One of the best ways for small businesses to engage the public and raise awareness of their products and services is by offering deals and promotions that involve significant savings. Social media engagement can clue devoted customers into surprise discounts, promotional products are useful for making people notice special events and traditional advertising flat-out broadcasts the existence of sales.
However, there are other tools at the disposal of local companies that give them the ability to reach a broader swath of the population and are very affordable to boot. Group coupon services such as Groupon allow small businesses to tap into an online community obsessed with finding high-quality products and services at a low cost. Here are some reasons to consider joining such platforms.
Considering the number of people who will see a Groupon promotion, the cost is quite good. In fact, a similarly valued sale that is marketed through traditional means will almost certainly be more expensive, simply because it requires a much more active promotional effort. Many consumers are devout users of these coupon services, meaning that they can recognize useful deals when they see them.
Additionally, Groupon users don’t always have to be active – they simply sign up for newsletters of the best deals that are happening in their area and choose to respond accordingly. Most people who visit a store are likely to return there even when there isn’t a special deal happening. All it takes is one positive experience, and repeat business can be assured.
In addition to the internet community, a local group of customers is also accessible via Groupon and other similar services. Listing one’s business alongside other organizations in an area raises its profile and inextricably links it to the other companies that are held in high regard in a neighborhood or town.
Groupon also confers credibility and a positive image. Like FourSquare and Yelp, Groupon is used by young people who consider themselves to be hip and internet savvy. Advertising in one’s window or through traditional advertisements that Groupon is an important partner and tool to offer savings will indicate to consumers that an organization has entered the 21st century. This sort of effort will also help to improve the performance of a company website. With inbound links from Groupon, Google, Yelp, CitySearch, Facebook and other social media platforms, one’s ability to attract and retain customers will certainly increase.