Social media usage has become a significant part of everyday life for many consumers, with 69% of U.S. adults using at least one social media site (Hootsuite). As digital consumers spend an average of nearly 2.5 hours on social networks and messaging sites every day, it’s no surprise that social media has profoundly changed the way shoppers seek out and use coupons and offers (Hootsuite).
In fact, nearly three-quarters (71%) of consumers follow their favorite brands on social media to see and access coupons (Deal Nerd). Plus, 23% of Gen Z’ers prefer interacting via social media to receive offers, incentives, and sales notifications (American Express).
The balance between offers and providing relevant brand-centered content, however, is also essential. Why? Because more than a quarter of consumers (26%) reported “liking” a brand on Facebook for a one-time offer, then “unliking” them immediately after (Bridge Ratings).
All that to say, if someone doesn’t feel like ongoing engagement with your brand is going to add value to their social media experience, they’re probably not going to stick around after the instant gratification of cashing in on that initial offer.
Even if they don’t immediately disengage, nearly a quarter (24%) of consumers eventually “unliked” a brand on Facebook because the brand did not offer enough deals (Bridge Ratings).
And the experience people have with your brand online doesn’t stop with content posted directly on your page. Your network and community of loyal customers carry a certain level of power you can harness if you create content (and deals) worth sharing.
You have crowd-sourcing coupons and offers to thank for that as 22% of consumers ask their personal network for deals while shopping (Hawk Incentives). Not to mention, more than three-quarters of retailer coupons and loyalty cards installed on Apple Wallet were the result of customer referrals through sharing versus distribution through marketing channels (Urban Airship).
All that to say, even if your deal isn’t reaching someone directly from your newsfeed, there’s a good chance it could make its way organically to another user if it’s a valuable offer. This underscores the importance of effective offer management, relevant offers, and loyalty programs as a valuable tool to promote customer referrals and acquisition.
If you are using social media as merely a platform to push out company, product, and service news and updates (or worse, not using social media at all), it’s time to begin embracing these platforms as channels for sharing deals and offers with your network. Social media can be one of the most cost-effective ways to build brand loyalty, reach new audiences, and incentivize new customers to try your product.
Contact Sparkfly to learn more about how our technology can help you implement a successful strategy today.