Stressed. It aptly describes the hundreds of millions of American households dominated by stressors — from fear-related ones to the potential public health and economic impacts of the coronavirus to the pressures associated with new home-schooling and work-from-home routines.

Businesses are not immune either. No one has calculated the cost associated with the postponement of countless CBD trade shows and expos. But if your company is dependent on wholesale customers, you know it is going to be massive.

With COVID-19 related restrictions of communal sampling, interest in other sampling alternatives is going up.

“We’re getting a significant increase in inquires related to consumer and business sampling programs,” says Larry Berg, the founder and CEO of CBD Marketing Hub, which specializes in digital-to-door CBD marketing solutions.

The biggest perceived barrier to sampling programs is cost, according to Berg, who notes that although sampling has higher costs, its rate of return is much higher than other marketing programs.

“Experts agree that people that try products buy them,” says Berg, who notes that industry sources report that 73 percent of consumer trials result in conversions.

“Hyper-focused sampling programs which hone in on a highly concentrated group of consumers with the strongest likelihood to convert helps to control costs, increase conversions and maximize ROI,” says Berg, who reports that one CBD client recently converted 5,000 trade show samples into 500 consumer orders via a direct mail campaign featuring a free CBD Gummies with no purchase requirement.

Berg applauds givers like Lazarus Naturals and Nature’s Fusions, which have stepped up to provide free CBD sample boxes and hand sanitizer to healthcare professionals  and first responders on the front lines of the COVID-19 epidemic.

Others, like Kingsley CBD and CBD Luxe are providing free hand sanitizer and related products, as well as additional product discounts to customers.

Berg outlined the four most common sampling programs:

Email Promotion: This low-cost medium is frequently used to promote opt-in free sample opportunities.

Digital Display Ad Promotion: This affordable platform allows CBD companies to execute a consumer-targeted digital display campaign and opt-in sample offering

Personalized Direct Mail Promotion: Personalized direct mail provides  a high- touch mechanism to  reach  a highly targeted group of consumers and invite them to opt-in to receive a free sample.

Direct Mail Sample: This tried-and-true delivery method offers conversion-minded customers a platform to immediately get their products in the hands of targeted household decision makers.

Sampling offers benefits beyond trial and purchase, according to Berg, who notes its proven ability to generate strong word-of-mouth.

“If a consumer has a good trial experience, they are likely to spread the word,” he says.

And WOM (word of mouth) is the number one driver in the CBD space, according to Brightfield Research Group, a leading consumer insights and market intelligence firm for the CBD and Cannabis industries.

Given today’s new normal, most everyone is seeking opportunities to engage in a positive experience, according to Berg.

“That’s why the marketplace is primed for CBD sampling campaigns,” says Berg.

Editor’s Note: CBD Marketing Hub is a digital-to-door solutions provider that analyzes more than 3 billion CBD data points to deliver leading edge insights, targeting and related market-based solutions to its clients. To learn more call them at 734.634.9275 or visit their website at: cbdmarketinghub.com