A marketing strategy that has turned out to be quite successful is surely the famous discount coupon . This offer, which in many cases becomes an irresistible promotion for buyers of a brand, can be a fundamental pillar for you due to its ability to boost the growth of a store.
Let's not forget that competition today is overwhelming, so standing out in a crowded market is not easy, let alone attracting the attention of customers whose buying interests are constantly changing.
Thus the question arises: What strategy to implement to increase the level of sales of the company? Discount coupons! But, contrary to what is usually thought, it is not about sending a coupon to the reader and waiting for him to carry out a purchase.
For this strategy to be truly effective, it is essential to think about correct planning and execution if the pre-established objectives are to be achieved.
That is why, in this article, we are going to tell you everything you need to know about coupons, what types exist and what are the common mistakes that you should avoid.
What is a coupon?
The coupon is a tool widely used in the world of online marketing to achieve two goals: attract potential buyers or retain old customers . It is an offer that can be sent by means of Emails or massive SMS where a code is added that users can add before finalizing a purchase and obtaining the expected benefit.
Now, we must tell you that there are many types of coupons depending on the method of application and the objective that the company wants to achieve. Therefore, below, we will show you which coupons you can use and why you should.
Types of discounts by application modality
As we mentioned before, coupons should be created after carefully planning every detail of the advertising campaign . Among the many decisions that must be made, is that of how to apply the discount.
- Fixed amount discount
Fixed amount offer is a coupon that provides the recipient with a discount with a fixed value that will be applied to an ordered product. To give you an example, a promotion for a fixed amount can be the following: buy a product with a minimum value of €50 and we will discount €5.
- Discount rate
On the other hand, the percentage discount coupon offers the customer the possibility of saving on the purchase of an item, but the value of the coupon may vary depending on the cost of the product. The more expensive the item or service purchased, the higher the final savings.
- shipping bonus
Another widely used coupon is one that is provided to subsidize the shipping value of the merchandise purchased. Indeed, on some occasions for the customer, the shipment may be more expensive than the value of the product itself.
- free product
Finally, the free product coupon is also interesting. How does it work? The recipient is invited to buy a product of a certain value and another item is added to the purchase that must not be paid for.
Discount types by marketing objective
These promotions are differentiated based on the type of goal that the store has preset. For example, a coupon may be created to encourage a customer to make new purchases or it may be created and sent to promote a new product that is about to hit the market. It all depends on the goal you want to achieve.
These promotions are differentiated based on the type of goal that the store has preset. For example, a coupon may be created to encourage a customer to make new purchases or it may be created and sent to promote a new product that is about to hit the market. It all depends on the goal you want to achieve.
- special coupons
We can say that they are the most used today. They are usually sent by mass Email or by SMS Marketing , on special dates to promote an advertising campaign. To give you an example, they are useful promotions to increase sales during Black Friday or Mother's Day, but they can also be used to create a closer bond with the buyer. As? Implementing an SMS Marketing strategy by sending a discount coupon on the customer's birthday .
- loyalty coupons
Another type of coupon that many companies know how to distribute are loyalty promotions that are sent to the brand's most loyal customers. The objective is clear, to encourage the user to make new purchases in the store directly to create a closer bond with the customer database .
These are usually coupons where a higher discount ratio is added to boost the user by tempting him with a truly irresistible and exclusive offer.
- novelty coupons
Is your company about to launch a new product or a new collection? You can take advantage of the coupons to spread the word about the new release more quickly by applying this limited-time initial discount .
What is sought is to generate curiosity and a sense of urgency in the target audience that makes the purchase before the discount ends.
- souvenir coupons
Finally, another type of coupon that you can implement within your digital marketing strategy is the souvenir coupon. What is it? It is an offer that is intended for a buyer who made a purchase of a product in the past, but then never visited your store again.
This promotion, then, serves to remind the customer that they have already tried an item from your store and that they liked it, so they should take a look at your business again where high-quality products await them that will surely captivate them.
What to do to make the discount coupon an irresistible offer?
Having said all of the above, as we told you, you should not only create a coupon and send it to a customer. For the offer to be irresistible, it must be well planned. That is why we advise you to follow the suggestions that we are going to present to you now.
plain content
It does not matter if you decide to send the coupon through Email marketing or SMS marketing, if you want to attract the attention of your client, it is essential that the message sent is clear and precise so that the offer stands out as much as possible. At this point, we want to emphasize that the offer must be really good to be of value in the eyes of the customer.
For the same reason, we suggest that the code that must be added during the purchase be as short and easy for the consumer to remember.
clear rules
If you want to avoid inconveniences or misunderstandings with your audience, it is essential that you make clear how the coupon works, highlighting whether it is an automatic offer or whether a code must be entered. Likewise, it highlights which are the restrictions applied, such as a minimum purchase amount or the application of the offer on selected products.
Add expiration date
Lastly, don't forget to add an expiration date for two reasons. On the one hand, to be able to measure the performance of the campaign, on the other hand, to create a sense of urgency in the target audience.
What should be taken into account before sending a discount coupon?
Likewise, it is important that you consider that sending discount coupons will not only have a positive impact on your business, but it can also have an effect if they are not implemented correctly. Let's see why.
- Work overload
Coupons, especially if they are very successful, lead to an overload of work because all the orders placed by the buyers in a short period of time must be fulfilled. Therefore, you should ask yourself if you have the necessary resources to face this overload, either from the point of view of personnel or from the point of view of materials.
- competitor price
On the other hand, before sending the promotion you should pay particular attention to the final sale price of the product. Because? The world is very competitive, so not only your brand is going to send discount coupons, but also all the companies in your same niche.
Given this situation, it may happen that, despite the application of a coupon, the final sale price is still higher than that of the competition, so the customer ends up frustrating or deciding to carry out the purchase in another company.
- Benefit of your company
Finally, we want to invite you to analyze in great detail the type of coupon and the way it is applied before sending it. Remember that it is an online marketing strategy aimed at increasing the profit level of your brand, therefore, although it is an article, it is sold at a slightly lower price than the original one, the promotion must leave a profit margin of interest to your store.
Conclusion
The advantages offered by discount coupons as an online sales strategy are innumerable as long as it is the result of good planning and execution. The goals to be achieved must be clear and precise so that coupons can be created that not only momentarily increase the volume of sales made, but also to help build customer loyalty and keep the brand's profits high .