Product sampling initiatives have long been well-liked to encourage product testing and brand loyalty. This is true of top department stores and big-box retailers like Walmart. Free product samples are taken these days. Customers are engaged by the interactive, tactile experience, which enhances the whole purchasing experience.
The tactile character of product samples makes them a remedy to the impersonal aspect of internet shopping in the age of e-commerce. Even Amazon, the titan of generic shopping, has invested significantly in using order histories to pair customers with product previews they are likely to like. Samplrr is one such company that most brands prefer.
In this tutorial, we’ll look at how e-commerce brands may use product sampling to influence consumer behavior and purchasing decisions.
How is that product sampling indeed a successful e-commerce marketing tactic?
Customers enjoy testing out new goods, especially free product samples.
You can rely on something other than customer foot activity in stores.
It improves the post-purchase experience and is reasonably priced.
Few strategies for utilizing product samples in e-commerce
- Encouraging full-size product purchases
For the majority of brands doing product sample initiatives, this is the end result. It would help if you encouraged them to make this commitment; you cannot start sending out samples and anticipate them to buy.
One sampling company that has approached product sampling differently is Kosas. They sell individually priced samples for $3 to $5 and $35 for curated sampling sets. After that, customers can use this as credit toward any full-sized item.
In the age of free product samples, paying for samples may appear to be an unusual tactic. However, this strategy necessitates that consumers test goods with financial and emotional stakes. By providing redeeming credit, Kosa encourages clients to make longer-term purchases that are very profitable for the company.
- User-generated content (UGC)
The best user-generated content (UGC) is created by ordinary people who are enthusiastic about your business and want to share it with their followers. UGC thrives on social networks for one important reason: People trust consumer reviews of an item significantly more than the company itself. It’s crucial to remember how UGC varies from traditional influencer marketing. Only 8% of respondents believed influencer content would have the same impact as UGC, while 79% said it has a significant impact on their purchasing decisions.
You ought to give clients something intriguing to talk about to generate unique UGC content. Thanks to an ongoing sample program, your strongest supporters will always have something new to share with their community,.
- Trying new things and selling them
New product “soft releases” are an excellent technique to determine consumer acceptance and the efficacy of your current marketing approach. Luxury goods with a high price point are ideal for product sampling campaigns from sampling companies since consumers are only willing to buy them with a chance to try them first. For this reason, sampling is a frequent practice within CPG (acronym: Consumer Packaged Goods) industry.
When properly implemented, sample tactics reveal your brand to untapped target segments, especially when they come from a reliable source.
This partnership gave Glossier access to a new consumer base and a powerful e-commerce platform full of helpful reviews and product information.
- As a reward for loyalty
If the advantages are alluring enough, loyalty programs are a terrific way to encourage brand loyalty as well as repeat purchasing. Consumers are increasingly favoring experience benefits over those that are transaction-based. Yotpo reports that 29% of consumers would like that the loyalty rewards offered to go beyond just discounts and be more engaging and varied. This is especially evident among millennials, where 81% choose loyalty programs beyond just providing purchase incentives.
Samples give your customers real value by letting them try out new goods from a company they care about. This serves as a solid inducement to continue choosing your brand over competitors.
- For client testimonials
The virtual continuation of WOM (acronym: word of mouth) advertising reviews. They enable customers to research many options before making a purchase. 72% of customers read reviews before making a purchase, according to Testimonial Engine.
Therefore, it is obvious which product customers will choose whenever one of their products has no ratings while a rival has hundreds. Due to their mistrust of unproven products, new clients are exceedingly difficult to draw in.
Sampling companies offer product samples to allow customers to learn more about their goods by allowing them a chance to try them before making a purchase. You may increase traffic and brand exposure by providing complimentary product samples of your innovative products to your target market using product sampling companies.