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A marketing strategy without social media is still a strategy.  But, social media is growing in importance so business owners need to carefully consider investing in these channels, and when they do decide to create a presence, they need to stay committed to it.  Be sure to have a good plan that is based on realistic goals, matches your business objectives AND is something that can be  delivered consistently (e.g. a weekly coupon.) Don't start something on social media and then abandon it.  It affects your brand and makes you look unprofessional or uncommitted.

With the advent of social media, you no longer have to wait for the Sunday paper to clip your way to a great deal. Instead, more people are turning to social sharing sites to access these savings, making it the perfect complement to your marketing strategy and something every retail business could and should be doing. 

If you’re not sure about whether it’s worth the time and effort, consider this fact. According to eMarketer, the number of US mobile coupon users will rise from 12.3 million in 2010 to 53.2 million in 2014, driven by the rapid adoption of smartphones. Moreover, it serves as another way to keep your brand in front of your competition. 

If you are not currently doing a social media coupon campaign, you should absolutely start. While there are a multitude of social media platforms to post and share coupons, Twitter is an excellent place to begin.

Twitter is a good place to start because a tweet can be sent at your discretion, and can be found by anyone on the Twitter network – that’s about 240 million monthly active users.  While only 140 characters are allowed, a tweeted coupon should include:

• The hashtag #coupon, as this is a hashtag on which consumers are known to search.
• A shortened URL, whose clicks you can track to measure performance.
• A landing page, which includes the coupon graphic, as well as specifics related to redemption instructions, restrictions, rules, and suggestions.  Visits to this page should also be measured.

Amazon does a great job of using Twitter for their coupon campaign.

Save 50% or more on today's Deal of the Day http://t.co/77eURdWh1v pic.twitter.com/sxZRnIgmSH

— Amazon (@amazon) May 2, 2014

Here are some things to consider when starting your social media coupon campaign.

Be consistent and predictable.  Train your customers to expect coupons at the same time each week, each month, or whatever frequency you decide is viable for your bottom line and time commitment. Then follow through and deliver those coupons or offers on the promised day.  Don’t waiver from this predictable schedule because doing so will cause confusion or frustration, and your campaign will lose a substantial amount of traction.

Go big or go home.  Offer your customers something of value - a free soda won’t cut it. In order to attract the crowds you must be willing to give a cost and/or take a loss. If your offer is $5 off a $100 price tag, you won’t see much of a response. However, if you offer something people can’t resist like $25 off that $100 item, your coupon campaign will be much more successful.    

Communicate.  Promote your Twitter coupon campaign across all social channels. Don’t assume that your regular customers are already connected to you on social media; instead, be proactive in making sure they are connected.  Send emails, call it out on your webpage, put signage at the POS, print the information on receipts, and drop flyers that announce the Twitter coupons inside bags to encourage customers to sign up.  The more awareness you raise, the higher your coupon redemption rate. 

The right stuff at the right time.  Timeliness is crucial to the success of your coupon campaign.  Make sure you are giving the right deal at the right time. For example, if it is summer you would do well offering discounts on cold and fruity cocktails or cute T-shirts instead of a hearty meals and sweaters.  Do your homework, see what is trending on Twitter at the time, respond to those trends.  Twitter is also ideal for a coupon campaign because it provides real-time information from your customer base. 

Reward loyalty.  While the primary goal of offering coupons is to gain new business, don’t forget about your loyal customers.  Send them something personalized or exclusive.  You might offer a 50% off deal that is only available for regular customers, or those who signed up to follow your Twitterfeed.  This kind of personalization will increase your customer’s loyalty, as well as the chances of them spreading the news about this exclusive deal to their network of friends and family. 

Lastly, have fun with it.  The technology has changed to make the process fairly simple and intuitive.  Be creative. Create a theme, like Twitter Tuesdays or something catchy to add some hype to the campaign.  

Want Help? Contact our team today to ask a question via the form to the right.

ChangeU: for your independent study…

1. Redemption Holds Steady as Consumer Interest Remains High and Marketers Leverage Technoogy: http://goo.gl/XpvH87 01/15/2014 In 2013, more than 66 million digital coupons were redeemed industry-wide according to Inmar estimates – a 141 percent increase over 2012. Inmar, alone, facilitated the redemption of almost 44 million digital coupons in 2013, giving it the largest share of digital coupon redemption information in the industry.

2. Digital shopping tool impact study: 2013: http://goo.gl/lYvKJg  December 2013 The Digital Shopping Tool Impact Study: 2013 presents the results of an online survey fielded in Q2 (April-June) 2013 among 10,337 primary shoppers, a Census-balanced U.S. sample. The core objective was to understand how shoppers use digital tools, why they use them and the impact they have on shopping behavior.

3. Shop.org: http://www.shop.org/originalresearch  Shop.org partners with multiple industry leaders to produce research products throughout the year designed to provide benchmarking tools for multichannel and online-only retailers.

How can Realtors improve their Digital Presence?
Technology is giving real estate agents easier and more efficient ways to communicate with prospective buyers, as such it’s an ideal platform to create and build a process to generate leads and sell more homes.  By taking action and building an online brand you can separate your business from your competitors.  
Here are some ways to save you time grow your brand to grow your business.
Make an impression with your website
                 
Claire Jacobs Dream Home Specialist
•        Fresh Design:  Go a step further than posting photos of available homes, invest in a custom design that will ‘WOW’ home buyers while showcasing your brand and who you are. 
•        Dynamic: Make sure your design is responsive; the user experience should be seamless and consistent on mobile devices. Buyers may be directed to your website via mobile home buying apps, once there, they will expect the same level of functionality and sophistication experienced on a computer.        
•        Call-to-Action:  An important element on your website is content.  When developing content always have a call-to-action in mind.  If you ask visitors to do something be specific.  Remember to answer the question of “Why, do you want them to call you.”  Make it a direct action, such as “Call me for a free home consultation.” or “Sign up for my newsletter for home buying tips.”   
•        Be active: If you are going to add social media to your website make sure you are active on these sites. Post blogs regularly, update your status, create a presence on each of them.  
•        Video Customer testimonials:  The average user spends 88 % more time on a website. So invite your satisfied home buyers to share their stories by making a video, then upload it to your site. Note: you must make this process very simple for them.  Video is powerful medium as it provides a real source, while making visitors feel connected to your brand. 

Create New Opportunities        
According to a study done by the National Association of Realtors, 92% of people turn to the internet as the first step in the home buying process, making it increasingly important for realtors to provide them with information on the networks they are familiar with. 
A savvy realtor understands that this sometimes means going beyond the usual social networking platforms, like Facebook or LinkedIn, to generate leads. Social networking sites like Trulia and Zillow provide comprehensive information about homes, neighborhoods, etc., as well as group potential buyers into targeted and specific communities in which realtors can engage. 
Building a profile on industry specific social sites has enormous potential to generate lead by allowing sellers to engage and start discussions with buyers early in the process. This is a simple yet effective way to generate leads, particularly if you are just starting your business or if your marketing budget is limited.  Treat these sites just as you do your social media pages, with regard to being consistent and active. 
  
Trulia, Real Estate 

Use Social Media to Connect with Prospects 
In order to build a sustainable online brand and business you must engage your visitors and potential buyers on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram without being too aggressive or pushy.  Use these platforms to gain insights into the needs and expectations of buyers in more personal and casual manner. Some ways to do this are:  
•        Ask questions: Where they are located?  What are your home buying concerns? How is your day going?  Start a discussion and ask for feedback.  
•        Offer something of value:  Give them information they can use, such as the latest home loan rates in their area. Give free online home buying seminars, or tips about home repair. 
•        Be Personable: Use platforms such as Facebook or Instagram to show who you are on a level outside of real estate. Prospective buyer may share a common interests or hobby, which increases the level of connection and trust. Remember, buying a home is a very personal purchase, and people buy property from realtors they trust, like, or respect.  

Final Thoughts
Today there are many avenues for real estate agents to generate leads and market themselves, the key to success finding a way to merge all the elements together to build a successful brand. Finally, use these social platforms to nurture communication throughout all the stages of the buying process- before, during, and long after it’s completed.