Sending coupons via email and sms

Modified on Tue, 9 Jan at 7:08 AM

In this guide, we will take you step by step through the process of incorporating coupons into your email and sms campaigns in a dynamic and personalized manner. This means that each recipient will receive a unique coupon code. This is achieved through the use of dynamic variables, which automatically replace generic placeholders in your campaigns with personalized coupon details. 

In other words, instead of sending the same coupon code to every customer, this approach ensures that each customer gets their own unique code. This personalization can significantly enhance the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns, as customers are more likely to engage with and respond to offers that are specifically designed for them. 

Another significant advantage of this approach is that these unique codes are customer-specific and cannot be easily shared. This ensures that the benefits of your promotions remain exclusive to the intended recipient.

Now, let's delve into the detailed process to understand how to set up these dynamic coupon codes in your email and SMS campaigns.

Sending coupons in email campaigns:

1. Begin by creating an email campaign, following the steps outlined in our guide “How to create an email broadcast campaign

2. While setting up your email template using the drag-and-drop editor, click on the row within the template where you want to incorporate coupon codes.

3. A toolbox will appear, providing various options. Click on "More" in the dropdown menu and select "Coupon Code."

4. A "Select Coupon Code" popup window will appear, offering you two crucial options:

   - Select coupon code: Click the dropdown and choose the specific coupon you wish to use for this campaign.

   - Choose token: Here, you can select the token you want to display, whether it's the coupon code, coupon expiration date, or coupon description. You can even add multiple tokens based on your preferences.

5. After selecting the desired token, click on the "Update" button.

6. When you update, the tag will be added to your email template, displaying the selected token. For instance:

   - If you chose to display the coupon code, it might appear as: {{ COUPON['welcome50']['coupon_code'] }} - representing the coupon code.

   - If you opted for the coupon description, it could be: {{ COUPON['welcome50']['coupon_description'] }} - revealing the coupon's description.

   - And if you selected coupon expiration, it might look like: {{ COUPON['welcome50']['coupon_expiry'] }} - indicating the coupon's expiration time.

Welcome50 is an example coupon list name, this will be replaced by the name of your selected coupon list.

Sending coupons in sms campaigns:

To incorporate dynamic coupons into your SMS campaigns, follow these steps:

1. Start by creating a sms campaign, following the steps in our guide “How to create sms campaign

2. In the second page titled "Content," you'll notice a user icon next to the message box. This is from where you can add dynamic coupon variables to your message.

3. Click within the message box where you want to insert the coupon, then click on the user icon and select "Coupon Code."

4. A "Select Coupon Code" popup window will appear, presenting you with two essential choices:

- Select coupon code: Use the dropdown to pick the specific coupon you want for this campaign.

- Choose token: This option allows you to select the type of information you want to display, whether it's the coupon code, coupon expiration date, or coupon description. You can even add multiple tokens based on your preferences.

5. After choosing the desired token, click on the "Update" button.

6. When you update, the tag will be added to your SMS message, displaying the selected token. For example:

   - If you chose to display the coupon code, it might appear as: {{ COUPON['welcome50']['coupon_code'] }} - representing the coupon code.

   - If you selected the coupon description, it could be: {{ COUPON['welcome50']['coupon_description'] }} - revealing the coupon's description.

   - And if you opted for coupon expiration, it might look like: {{ COUPON['welcome50']['coupon_expiry'] }} - indicating the coupon's expiration time.

The term "Welcome50" is an example coupon list name, and this will be replaced by the name of your selected coupon list. 

Email/sms campaign preview

When you dispatch your sms/emails, the variable mentioned above will be dynamically replaced with a unique discount code for each recipient. However, when previewing the sms/emails within Notifyvisitors, you won't see individualized coupon codes.

If you want to see a live code, you should send a test campaign to yourself or a team member. This action will trigger the generation of a live code for preview. It's important to make sure you have a sufficient number of codes in your account. If there are not enough available codes, you won't observe a unique code during the test campaign. In this case, you'll need to add more codes before sending a test SMS/email with a live coupon code.

It's crucial to understand that unique live codes are generated only when you send a test campaign to a test segment. If you send the test campaign to multiple individuals, then the live code will not be generated.

Once you are ready to send or schedule your campaign, click on "Review & Send Campaign." At this stage, our system checks the number of recipients and compares them with the available coupon codes.

If the number of users in the campaign exceeds the available number of codes, you will receive an error message. In this situation, you can resolve it by clicking on the "Add Codes" button. Clicking this button will open a new tab where you can manage and add coupon codes.

In case you disregard the error and proceed to send the sms/email campaign via broadcast or a journey without adding more coupons, the coupon code will appear as blank in the message, which can lead to a less effective campaign. To prevent this, it's crucial to ensure that you have an adequate supply of coupon codes before sending your campaign.

With dynamic variables, you can seamlessly integrate unique coupon codes into your email and sms campaigns, delivering personalized offers to your audience. This enhances engagement and maximizes the impact of your campaigns.

Using coupons in automated journey

When it comes to using unique coupon codes in your journey emails, NotifyVisitors ensures a seamless process. These codes are automatically generated in batches of 100. As soon as the available number of coupon codes falls below 100 or if there are changes to the expiration period, NotifyVisitors will generate another batch of 100 coupon codes. This automated system guarantees that there are always a sufficient number of codes available for your live journey emails. Consequently, you won't have to manually add batches of coupon codes using the "Add Codes" option for shopify or manual upload.

Note

It's important to note that if your journey is associated with a list to which you plan to add a large number of contacts, it's advisable to take a different approach. In this scenario, it's better to send the coupon codes in a campaign instead. You will need to add as many codes as the number of contacts you intend to add to the list. This approach is particularly crucial when dealing with substantial list uploads, as it ensures that your emails are sent out promptly and efficiently.

Coupon code reminder automated journey

An effective way to make the most of NotifyVisitors' automated journeys is to proactively engage with individuals who have received a coupon code but haven't used it yet. You can achieve this by adding an extra email or SMS message to the same journey that initially distributed the coupon, but scheduled this sms/email to be sent a few days later.

Here's how to implement this strategy:

1. Condition block: After the initial email or SMS, introduce a condition block in the journey. This block checks whether the recipient has made a purchase or not.

2. Purchase check: If the recipient has made a purchase, you can choose to conclude the journey or extend it with additional actions, if necessary. This can include post-purchase follow-ups or other marketing initiatives.

3. No purchase reminder: If the recipient hasn't placed an order, seamlessly incorporate another email or SMS block into the journey. This message acts as a gentle reminder, highlighting that the coupon remains unused and encouraging the recipient to take advantage of it.

4. Urgency note: Especially when the coupon has a short expiration date, it's a good practice to include a message within your communication emphasizing on the expiration of the coupon. This added sense of urgency can further motivate recipients to use the coupon and complete a purchase.

This kind of follow-up can significantly improve your conversion rates and boost the overall success of your marketing efforts.

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