How can mobile coupons improve your marketing campaigns?

Mobile coupons make marketing easier. No need for paper—customers use them on phones. You can make them personal, like sending special deals based on what customers like. Fun stuff like games or quizzes keeps customers interested. Plus, you can see how customers use them, so you know what works best. For instance, a coffee shop sends a discount to nearby customers through their phones, making them want to grab a coffee right away.

Recently, I came across a stunning trend. More than a third of shoppers now rely on coupons to make ends meet from week to week. (Source: savi marketing tech.) The increasing reliance on coupons to stretch budgets — coupled with the convenience of mobile shopping — suggests that mobile coupons are ready for their big moment in marketing. The digital nature of mobile coupons provides marketers numerous benefits: Mobile coupons seamlessly integrate with modern advertising campaigns. The first-party data mobile coupons collect provides valuable insights into shopper behavior. Multiple layers of security reduce the risks associated with fraud. Digital coupons align with brand and consumer sustainability goals.

To create effective mobile coupons, choose a platform like Coupon Sherpa or SnipSnap that fits your budget and goals. Prioritize customization for branding, set clear validation rules, and leverage distribution channels like email or SMS. Integration with your systems streamlines operations. Keep it simple, and consider what would make the experience seamless for your customers. For instance, a local business can use personalized mobile coupons sent via email to attract and retain customers, enhancing overall marketing efforts.

Think of mobile coupon creation as a complete marketing campaign from A to Z. This will require multiple teams to write a marketing plan, identify the right audience for the product , a media procurement team, a strong creative team, data analysts to track response, along with a platform robust enough to handle the scope of your program. The teams will collaborate to design and produce direct-to-consumer advertising (email, in-store, on-package) and brand advertising (such as ads in national and local news, weather, sports, entertainment, and across social media).

Effective distribution of mobile coupons involves tailoring strategies to your audience and goals. Segment your audience based on demographics, interests, and location for personalized outreach. Experiment with various channels and formats, optimizing for clear calls to action. Incentivize coupon use with discounts, freebies, or points. Create urgency through limited-time offers to boost customer loyalty. For example, an online retailer targets specific customer segments with personalized mobile coupons through social media ads, driving engagement and sales during a limited-time

As you consider the distribution of mobile coupons, I think it's good to recognize their importance in our society. Coca-Cola issued the first documented retail coupon in 1888. Betty Crocker started a loyalty program in 1929. Now digitalized, coupons are bringing their well-known benefits to new generations of retail businesses large and small. Coupons incentivize shoppers to make purchases they may not otherwise have considered, while nurturing customer loyalty, driving up ROI, and attracting new customers. And, unlike paper, they can even measure the effectiveness of marketing campaigns.

Mobile coupons have a unique feature. They can capture the details of a customer’s order instantly. Measuring key performance indicators (KPIs) helps marketers improve future results. Response rates are the fundamental benchmark of a campaign’s performance. Other KPIs include: -Conversion rate -Cost per acquisition -QR code use -Average revenue per order and -Return on investment (ROI) Having immediate feedback from customers — allows your business to improve campaign response in a matter of hours rather than days or weeks.

Make mobile coupons straightforward, appealing, and well-timed. Keep them simple in language and design, ensuring customers easily understand the benefits and conditions. Send them when customers are likely to use them and tailor to their preferences. Experiment with different coupon types and triggers to see what resonates best. In my opinion, this approach maximizes the effectiveness of mobile coupons by offering a clear value proposition and enhancing customer engagement. For instance, a tech store sends time-sensitive mobile coupons during product launches, creating excitement and driving sales.

Over 90% of Americans who use digital coupons accessed them via smartphone in 2022. (Insider Intelligence) What does this mean for you? It’s all about the coupon. Whatever type of business you are running, mobile coupons are the most effective tool for influencing your customers’ purchase decisions — and increasing customer loyalty. Finally, here’s a list of the many types of offers retail stores use to get results. (Dean Macri, Cielo Mobile) Price reduction Free merchandise Buy-one-get-one free Time release (coupons, distributed together, that have different expiration dates, encouraging repeat purchases) Crossruff (the consumer gets a coupon for one product when purchasing another) Universal (a coupon good on multiple products)

“Content is King.” It’s a comment Bill Gates once made about a nascent Internet. I think it applies to mobile coupons as well. Above all other considerations — high-quality content is the key to success in mobile coupon efforts. While ground-breaking technical features can dazzle the eye, the ultimate goal is marketing success. Presenting a compelling offer to a well-targeted audience with eye-popping creative is what ensures the success of mobile coupon marketing.