training<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"freebie](\"http:\/\/www.dietdebunker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/freebie-marketing-5-20250625-3581761.webp\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\n3. <\/strong>Dairy Queen\u2019s Free Cone Day<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"freebie](\"http:\/\/www.dietdebunker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/freebie-marketing-6-20250625-6573745.webp\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\n4. <\/strong>Pixory<\/a><\/strong> Product Giveaway<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"freebie](\"http:\/\/www.dietdebunker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/freebie-marketing-7-20250625-1553616.webp\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\n5. <\/strong>Panera\u2019s Unlimited Sip Club Free Trial<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"freebie](\"http:\/\/www.dietdebunker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/freebie-marketing-8-20250625-2901024.webp\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\n6. <\/strong>Jenna Kutcher’s List to Launch Course<\/a><\/h3>\n
![\"freebie](\"http:\/\/www.dietdebunker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/freebie-marketing-9-20250625-6355645.webp\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\n![\"freebie](\"http:\/\/www.dietdebunker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/freebie-marketing-10-20250625-8896148.webp\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\nFreebie Marketing Strategy: How to Run a Successful Freebie Campaign<\/strong><\/h2>\n
1. Define your goal.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
2. Create a high-value freebie and offer.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
3. Build a dedicated landing page.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"freebie](\"http:\/\/www.dietdebunker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/freebie-marketing-11-20250625-4876144.webp\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\n4. Promote and distribute it with automation.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"freebie](\"http:\/\/www.dietdebunker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/freebie-marketing-12-20250625-5454376.webp\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\n
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