When clients and prospects see the dashed border of a coupon, they hear the three magic selling words:
"save," "money," and "free." Everyone loves a bargain, and price shoppers associate a coupon's dashed line with money in their pockets. Coupons can line your pockets, too.
A (Dashed) Chorus Line
You can use coupons to increase the response of every marketing piece you do. For example, an ad with a coupon will usually outpull a non-coupon ad. Coupons inspire prospects into action with the lure of something free. They also visually signal to readers that you want them to respond. Giving your coupons an expiration date will make them sing another selling word:
"now."
Coupons are a good way to track the effectiveness of any promotion. Instead of tallying how clients heard about you, simply count your stack of coupons. Build your mailing list by using a coupon as an entry form for a drawing or sweepstakes. This allows you to use yet another magic selling word:
"win."
Coupons also allow you to test ad copy or compare results from two different publications. Test various publications or offers by including coupons that clients must either bring in with them or mention when scheduling an appointment. In addition, some savvy therapists place codes on their coupons to help them track the sources.
Coupons are a great way for potential clients to reduce the risk of utilizing your services for the first time. At the other end of the spectrum, for ongoing clients, coupons can say another prized selling phrase:
"Thank you." A great option is to design coupons to look like gift certificates and mail them along with a thank-you letter.
Words You Can Use
Every coupon you create should have a clearly defined offer, whether it is a dollar savings, a percentage discount (see sample below), or an offer like
"buy five, get one free." It is a good idea to set the offer as your headline. You can strengthen the selling power of any ad or flyer by writing the headline copy of the coupon first and working backward: This forces you to think in terms of your offer and its benefits.
Assign an expiration date to every coupon, and clearly explain any other special rules that apply. If you are soliciting an order by mail (for those of you who also sell products), list payment and delivery options, and include your phone number. Be sure to repeat any information you do not want lost when the coupon is removed. Encourage people to call for another coupon if the current one is missing.
Graphically Speaking
The most important design rule for coupons is to use a dashed box. You can vary this by using a dotted line or other border, but remember that the line style firmly entrenched in the mind of buyers as saying
"coupon" is the dashed line. If you do not use a dashed line, be sure to use a header that includes the
"coupon." |
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Scissor dingbats also can increase the response of your coupon ad. Look in Microsoft Wingdings or Zapf Dingbats for icons. If your printing budget allows, perforate the dashed line to make removal easier.
Commanding Paper And Placement
Ink color, paper, and placement affect the image your coupon creates. Give coupons for expensive products a feeling of value. Experiment with printing them on parchment or colored paper to make them stand out. When in doubt, make them look as much like money as possible.
When including a coupon in an ad or flyer, place it at the bottom of the page. If it does not extend across the entire page, place it in the bottom right-hand corner. The actual coupon should not dominate the ad, unless the entire ad is the coupon (such as a small-space ad in the coupon section of a newspaper). A business reply card or tear-off fold of a brochure can serve as a coupon in a direct mail piece.
For design inspiration, note product and service coupons in direct mail card packs and grocery coupons included in most Sunday papers. These advertisers spend a huge chunk of their budget on coupons, and they know about coupon designs that speak loudly.
Elaine Floyd is the author of Advertising From the Desktop, Marketing with Newsletters, and Quick & Easy Newsletters on a Shoestring Budget. She owns Newsletter Resources in St. Louis, and can be reached at: 314-353-6100, or
[www.newsletterinfo.com].
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