Coupons have been a thing for some time now, but in the past, they used to give them away in newspapers or other handouts. Now, like every aspect of our lives, they have been digitized. Businesses have realized that the internet is the way – it gives you the opportunity to reach a lot more people than ever before. What’s more, customers are getting more and more price-conscious; they don’t want to pay a full price if they don’t have to. Are you a business owner and you consider introducing coupons as a part of your selling and marketing strategy? Here are some ways to reach your potential clients with coupons online:
Deal sites
Most people, before they decide to buy anything, do online research to find all possible discounts. After that, they make a decision whether they want to make a purchase or not. So, if your business doesn’t offer any coupons, you’re probably invisible; or at least significantly less visible. That’s why it’s so important to make deals noticeable on your own website, but you also have to reach out to deal sites. You can find hundreds of deals at couponcodesme.com and many other pages – you should be a part of at least some of them. Find those that have a lot of followers; many clients visit them on a regular basis, even when they don’t actually need anything – just to check out the deals. Also, bigger pages let their users sign up to send them updates about the best deals in case they don’t check them themselves regularly. So get yourself listed and keep an eye on your codes so that nothing gets expired – this will frustrate any potential customers.
Coupon codes
Since there’s no possibility to present a cashier with a paper coupon cut from a newspaper, there was a need to develop a different way to get a deal online. That’s how coupon codes were born – you simply get a sequence of numbers and letters to paste them into the right field before making the payment. Due to that, coupon code sites have started to pop up like mushrooms. That’s where customers have the possibility to share their codes with other people. There are brands that try to fight these sites but it doesn’t mean you can’t develop a partnership with them. You can’t make them disappear so it’s better to use them to your advantage. Consider sharing codes from time to time to attract customers to your website.
Group coupons
This is exactly what it sounds like. The idea is that customers have to forward the coupons to their friends, family or other people to get a required minimum number of participants who have to buy a deal before it starts working. This was supposed to improve a company’s exposure. However, it turned out that most people who decide to buy group deals, don’t ever return for more, so it’s only a one-time purchase, hence not very profitable. When this happens to be the case of the majority, companies stop to make a profit, or they even experience significant losses. It doesn’t mean you should avoid group coupons, but maybe don’t make them too good.
Social media
People spend a lot of time scrolling through Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, so why shouldn’t they, from time to time, encounter a discount code? They will not only be able to use it, get to know your company and maybe stay for longer, but also to share it with their family and friends, like your page and stay up to date. Thanks to that, you will reach a much wider audience. Just remember to include some restrictions (expiry date, minimum purchase value, secure code length, etc.).
Loyalty cards
This should certainly be a part of your marketing strategy as it doesn’t only let your customers save some money, it actually is a verified way to build their loyalty to your brand and make them stay with you for longer. This will allow you to collect information about your customers, present them with personalized offers which are more likely to be accepted by them. What’s more, if you see a bigger picture, it will help you develop your business – what direction you should take, where to put your money, etc. Loyalty cards can also convince your clients to always choose you over your competition, especially if your loyalty program allows them to collect some points – sometimes they will even be willing to spend more if they know that they contribute to their accounts and get closer to a reward that may be waiting for them in the future.
Email marketing
Create a database of your customers’ emails and send them newsletters and personalized offers based on their preferences that you know because of their previous purchases or surveys. This will keep your clients informed and it will allow you to remind them about your brand. People will be more likely to buy something in the heat of the moment, only because they got a good offer.
Coupons are a great way to promote your business, attract new customers and convince them to stay with you. However, you have to remember that you need a well-planned strategy to execute it right and actually make more profits. It doesn’t matter if you have an online business or something smaller and more local – it’s good to know your options. Make friends with social media and keep up with constant changes.
