New Update: Boost Social Proof with Reviews & Automation
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New Update: Boost Social Proof with Reviews & Automation
Stacey Corrin
Stacey Corrin
John Turner
John Turner
Giveaways can get expensive fast. I’ve been there, wanting to grow my audience but not exactly thrilled about spending hundreds on prizes or shipping. But some of my best-performing giveaways were also the cheapest ones.
Things like digital downloads, shoutouts, or $10 gift cards brought in more entries than I expected. What mattered wasn’t the price. It was the idea behind it and how easy I made it for people to join.
In this post, I’ll share my favorite low cost giveaway ideas that actually brought results. They’re simple, creative, and perfect if you’re trying to grow your email list, get more traffic, or boost engagement without breaking the bank.
What You’ll Find in This Guide
Here are 12 low cost giveaway ideas you can try today:
But before we get into the ideas, let’s talk about why small giveaways can actually work better than big ones.
In my experience, smaller, low cost giveaways often outperform big-budget ones. Even a $20 prize can bring in tons of signups and traffic.
In fact, giveaways have a conversion rate of nearly 34%, which is higher than other types of content.
Smaller giveaways are easier to run more often. That means more chances to connect with your audience and keep your brand top of mind. You don’t have to wait for a big launch or sale. You can run something quick and fun any time.
Budget-friendly prizes also feel more personal. A free consultation, a curated bundle, or a handmade item says more about your brand than a generic iPad giveaway. That kind of prize attracts people who are genuinely interested in what you offer.
They’re also great for testing. If you’re trying out a new lead magnet or idea, a small giveaway is an easy way to see what works.
And if you’re using a WordPress giveaway plugin like RafflePress, the whole thing only takes a few minutes to set up. No fuss, no outside platforms. Just a simple way to grow your list or get people engaging with your site.
You don’t need a big budget to run a great giveaway. Whether you’re offering a digital file, a small product, or even just your time, there’s something here for every kind of business.
These are 12 low cost giveaway ideas I’ve seen work well, including a few I’ve tried myself.
Branded stickers are a simple, low cost prize that people actually enjoy. Fans often use them to decorate laptops, water bottles, or notebooks. It’s a small way to feel like part of something.
You can create the design in Canva and print a short run using Sticker Mule or VistaPrint. Some people even make them at home with a printer and sticker paper.
To keep costs down, try reusing past designs or ordering a mixed batch in bulk. It’s a fun, lightweight prize that feels personal without costing much.
One example I liked was from Moonbow Creative. They ran a simple giveaway where fans could win a pack of Postix stickers.
It was low-effort, on-brand, and helped them connect with their creative audience through something small but delightful.
Even a $5 or $10 gift card can be enough to get people interested. I’ve seen giveaways with small-value cards to places like Amazon or Starbucks get plenty of entries.
They’re simple to send and don’t cost anything to deliver. You just buy the code and email it to the winner.
To keep things affordable, choose one well-known store and stick to a single winner. It’s quick, easy, and still feels like a useful prize.
One example I liked was from Basil Thai Cuisine. They gave away five $20 gift cards to thank their customers and grow their email list.
By using RafflePress, they increased their email subscribers by 52%. See how Basil Thai Cuisine ran their giveaway.
Digital downloads are one of the easiest giveaway prizes to offer. You only need to create the file once, and there’s no cost to send it to as many people as you want.
This works especially well for things like eBooks, checklists, or mini-courses. If you’ve already written blog posts or lead magnets, you can repurpose that content into a giveaway prize.
For more ideas like this, see our guide on how to do a giveaway to grow your email list.
I’ve seen creators give away exclusive guides or private resource libraries as a reward for entering — it feels valuable, and it’s instant to deliver.
One example I liked was from HealthiNation.
They offered a free holiday cookbook as a PDF download and promoted it with a simple lightbox popup. It helped them grow their email list by 68% over five months.
If you sell physical products, offering a sample or trial-sized version is an easy way to run a budget-friendly giveaway. It gives people a chance to try what you offer without a big commitment on your end.
I’ve used travel sizes and leftover stock from past promotions. You can also bundle a few smaller items together to make the prize feel more special. It’s a great way to showcase your product and encourage future purchases.
One example I liked was from Melted Soapery. They ran an Instagram giveaway featuring eight full-sized products, including shower smoothies, sugar scrubs, and body butter.
The total value was $92, but the real win was how they used eye-catching visuals and simple entry rules to drive engagement and grow their following.
This is especially effective when you’re pre-launching a product with a giveaway.
Printable downloads like calendars, habit trackers, or wall art are one of the easiest giveaway prizes to create. They’re free to deliver and feel instantly useful.
They work especially well when they match your audience’s style or goals. You can design something in Canva or use templates you already have on hand.
One creator who does this well is HappyDownloads.
They ran a digital planner giveaway that included a full planner bundle and over 1,000 digital stickers. It was a creative way to engage their audience and showcase their product offerings.
Offering a shoutout as a giveaway prize is a low cost way to reward your audience with real value. A blog feature, newsletter mention, or social media spotlight can be more meaningful than a physical prize, especially if your audience wants visibility.
If you’re running this style of contest, you might want to check out our guide to influencer giveaway strategies.
This works particularly well in creative or business communities. People appreciate the chance to be seen and celebrated for what they do.
One example I really like is ShoutOut by Paiger.
They run a regular giveaway where the winner gets featured on their website, social channels, and in their newsletter. It gives the winner exposure to a broader audience, and it doesn’t cost anything to deliver.
Print-on-demand merch is a fun, low-risk giveaway prize. You can offer branded items like shirts, mugs, or tote bags without paying anything upfront. The item only gets printed and shipped after someone wins.
What I like about this option is that it feels exclusive. You can create a one-time design just for your giveaway, which makes the prize feel special even if the cost is low.
One good example is Printful’s unboxing contest giveaway.
They invited customers to share a video of themselves unboxing a Printful product for a chance to win a custom bean bag chair.
It was a smart way to reward creativity, promote their merch, and build brand engagement all at once.
Store credit is one of the easiest low cost prizes to offer, and it still feels like a win. It gives people a reason to browse your products, even if they don’t buy right away.
You can offer a set amount, like $10 or $25, and deliver the code directly through your store platform or email after the giveaway ends. Some businesses also give out smaller credits to everyone who enters, which can lead to more conversions after the giveaway ends.
One example I liked came from SteamGamesPC.
They partnered with a third-party rewards site to offer free Steam store credit in a giveaway with no purchase required. It gave fans a reason to engage quickly while promoting both platforms at the same time.
A mystery prize adds a layer of fun that can really boost engagement. People enjoy surprises, especially when they know it will be something useful, quirky, or exclusive.
You don’t need anything fancy. Just gather a few small items you already have, like samples, stickers, accessories, or leftover stock, and bundle them together. The mystery is what makes it feel exciting. Just make sure your prize is clearly described in your giveaway rules to avoid confusion.
One example is from The Verge and The Strategist. They teamed up to run a giveaway featuring a Timbuk2 backpack filled with surprise tech and lifestyle items.
No purchase was required to enter, and the giveaway stood out because of its curiosity-driven theme.
Sometimes the best giveaway prize isn’t something you keep. A small donation made in the winner’s name can feel thoughtful, personal, and emotionally rewarding, especially if your audience cares about a specific cause.
This type of prize works well if your brand is mission-driven or if you want to run a feel-good campaign that stands out from typical giveaways. You can let the winner choose from a few charities, or pick the organization yourself.
One example is from Johnsons of Whixley. To celebrate their centenary, they ran a monthly giveaway that donated £150 worth of seasonal plants to a nominated Yorkshire charity.
Participants could nominate a cause they cared about, and the winner was chosen based on the impact that donation would have.
Time-saving tools like templates, checklists, or swipe files make great low-cost prizes. They feel valuable because they save your audience effort, especially if they’re trying to grow a business or run a project on their own.
Once you’ve made your file, you can keep reusing it in giveaways without spending any extra time or money.
One example I liked was from The Creative’s Desk. They ran a Canva templates giveaway that helped them grow their email list while giving away a digital product their audience would actually use.
It was simple, targeted, and a great way to attract new leads.
If you offer a service, giving away a short one-on-one call can be a powerful prize. Whether it’s 15 or 30 minutes, personal access like this can feel incredibly valuable, especially for people who want expert help or feedback.
This kind of prize builds trust, shows off your expertise, and doesn’t cost anything beyond your time. It’s a great fit for coaches, consultants, and service-based businesses.
One example I found was from Kurlan & Associates. They ran a giveaway that included a free coaching call with founder Dave Kurlan as the top prize.
It gave participants a strong reason to enter while also promoting their services to a highly targeted audience.
You don’t need a big budget or complicated tools to run a successful giveaway. I’ve created plenty of low cost contests using just my WordPress site and a simple plugin. You can do the same.
RafflePress makes it easy to build and manage a giveaway without touching code or relying on outside platforms. It’s a drag-and-drop builder that lets you:
It works with both free and paid plans, depending on the features you need. And because your giveaway runs on your own site, you stay in full control of the design, tracking, and data.
For step-by-step help, check out How to Do a Giveaway in WordPress.
And if you’d like more ideas? Check out our full collection of contest promotion strategies.
Some of my best giveaways weren’t the ones with the biggest prizes. They were the ones that felt thoughtful and easy to join.
If you’ve been holding off because of cost, I hope this gave you a few ideas you can actually use. Pick one that fits your audience, set it up with RafflePress, and give it a try. You might be surprised by the response.
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