Food Coupon

Not everything in life comes free to us, so we often have to work hard to sustain our everyday needs. Unfortunately, not everyone has the luxury of enjoying the finest things the real world has to offer. In fact, the rising food prices have been a major concern to most families for years. So it only makes sense for the average consumer to be thrifty with his or her purchases. As a business, how better can you cater to one’s basic needs than with a good discount coupon or voucher?

If you think about it, the idea of making coupons is a give and take a situation where a consumer can take advantage of a good deal while a business may earn a profit from it. When designed well, it can be considered as an effective marketing tool to help boost sales. But before this happens, business owners must learn how to create a coupon that’s worth the attention.

Fast Food Gift Coupon

Fast Food Restaurant Coupon

Ice Cream Discount Coupon

Thai Food Discount Voucher

Basic Types of Coupons

There are various types of coupons available in the market, in which each coupon may have a similar design as the other but holds a slightly different purpose. For us to better understand such, let us look into how these basic types of coupons differ:

Manufacturer Coupons

From the name itself, a manufacturer coupon is a type of coupon issued by manufacturers for the sole purpose of increasing sales for their products. These are usually found in magazines, newspapers, and product packaging. Terms and conditions regarding how the coupon may be used, along with its expiry date are typically displayed as well. Stores that carry the said products are given the choice on whether they would credit these coupons or not. But in most cases, stores see this as an advantage to increase the demand for their offered products.

Store Coupons

These days, you can find a lot of retailers that give out store coupons to entice consumers to purchase goods from a specific store. It’s quite comparable to the clearance sales that stores conduct in order to promote certain products for a given period of time. But unlike a manufacturer coupon, this type of coupon is only issued by the store itself and are not directly connected with the manufacturer. For instance, a shopper carrying a special Target gift coupon may only redeem the coupon at a Target store or depend on what has been stated.

Digital coupons

Digital coupons also referred to as eCoupons or online coupon codes have become significantly popular since they were first introduced to the market. These are commonly distributed via email or SMS by brands that wish to advertise their goods in a modern manner. But what makes a digital coupon so unique is how it may be redeemed by consumers. Oftentimes, customers may either be required to type in a promo code to an input field or have their special bar code scanned by a device. This can be extremely convenient for individuals who’d rather use their smartphones than a printed coupon to avail certain discounts and promos from their favorite shops.

Japanese Food Coupon

Fast Food Discount Voucher

Restaurant Menu Gift Voucher

Pros and Cons of Coupons in Marketing

Based on the general purpose of a coupon, it’s easy to perceive such as a printed or digital advertising tool, similar to a company brochure or poster design. But the concept behind coupon marketing isn’t as simple as it seems. There are a couple of factors involved in this and while it might seem complicated to most, the coupon may still perform accordingly with a good marketing strategy at hand. If you’re having some thoughts about using coupons for your business, it’s important to be fully aware of the pros and cons that may come along.

Pros

Newly-opened retail stores and companies with fresh product releases typically use coupons as a form of an ice-breaker. You see, there’s always that fear of trying something that comes completely unfamiliar to us. So instead of worrying about whether or not it’s worth the shot, a coupon can give consumers the luxury of enjoying a product or service before they decide on paying the full price for it. This may easily attract first-time buyers and encourage others to make the big switch between competing brands. Coupon marketing can also build awareness for your brand, especially if you’re relatively new to the industry. For retailers that hope to unload their inventories in the quickest way possible, a good coupon may gather a crowd in no time.

Cons

First off, there’s always a losing factor when it comes to coupon marketing, especially when poor calculations are made. This promotional strategy may also backfire at times, as there’s always the chance of customers only purchasing a product because of the promo was given and the possibility of potential customers not coming back. So if the discount offered fails to garner its desired outcomes, then this could cost a business more than it initially cut out for. Imagine how this could impact a brand’s image as well, where customers may not see the value of the discounted item. Another scenario that may negatively affect your business is when consumers become so accustomed to the discounts, that they no longer purchase these items at its full price. Instead, they wait until the store or manufacturer gives away coupons for them to enjoy.

Restaurant Food Coupon

Simple Food Coupon

Delicious Food Discount Voucher

Fun Food Coupon

Restaurant Food Coupon

5 Ways to Make an Effective Coupon

These days, retail stores and manufacturers — regardless of their scale — pull all the strings to attract customers and increase sales through the use of a good coupon. But due to the saturation of coupons in the market, companies must find a way to make their presence known. With that in mind, we rounded up five smart tactics to help you create an impactful coupon:

• Specify your target customers. Every business has a specified market to serve. Knowing this, creating a coupon that relates to your target audience is essential. But it’s more than just making an attractive design, as the coupon must also be of value to your customers. Think about who can benefit the most from it and how this may help your business prosper in the market.
• Pay attention to visual appeal. Designing a coupon is no easy task. A good coupon design should possess an eye-catching layout along with a logo design and the products or services you offer. The secret is to make it compelling enough to successfully carry out your message. If you have the means to invest in a good graphic designer, then the professional help will definitely do you favors. For those on a budget, you can find a few online coupon makers to get yourself started. But always remember to set the bar high with your coupon design, as you wouldn’t want to appear cheap and amateurish to your audience.
• Create a level of urgency. Whenever promos are offered, consumers strive to make the best out of it for as long as they can, often making unplanned purchases in the process. This is why significant promos and deals only last for shorter periods of time, considering how creating urgency is a clever tactic to bring people to their feet. To do so, you must make sure that the deadlines being set are made clear for consumers to grasp. If you decide on giving special deals to a limited number of buyers, then the benefits should be worth the effort.
• Provide exclusivity. A sense of exclusivity can always make a person feel special about something. And since developing your online presence is an important factor in digital marketing, then you could always take on a social-exclusive approach with your coupons. For example, people who follow you on social media sites such as Facebook or Instagram may simply present the eCoupon you have posted to avail certain discounts. You can even send personal coupons via email to customers who have signed up for special newsletters in the past.
• Form a distribution strategy. How can you expect people to use your discount coupon if they don’t even know it exists in the first place? That being said, it’s important to focus on how your coupons may be distributed as well. There are various outlets that allow effortless distribution, such as through social media sites and electronic mail. If you own a website, then you can have these advertised there. This must also be planned carefully in terms of proper scheduling and segmentation. You need to find a way to make it as public as possible for the world to see.

Coupons are a significant part of successful branding that every business must look into. It helps a business gain a loyal following through offering special discounts and promos to consumers. The effectiveness of these coupons lies on how well you are able to communicate with your respective audience and build brand awareness with the coupon’s content and design. So if you’re thinking about creating a food coupon for your restaurant or grocery store business, always remember to take the smart approach in doing so.