Getting Started With Mobile Coupons

The world of mobile marketing is growing, and more retailers than ever are taking advantage of this technology to satisfy their convenience-seeking customers. The great news is that this trend isn’t reserved just for big box stores and restaurants. Here are some statistics on the rise in the use of mobile coupons along with some ideas for how you can get started with mobile coupons.

Who is using mobile coupons?

The stereotype seems to be that the only people using coupons are stay at home moms who are trying to save some money on their groceries. And while it may be true that moms do look for coupons, they are far from the only demographic seeking to save money.

Mobile Commerce Daily cites a report that estimates that 96% of consumers will search for a mobile coupon for their holiday shopping in 2015. That 96% reaches all demographics of mobile users including men, women, and teens. Millennials in general are proactive about saving money, so combining technology with money saving is a sure way to attract and keep millennial customers. To keep millennials loyal, it’s important to keep up with technology, as a recent report from The Wall Street Journal maintains.

In addition, people are looking to save money on more than just groceries. A Nielson report found that mobile couponing is most popular at grocery stores with 41 percent of consumers reporting using a mobile coupon, tied with department stores (41%), and closely followed by clothing stores (39%).

What a successful mobile coupon campaign entails

For starters, your customers are likely already tuned into the world of mobile marketing and are willing to shop at your competitor instead of you if your competitor offers mobile coupons. Here are some things to keep in mind as you work on your campaign:

• Value: What value does your coupon offer your customer?
• Clear guidelines: Make sure it’s clear what your customers can and cannot do with their mobile coupons. For instance, can a customer use a mobile coupon and a paper coupon? When do mobile coupons expire? You don’t want your customers to walk away from your store without buying anything (and unlikely to return in the future) because your store’s guidelines were unclear.
• Integrated campaigns: Advertise mobile coupons on social media, on websites, and in circulars to attract attention. Mobile coupons have higher redemption rates when they are run across multiple channels.
• Keep it simple: Keep mobile coupons simple, and don’t bombard your customers with more than one or two messages a month.

Mobile coupons aren’t going anywhere in the near future, and with holiday shopping season on the horizon it’s more important than ever to start a mobile messaging campaign that will attract consumers and offer them a service that will keep them coming back.

For more information on how you can incorporate mobile coupons into your advertising campaign, contact us today.