Yes, sometimes you can give it for free. Your services, your goods, you can give them for free. You don't have to promote it. You just have to do it sometimes.
If someone has a small task and you can do it for free, you can bet on whether you'll get business from this person in the near future or not. In fact, giving it for free, without devising a promotion strategy
around it, might be a great way of promoting yourself; you won't shout
but people will ensure that their friends know about the good deed.
Offering discounts is a cost. Some would say, a loss. And if marketing is considered a cost, your discount promotions might only add to the loss.
Shouting about discounts does one more grave thing. It doesn't add to the reputation of the brand. The cost is intangible and therefore, tough to see until your brand folds up. People, who see discount schemes coming from the same brand too often, think the brand is fleecing them.
Alternatively, people might stop buying a brand in the normal course of business. They might simply wait for the brand to announce discounts; only then they might buy.
On the other hand, if you give discounts, on occasions, without shouting from the rooftops, you might not get windfall (but loss making) sales in the short run but you can make some loyal clients and be surer about receiving business. The best part – you'll be known as a genuine person, not a businessman trying to fleece people of their money. Also, your business will not depend on the discount season. You'll be consistently in demand.
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