Needless to say, freebies really help supercharge a business. Everyone loves freebies—basically, the more, the better! Besides, among the myriad of marketing strategies available, one tactic stands out for its effectiveness: freebie distribution. If you go to an event, like a trade show, and you’re handing out freebies, people will gather around to get them. Folks are all just naturally drawn to all of this.
So, offering promotional items not only fosters goodwill with potential customers but also serves as a tangible reminder of your brand long after the initial interaction. But where can you hand these out?
You can’t choose just anywhere; it has to be strategic, and wherever you’re at, it also needs to be relevant to your business and industry. Sometimes, creativity is the best way to go about it. So, with that said, here are some of the best places and events for businesses to distribute their freebies, amplifying brand awareness and leaving a lasting impression.
Industry Conferences and Trade Shows
So this one was already mentioned above, but sometimes, it’s best to list off the low-hanging fruit first because it just works! Seriously, this is going to be one of the best places to get your brand known; industry conferences and trade shows provide an ideal platform for businesses to showcase their products or services to a targeted audience of professionals and enthusiasts.
Plus, it’s easier to create a lasting impression, too, and people will most likely be more inclined to chit-chat with you too. Honestly, you can pass about just about anything you’d want, such as personalized water bottles (a major one people love getting), T-shirts, mugs, pens, highlighters, and tote bags; basically, all of these are super favorable, and it just works! So look into anything industry-focus; it’s usually going to be your best bet anyway.
Community Events and Festivals
If you’re mostly trying to serve the local community, this is hands-down the best way to do it. Both of these offer businesses the opportunity to connect with local residents and foster a sense of community engagement. Building community trust takes time, so attending community events and giving out freebies is really one of the fastest ways to do it. Plus, people will be super inclined to talk to you and learn about your company, too.
Whether it’s a street fair, cultural festival, or charity fundraiser, these gatherings attract diverse crowds eager to explore new experiences and interact with local businesses. For the most part, this is really one of the only few ways for small businesses (especially in small towns) to get known.
So you might want to try and look into setting up a booth or sponsorship activation at such events since this allows businesses to distribute freebies directly to attendees, generating buzz and positive associations with their brand. For the most part, this is pretty effortless, and this is usually more welcoming than tradeshows and conferences (when it comes to people accepting the freebies).
High-Traffic Locations
Alright, so this one is a little old school, but it can still work, especially if you’re living in a large city. So, if you live in a major city, then you could consider locations such as shopping malls, tourist attractions, transportation hubs, and college campuses, where foot traffic is consistently high and diverse.
This method isn’t used as often, mostly in major cities since that’s where more walking-friendly spaces are located for foot traffic (and the malls aren’t dead there either). It’s really up to you if you want to hand out samples, offer promotional vouchers, or host pop-up events, but in general, your business can leverage high-traffic locations to maximize brand exposure and attract new customers organically. This does work, but the location is everything!
Online and Social Media Campaigns
Alright, so this isn’t a physical location, but it still deserves some attention! If you think about it, this is a cost-effective way to reach a global audience and drive brand engagement. You might want to try hosting giveaways, contests, and even promotional campaigns on social media platforms. Plus, these usually help boost followers and engagement.
A few examples would be encouraging users to share content, tag friends, or sign up for newsletters, as well as online campaigns that create buzz and excitement around your brand. But you can also take a more simplistic approach by creating an ad—a real paid ad—and offering samples there. More brands are actually doing this, and they’re seeing results, too.
Cultural and Art Festivals
Sometimes these are local, and sometimes they aren’t so local. For example, sometimes conventions or festivals happen in a locality, but they’re not geared solely to that locality but to people across the region or nation. In general, these cultural and arts festivals celebrate diversity, creativity, and community spirit, attracting attendees from all walks of life.
So you’ll definitely have to try and do what you can to stand out. One thing that could be done would be to host interactive brand activations or immersive experiences that resonate with the festival’s theme or audience demographic. You might want to distribute promotional freebies that reflect the cultural essence of the event, such as artisanal crafts, cultural souvenirs, or themed merchandise.
It’s all going to depend on your business, of course; your business will have to be super relevant to this festival, too. But in general, this can evoke some positive emotions and make a pretty long-lasting impression.
Outdoor Recreation Areas
This is pretty old school, but it does get the job done. But it might be challenging to find where exactly you can do all of this. So a few examples would be parks, hiking trails, and beaches since these offer businesses a unique opportunity to connect with nature enthusiasts and outdoor adventurers. Usually, at major beaches, you’ll sometimes find that brands are passing out food or drinks for free, so if you’re in this sort of industry, then this could work to your benefit. Some other industries, too, could be relevant, like something connected to nature or even sunscreen.
