If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it…

Well, if a promotion lands on the internet and no one is told it is there, then it most certainly won’t make a sound. We in the industry call this “activation”, and it simply means getting the word out about a promotion.

Online to Offline – Online promotions in and of themselves are a great way to prioritize digital and more importantly use digital to drive to brick-and-mortar. By giving away gift cards or coupons that can be redeemed in your physical store, you can encourage people to come back to your store.  Of course, always advocate COVID safety wherever can – you want to be one of the good guys.  In fact, the promotion can be a great way to communicate to your customers all of the safety measures you have in place.  Make sure those cards and coupons can ALSO be redeemed on your website if possible (remember, Digital First!)

Email Growth – If you don’t have an email marketing program, or if your email marketing effort is lacking, promotions can help. One of the primary reasons for online promotions is to grow the value of your email list.  By giving something away in a sweepstakes or instant win game, you give people who are interested in your products or services an extra incentive to connect with you.  You can also thank your existing customers by giving away prizes that will help you re-engage with them.

Strategery – It’s really all about having a plan that takes into account your target audience, your existing assets, your product and your budget. Using multiple channels for activation and measuring each channel’s performance should influence your “strategery” for the next promotion. This will help create a snowball effect as you add to your offerings.