Coupon Innovations

Promotions and Contests are the new normal in today’s retail environment. Social Media gives you and your client fantastic huge opportunities to involve, engage and entice your customers. Additionally, this can be done at a very reasonable cost verses other marketing initiatives. Digital Coupons are the new normal. Coupons are now expected and invited – they are efficient and they are attracting a different audience than the “coupon clippers” from the newspaper age.

Most buying decisions are NOW made prior to the consumer entering the store. In fact, a study from the Symphony IRI Group found that this impacts 80% of all purchases. One has got to ask themself, how do we ensure that we are at the top of mind. Digital coupons are a natural for Internet users to search for and to find. Additionally, the can be shared and used to attract new buyers. Also, they offer the ability to track as well as control the timing.

According to ExactTarget there are at least FIVE, that’s right FIVE reasons that motivate consumers to “LIKE” your page on Facebook.

1) 40% to receive discounts and promotions

2) 39% to show support for the company

3) 36% to get a freebie or sample

4) 34% stay informed of activities

5) 33% keep updated on future products

All pretty good reasons for you, your company and your brand. Clearly, we hope your not surprised that 40% want a discount or 35% want a freebie. As mentioned earlier, coupon offers and deals are the new normal.

If you’re a retailer or your client is, you really should be considering mobile or location type social platforms (location based social networks). The best known is Foursquare. There are however others – Gowalla and Loopt. These programs allow, just in time, location based deals that truly build engagement. You can expect Facebook and Twitter to get into the act before too long. Google, as well, has purchased Wildfire, a company that provides Facebook promotions as one segment of its offerings.

Now if you want FIVE more reasons why social coupons and programs need to be part of your marketing efforts, there they are:

6) 30% to get updates on sales

7) 29% for fun and entertainment

8) 25% for access to exclusive content

9) 21% to learn more about your company or brand

10) 13% to share ideas, provide feedback

Our team has promotional solutions that can assist you and your client to build your social currency, engage consumers, gather data, download a coupon or offer, and best of all, share that content with their friends. Socialmc2 will build optin email addresses, build Facebook LIKES and grow your Twitter Followers. When you want more, we’ve got FIVE programs that will develop your LIKES.

Michael Bickerton, Raven5 Ltd, Oakville & Toronto, February 2013

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