Win-win: Using online coupons to spur call marketing

Thinking of placing coupons in your online ads? That strategy could be a huge “coup” for your revenues.

A study this year found 92 percent of U.S. consumers used a coupon of some kind over the past year, while 33 percent of millennials, 25 percent of Gen X-ers and 17 percent of baby boomers used a mobile coupon in that time frame.

In addition, average redemption rates are encouraging. Coupons accessed via mobile through email are typically redeemed at a rate of 2 to 4 percent, those sent through smartphone apps 8 to 16 percent and those sent via text (inviting recipients to use a promo code) 30 to 50 percent. Retailers combining email with SMS achieved redemption rates between 15 and 25 percent, the same study reports.

Couponing methodology is especially effective used as part of your call marketing campaign; the chance to save money may be just the boost needed to motivate customers to hit those click-to-call buttons or just pick up their phones. Moreover, in some industries coupons may be so commonplace you’ll miss your share of the market if you don’t step up.

Your couponing campaign needn’t be complex, but should be a well-conceived element of your call marketing ad strategy. A few online coupon tips:  

– Identify what you want your couponing to achieve. Should it draw in new customers? Drive repeat business? Boost sales of a given product? Provide a competitive edge? Increase add-on sales? The answer(s) should inform your messaging, channel and venue.

– Zero in on your target customer and his demographics. Research shows people access their computers and phones at different times under different circumstances. Learn about their buying habits to optimize your campaign.

– Note competitors’ offers, then aim to improve on that with a deal that lets you at least break even financially.

– New customers may be motivated only by substantial discounts while existing customers may respond to smaller ones. Bargain hunters are often one-time shoppers; however, you may need to offer repeated discounts to gain their loyalty.

– Create your coupon content to incorporate a title, the offer, the terms of the agreement (including expiration date), your logo and your phone number — all stated in crystal-clear terms. Keep your wording short and to the point, focusing on the numbers to seize viewer attention. Opt for bold, vibrant colors and bold font.

– Choose the channels and venues most likely to reach your key audience(s). Note GPS technology can now target customers when they are physically near your business.

– Incorporate share buttons so recipients can easily pass on your offers to others.

– Closely monitor your results to determine whether your sales volume is compensating for your lower profit margins. If it’s not, that may not be a deal breaker; you’re still earning some margin while diverting traffic from competitors.

“Digital coupons are the future of commerce, but many businesses are still not sure how this new technology will play into their own business models,” notes Drew Hendricks in Forbes. “As each promotional offer reaches its expiration date, perform reporting to determine how successful the campaign was. If you do this from the start, you’ll find you have a great benchmark against which to compare future efforts.”

Consult with Custom Toll Free on the strategic use of vanity phone numbers in your online coupons by calling 1-800-CUSTOMIZE.