Do you have your customer incentive programs all set for Christmas? Are your landing pages in place? Then start sharing the savings on social media. According to a recent study by Neilsen, 60 percent of shoppers will be looking for discounts and sales this holiday season. 17 percent will be looking for specials and deals through social media.
“Consumers are trying to find any way possible to find value and being connected via social media is a new way to find these deals and the values of the season,” said Stacy Janiak, vice chairman and Deloitte’s U.S. retail leader.
Promote your customer incentives by posting on your Facebook and Twitter pages, as well as in your e-mail newsletters. Think creatively this holiday season to strengthen and foster relationships with your customers. The objective is to offer helpful solutions to alleviate your customers shopping anxiety. The social media incentive program works effectively for both your online and offline stores.
Top 4 effective consumer incentives to spur customer action and increase your overall revenue and profits:
1) BOGO – The buy-one-get-one free offer. An excellent sales promotion and an offer a bargain hunter can not pass up. The stipulation is the free item is of equal or lesser value then the purchased item. With this promotion the sales is increased when the consumer spends more to recieve the free item.
2) Gift with Purchase – This offer encourages the consumer to purchase items, in order to receive a free gift. The cosmetic industry has been successfully using this method for years. The value of the free gift is up to you, but it must be something people will desire. The cosmetic industry gives away a cosmetic bag with the purchase of $50 or more.
3) Discount Coupons – When implemented strategically coupons can not only increase revenues, but will provide lasting goodwill with your customers. Set a threshhold of $50 to $100 dollars to receive a discount of 15% or more. Remember the objective is encourage customers to spend more to save more.
4) Bundling – If you have inventory you would like to clear out, or have a new product that you want consumers to know about then consider creating a bundled gift package. You can increase the price overall and offer a unique gift idea.
Social media tips for promoting your incentives without looking like a spammer.
1) Craft your messages into 140 characters or less:
2) Include a “please retweet” or “send to a friend” in your message to encourage viral sharing.
3) Include a link to your website landing page with more details on the promotion. Make it handy for your customers to make a printout of your promotion that they can bring into your store.
4) Include promotion incentives during the online checkout process as a last minute impulse buy.
I encourage you to use social media this holiday season, not only will your customers appreciate the savings, I can guarantee you will have an advantage over your competitors.
