Using free stuff
to build your brand
without going
broke
Max Knoblauch
If you’ve attended a conference, sponsored mixer or
networking event lately, you’ve likely gone home satisfied,
pockets overflowing with your newfound free swag. From the
standard (pens, t-shirts and tote bags) to the more lavish
(slightly nicer pens, coffee mugs and phone cases), freebies
seem to be a requirement for startups these days.
For many bootstrapped businesses, liberal giveaways could
be the icing on the cake of financial downfall. If your freebies
aren’t part of a productive marketing investment, you’re
probably doing it wrong.
We spoke to a few experts and businesses to get an idea how
startups should change the way they look at freebies.