Introduction
The pandemic has driven more people away from public spaces such as schools, offices, and grocery stores and kept them restricted to their homes under the product sampling program. But despite staying home, they still spend a lot of money on food and their pets.
Although people do not engage in in-person shopping, they indulge in online shopping, often under dry sampling. That is why it is time for brands to sync up with their audience through at-home product sampling.
Big brands are notorious for tapping into the power of the free sample to establish brand awareness and make people interested in their products under the product sampling program.
However, given the current scenario, studies suggest that people are more likely to purchase a product after receiving a free sample. It is called dry sampling.
Samplrr
Samplrr is a high-volume product sampling company offering access to millions of consumers across the country. We work with brands across all categories to ensure they get into the right hands.
Indirect sampling
- Indirect sampling is any approach that does not involve physical interaction between yourself and the customers. For instance, you could offer buyers free product samples while buying another product from your brand under the product sampling program.
- You could ensure that the store staff member hands over the free sample at checkout, or it could be a product bundle on the shelf under dry sampling.
- You may question why this in-store method is worth implementing. The primary advantage is that it adds value to the original purchase and is effortless.
- If you offer your customers more by pairing two products that you think will go well together, the effort is well worth it under dry sampling. For example, offering a complimentary sauce with a particular food item allows the buyer to try out the sauce when they cook it.
- Everyone at home can try out the free sauce being offered. But there is a drawback to this form of sampling. Also, since the buyers would naturally take the items home, a broader group of people would engage with your product under dry samples.
- The disadvantage can cause you not to attempt this method at all; there is no way to determine if the customer is using the product and what they think of it after using it under the product sampling program. Besides, there is no scope for instant feedback.
- There is no way to determine if they have used the product appropriately and whether or not the outcomes were as you expected.
Enticing purchases of full-size products
Most brands running dry sampling campaigns aim to entice full-size product purchases under dry sampling. However, you cannot send out samples and expect customers to make a purchase.
Charging for samples seems odd. But this strategy implies that customers are testing products they are emotionally and financially invested in under the product sampling program. They need to be nurtured before making this commitment.
For customer reviews
Reviews are the virtual extension of word of mouth. They enable consumers to refer to various sources before committing to a purchase. Around 72% of consumers read reviews before deciding to buy.
So, if your product has no reviews while a competitor has hundreds, the consumers choose the latter. It makes it challenging to entice new customers who are wary of untested products under dry sampling.
Efforts are made towards eliciting reviews from those who are buying full-size products. But a widespread product sampling campaign effectively boosts customer reviews quickly for core products under the products sampling program. You can maximize this effort by offering customers a discount for a review.
For user-generated content
User-generated content is different from traditional influencer marketing. User-generated content finds a home on social media. It is because people trust what fellow customers recommend or don’t do far more than the brand itself under dry sampling.
The best content comes from regular people passionately obsessed with your brand who want to share their experience with their followers.
To inspire better user-generated content, you need to offer your customers something to make noise about. An ongoing sampling campaign ensures that your fans always have something fresh to discuss with your targeted community under the product sampling program.
Encouraging product trials
Soft launches of new products are an exciting way to assess customer reception and test your marketing strategy’s effectiveness.
Product sampling campaigns are more appropriate for expensive luxury products, as customers are likely to buy after trying them. It is why sampling is widespread within the Consumer Packaged Goods segment.
As a loyalty benefit
Loyalty programs foster brand loyalty and facilitate repeat purchasing behaviors under the product sampling program. But this holds only if the benefits are lucrative enough.
As per Yotpo, 29% of consumers wish loyalty rewards were more exciting and diverse than discounts. There is a growing preference for experiential rather than just transaction-based perks under dry sampling.
