How to Use Coupon Marketing to Build an Email List

Transcript

Do you want to use coupons to promote your business, but worry that they’ll only bring in people looking for a one-time deal?

Hi, I’m Carmen Sognonvi.

I recently got an email from a viewer who is dealing with that exact issue in her business. Keep watching to find out what advice I have for her.

By the way, for more useful tips on running a bricks-and-mortar local business, be sure to check out my blog at CarmenSognonvi.com.

I cover everything from how to get more customers to how to close more sales.

Today’s question comes from a viewer named Mona who lives in Singapore. Mona writes:

My family and I started a business a year ago importing and distributing a German beer that is new to the Singapore market.

Since we’re so new, we’re still trying to build awareness of the brand.

There’s an event coming up on one of the busiest streets in Singapore.

We’re planning to give away free samples of our beer and distribute coupons to encourage people to buy the beer.

I know there’s a possibility that many people will just throw the coupons away, so I’m trying to figure out how to distribute them in the most effective way possible.

Do you have any ideas?

Thanks,

Mona

Well Mona, first congratulations to you and your family for taking the plunge into entrepreneurship!

Coupons can be an effective way to drive sales for your business, if you use them the right way.

First, let’s talk about the things that could go wrong.

First, a lot of people will refuse to even take the sample or the coupon from you.

Some people are just jerks like that.

Second, many people will take the coupon and as you said, throw it out right away.

Third, out of the people who do use the coupon, many will come in, buy the beer at discount one time, and never come back.

The point I’m trying to make is that coupons are not a long-term strategy, unless you combine them with something else.

And that something else is to build a database.

You need a way to keep in touch with your customers and prospects.

Otherwise, every time you want to sell a bottle of beer, you’ll have to go out there and find a brand-new person to sell it to.

As a new business, your number one marketing goal should be to start and grow an email database of interested prospects and customers.

The good news is, these coupons can be a great way to do that. Here are the 4 steps you need to take to make this all work together.

1. Create an incentive

First, you need to figure out what kind of incentive to offer them so that they’ll be inclined to give you their email address.

For example, do a giveaway where one person can win a year’s supply of German beer.

Or do a monthly raffle where every month, someone wins a free 6-pack of beer.

Or if you want to do some event marketing, let people know that if they give you their email, you’ll add them to a special VIP list so they will be notified next time you do a secret, invitation-only free tasting of German beers.

2. Create a landing page

Let’s say you decide to do the year’s supply prize.

What you should then do is create a landing page on your website where people can enter their email address to receive it.

3. Print the URL of the landing page on the coupon

On the coupon itself, you want to have a big call to action that says “Win a Year’s Supply of German Beer”

Under that, tell them to visit the URL of the landing page.

That way when they get to the landing page, they’ll enter their email address for a chance to win.

4. Promote the incentive as you’re handing out the coupons

Now at the event, as you’re handing out the samples and coupons, you can yell out something like “Win a Year’s Supply of German Beer!” and that will definitely draw the crowds toward you.

And even if people end up not using the coupon, you’ve captured their contact information so you can keep in touch with them and let them know about future promotions and sales.

So Mona, try that out and let me know how it goes!

Now before I get to our question of the week, I want to let you know that if you found this video useful, I would encourage you to sign up to get email updates from me!

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Ok, now it’s time for our question of the week!

Do you use coupons in your business? What works well and what doesn’t work as well?

I’d love to hear your thoughts, so leave a comment below!

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