Even in the world of online marketing where trends come and go like wildfire and new ways of reaching your audience are being developed every day there are some tried-and-true marketing methods that continue to work. One of these is the use of coupons…
Of course the method of delivering and redeeming coupons may have changed, but the strategy works as well now as it ever did, and we sincerely hope you haven’t made the mistake of thinking that online coupons are no longer a viable method to use in your marketing mix, because you could be making an expensive mistake!
There are more sources now to access, and consumers have gotten used to looking and searching out the coupons for the best available deals. What was once an afterthought or a novelty has become standard practice.
Not only that, but now that the kinks in offering and redeeming online coupons have been largely worked out, there are many more access points than ever. Let’s check out 7 places it would be wise to consider advertising with coupons.
7 Places to place your coupon offers
Valpak – An offline service that reaches consumers through the mailbox, Valpak is a trusted direct marketing mailer, that consumers are used to seeing.
Red Plum – This company has several different ways of reaching the consumer, using offline direct mail, online offers, and the form in which you’re most likely to have seen them before, as a coupon circular in your Sunday newspaper.
Groupon – The first of the big online couponing sites, Groupon has become a trusted behemoth in the couponing sector, offering many daily deals and other offers.
Living Social – Another site like Groupon, they specialize in daily deals, yet have tons of offers in many different areas.
Yelp for Business – Not only is Yelp a major player when it comes to citations and online reviews, Yelp Deals allow you to offer coupons much like Groupon but a bit less expensive. A good one to use if you have a good set of reviews there.
RetailMeNot – A leader in this space, RetailMeNot is the largest digital coupon site in the U.S. offering more than half a million coupons at any time. While many think this is an venue for only large vendors, there are lots of small businesses as well.
Your email newsletter – If you have an email list and you’re not mailing coupons exclusively for people who are already warm to you, you’re really missing out! This is a great way to enhance customer loyalty and repeat purchases, not to mention significantly improving your email open rates.
So in summing up, remember that the concept of marketing using coupons is a sound one and what has worked for the past number of decades will still work. What has dramatically changed with this markeing strategy is the varied and improved means of delivering and redeeming your coupon system. The “power” of the coupon has increased exponentially not only with the implementation but with the number of a target audience that can be reached.
