Mobile Coupons

We’ve all received those text messages letting us know that we’ve won a new iPad or that Wal Mart has special coupons for us . . . if we just click on a link.

The problem: this is spam, and no one likes spam! We’ve gotten used to it in our email inboxes, and although we don’t love it there either, our cell phones are much more intimate. Getting text message spam feels like a much bigger violation of our privacy.

So, my mission today is to briefly explain what a mobile coupon is, how it works, and why you don’t need to be afraid of it.

Think of a mobile coupon like an email opt-in—they’re completely free and you need to give direct consent in order to receive them. If you no longer want to receive the coupons, simply reply "STOP," and you’re instantly opted-out. Doesn’t that make you feel better already?

The reason why they’re so effective for a business is because the list of contacts they have accumulated have all explicitly said they want to hear from you. They also know that 97% of people will check their text messages within three minutes. So, whether it’s a reminder for a hair appointment or a lunch special, you can be sure that your audience is going to get your message and check it right away.

You might be asking yourself, "How do I sign up to get mobile coupons?" Well, it depends, first, if the business uses them—most of the time if they do, they’ll let you know via social media, in store, on their website, and anywhere else that they have contact with you. Again, they’re just letting you know about them and that the only way they can send them to you is if you’ve opted-in to receive them.

Expect to get short notice offers, like three-hour sales, special late night store openings, first ten people to reply get something for X% off, etc. It’s another fun way for brands to interact with you.

The two keys to success using mobile coupons are permission and value. I never recommend a business sends more than one message a week—it’s a fine line between benefit and annoyance. My best advice for a business is to send a message less often, but make sure that it’s a knockout deal, to get people coming into your business today!

The next time you get text message spam, simply forward the message to the phone number: 7726 (SPAM). Unfortunately, this won’t stop future spam from coming through, but it will report it to the proper authorities, so they can figure out where it’s coming from and try to stop it at the source.

Happy texting!

For the Top 5 Canadian Coupon Websites, click here.