Creating Effective Offers That Appeal to Potential Customers

How to Create Effective Offers:

Who doesn't like a freebie? A sale or promo? Chances are, whatever your target market is, that they'll be intrigued by some kind of special offer.

Obviously, your offer should be based on your primary customer, potential or repeat.

Offers are part of direct-response marketing, a key strategy for small businesses that maximizes return on investment. Therefore, when you reflect on the success or failure of a special offer, call-out, or special promotion, you can often measure it in dollars or a definite number of purchasing customers.

Ultimately, your offer should:

Cater to Your Audience:

If you're targeting teachers, for example, make sure that your offer is well thought out, proofread, and is presented at an opportune time in their busy school schedule (i.e. weeks before re-entering the classroom, after the holiday rush, etc.)

Communicate Your Business Message:

Use the offer to reinforce what you want to say about your business. If your business message is that you offer best value in town, offer a low-price guarantee or price matching, for example.

Entice at Least One Emotion:

Think of a very funny commercial, or a sad scene in a movie. It's easy to do, because we remember how we felt, and that jogs our memory of what was said or presented. 

Make sure your offer either excites your customer, makes their jaw drop, or incites loyalty to continue supporting your company.

Be Time Sensitive or Foster an Urgent Feeling

Once, I made a coupon and forgot to put an expiration date on the bottom. 

Big mistake. 

Prices change, products change, etc.  The most effective offers create a sense of urgency to act. 

Remember that every offer doesn't have to result in a purchase immediately, but it does require some sort of action. 

Get the action or response within a set time frame to maximize the quality of your customers—only the ones who seriously are interested will take action.

Include Easy Steps to Take Action o Purchase

Every week, I scan the newspaper looking at advertisements. A few weeks ago, I saw a great ad for rare garden plants at 1/2 off. No phone number to call. No address. No website. Just a company name. Although I wanted to find the exact plant pictured in the ad, I wasn't willing to do any work to take action. 

I admit I never looked it up in the phone book or on the Internet. While the offer was good, there were no sale dates and no call to action. I turned the page and forgot about it until now. And, of course, all I remember was the photo and the discount. 

Make sure, above all, that it is easy for the customer to go from "looking" at your ad to taking action, whether that action is contacting you, getting a free sample, or stopping by. If making a significant purchase isn't the ultimate goal (at least not yet), try some of these offers and action steps:

1.  Offer a price lock/rate guarantee.
2.  Offer a free trial period.
3.  Offer a free gift or sample.
4.  Offer a free upgrade.
5.  Offer a free mailing list or signup to your newsletter.
6.  Offer a signup for a free information kit.
7.  Get a referral.
8.  Get feedback, testimonials, or comment.

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What's Next

Next In This Guide
Part 5:
Focus on Your Target Market - The key for any small business owner is to focus on your target market only: What do they want, and what don't they want? Sometimes, less is more.

Previous In This guide
Part 3:
Focusing on Your Message - How to create a message and make an impact on your customers.

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Street Smart Guide to Small Business Marketing

 

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