11 Cheap Giveaway Ideas That Actually Drive Results

Running a great giveaway doesn’t need a big budget. In fact, some of the most effective promotions come from using what you already have, your products, your expertise, or your community, and turning it into something people want to engage with. These ideas are built for brands trying to boost engagement, attract real participants, and deliver results without overspending.

In this guide, we’ll share six low-cost prize ideas, five easy-to-run formats that work for small businesses, whether you're a coffee shop, hosting a trade show booth, or part of a local organisation. Each one is cost effective, fun, and designed to help you hit your goals, whether that’s growing your list, getting your brand seen, or giving your community something to talk about.

And if you want to run it fast?

Gleam has amazing templates, paid and completely free, with built-in email capture, referral entries and custom entry options, so you can get started without writing a single line of code.

Even a small prize can create big impact if it feels valuable, relevant, and worth sharing. These budget-friendly prize ideas are built around what you already have, so you can create something impactful without overspending.

Your best seller? A quick win prize.

Whether you’re a SaaS, ecom store or a service business, giving away what you already offer is relevant, affordable and brand-building. No extra materials, no waste, and it gives potential customers a real taste of what you do.

A coaching call, audit, creative review, or offering time-based help is perfect for freelancers, consultants or teams looking to build trust and a clientbase. It’s also one of the most budget friendly ways to drive real connection with minimal investment.

Digital prizes like templates, mini-courses or exclusive guides are easy to give away and cost nothing to deliver. They're ideal for audiences looking for value, education or creative tools, and they scale effortlessly, no matter how many people enter.

Give your winner a dedicated feature on your socials, blog, or newsletter, whether it’s a Q&A, a profile, or just a fun photo shoutout.

It costs nothing, celebrates your community, and gives your audience a chance to shine.

Get them involved. Let them name a product, design a sticker, vote on a new feature.

This turns participation into creativity, and helps deepen brand connection by letting your customers be a part of your product.

Let winners in early, whether it’s a launch, beta feature or exclusive collection. This feels high value, costs nothing, and builds buzz. Especially good for SaaS, tech and content-based businesses.

A great prize is only half the equation. The way you run and promote your giveaway can make just as much of a difference. These formats help you maximise reach, encourage participation, and keep things running smoothly from start to finish.

Here’s what a real Gleam free giveaway form can look like in action, with a flexible set of entry options like:

• Visit a website (drive traffic to your homepage or product page)
• Follow or repost on X (formerly Twitter) (boost reach and visibility)
• Visit your Instagram or YouTube (increase social engagement)
• Answer a question (great for product feedback or market research)
• Subscribe to your email list (grow your newsletter audience)
• Click for a bonus entry (keep participants engaged)

These are completely customisable, so you can tailor actions to suit your goals, whether it’s building a list, driving traffic, or increasing visibility on a specific platform.

Give your winner a moment in the spotlight, an interview, a pinned post, or a social shoutout. It costs nothing, fosters community, and gives you a chance to show off a real success story.

Let participants earn bonus entries for sharing. Gleam’s free template makes this simple to set up, and it’s a powerful way to grow reach without increasing prize cost.

Bonus: it brings in warm leads via trusted sources.

Use the entry process, winner reaction or behind-the-scenes prep as social content.

A quick story, post, or blog recap turns one giveaway into ongoing engagement.

Team up with a complementary business to co-host a prize. It halves the cost, doubles the reach, and introduces your brand to a fresh audience. Great for trade shows, online communities or local event tie-ins.

So, cheap giveaways can absolutely be great giveaways. If you’re thoughtful with your prize, strategic with your format, and clear on what success looks like, you’ll see real results, without spending beyond your limits.

And with tools like Gleam’s templates, you’ve got everything you need to launch, run and promote your giveaway smoothly. Start small. Start smart. And most of all, make it something people actually want to join.