Why Coupons and SMS Marketing Campaigns Go Together like Bread and Butter?

There are few things more quintessentially American than bread and butter. They are the ideal combination: morning, noon, and night. It’s hard to imagine a more perfect pairing… but not impossible.

In the marketing world, the bread and butter equivalent is coupons and SMS marketing. While the combination doesn’t have quite the same ring to it, it can be just as satisfying as a coupling.

Why?

Well, SMS marketing is all about getting a message across to a mass target audience quickly, competently, and professionally. Coupons introduce the elements of reward, exclusivity, and importantly, urgency.

So, what makes this pairing so effective that it could be considered on an equal level (almost) to bread and butter? Let’s take a look…

SMS Marketing – A Diverse Tool for Every Message

The main purpose behind SMS marketing is conversion with an underlying focus on return on investment. Many companies send bulk messages with the aim of getting their subscribers to do something, such as taking advantage of an offer.

However, the uses of text-based marketing are incredibly varied. SMS can be used to deliver information, provide appointment reminders, and gather information via polls, to name just a few of the possibilities.

A vast range of businesses can use the marketing tool, it’s able to target local consumers and national ones, and it can reach thousands of consumers at the same time. The possibilities are extraordinary, but there is one key aspect of SMS marketing that makes it so important here, speed.

Sending a text is quick, so quick that it’s almost instantaneous. This means that whatever message you’re trying to get to your consumers can reach them virtually instantly, and with them, thousands of other potential customers.

So, what happens when you introduce a coupon element?

Coupons bring a reward to the table, offering consumers a valid reason to convert. They also bring urgency, which when it comes to conversion, is an incredibly important thing.

A limited time coupon, such as 50% off a biscuit when you buy a cup of tea, is something that will make customers act, and do so quickly. It causes a buzz and spurs an audience to communicate with the brand and with their family and friends.

Suddenly, everyone wants their piece of the exclusive reward. They remember a brand and the potential savings and become interested in what it has to offer as a business.

Why Is This Combination So Effective?

There are two sides to the story when it comes to examining just why this combination is such an effective marketing tool. The first side is the effectiveness of SMS marketing when used as part of a campaign.

The Reach of SMS Marketing

As we’ve covered, SMS marketing is fast and diverse, as well as being one of the most effective marketing tools. However, it also has an impressive reach, with an estimated 4.93 billion mobile phone users in the world.

This reach enables a business to target the vast majority of potential consumers on their list in a single campaign. Unlike conventional coupon delivery mediums, such as in local papers or on coupon sites, SMS means that the coupon is delivered directly to the consumer and seen almost instantly.

There is no ‘chance’ element involved with almost 100% of texts being opened, and the majority within seconds of being received. This all but guarantees that the coupon will be received, and then it’s down to the coupon itself to do the rest of the work.

Coupons: Too Good to Resist

Coupons have been popular for decades, but just how popular they are might come as a surprise. Research shows that 96% of the American population use coupons. That’s an extraordinary number that are willing to make full use of a coupons best feature – savings!

The psychology behind the use of coupons is incredibly interesting, and it all centers around a key thing that most consumers have in common; a desire to save money. Coupons can change a customer’s shopping habits, they can reduce the risk of a purchase, and they can convince an individual to buy something they otherwise never would have.

In many cases, the value of the coupon is irrelevant. A 50% saving can be just as enticing whether it’s 50% off a biscuit or 50% off a biscuit making machine. What matters is the instant happiness that finding a coupon brings to the consumer.

When that coupon is delivered via SMS, it has the feeling of exclusivity. The coupon may be a small gesture but it builds brand loyalty, creates engagement, and can encourage consumers to explore different sides of a business that they may otherwise have never experienced.

Avoiding a Soggy Biscuits: Know When Exclusive Turns into Excessive

Of course, you can have too much of a good thing. If you hold your biscuit in your tea for too long, it’s going to go soggy. If you overload your audience with coupons, then the exclusive nature of them disappears, along with the urgency.

Why bother taking advantage of that offer now, when I’ll get the same chance next week?

SMS marketing can outperform traditional marketing but only when it’s used sparingly and enticingly. As with any marketing opportunity, you can burn your audience out, turning potential conversions in unsubscribes.

To keep things fresh and exciting for your consumers, it’s worth mixing up the delivery, content, and amount of discount. Consider different types of coupon, such as:

• Offers with a limited time
• One-day offers
• A percentage of products/services
• A percentage saving when a certain amount is spent
• Buy one get one free deals
• Scaled savings (the more you spend, the more you save)
• Price reductions (everything less than…)
• Exclusive clearance sales

Coupons and SMS marketing together can bring speed, urgency, and reach to your marketing campaign. They entice, attract, and encourage – everything you need from a good campaign to boost the exposure of your business. Sometimes, all it takes to make money, is to help other people save money.