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How to Create a Mobile Coupon
In this article...
Overview
Creating Your Coupon - 4 Easy Steps
- Step 1: Settings
- Step 2: Content
- Step 3: Helper Links
- Step 4: Redemption Screen
Using Your Coupon
Overview
Creating offers, tracking redemptions, managing click-throughs, COUPON ABUSE... where does it end? As a business owner, sometimes the tools at hand, while effective, can be tough to manage. What if there was a tool that could manage this all for you? And what if that tool was completely under your control?
Welcome to SlickText's Mobile Coupon Feature! All of your worries are a thing of the past. With our fully customizable mobile coupon, you can easily create, manage, and track those awesome offers you are sending out! In fact, we highly recommend that all users sending out mass marketing messages take advantage of this feature. Let's take a peak at how it works. Huzzah!
Creating Your Coupon - 4 Easy Steps
First things first:
- Log in to your SlickText account
- Marketing Tools
- Manage Coupons
- Create a New Coupon
Step 1: Settings
Your coupon settings represent everything behind the scenes for your coupon. Coupon information such as coupon name, description, and core functions, can be found here. This is the breakdown for each option in this Step.
Coupon Name (Customer will not see)
The title given to your coupon is very important. This is the identifying factor when choosing which coupon gets sent out in your text message. As opposed to calling your coupons something generic, such as: $5 OFF, or BOGO offer, try getting creative here. This will save you from a world of hurt in the long run, as you will easily be able to distinguish which coupons were previously used from ones that are not used.
Example: Birthday Coupon - FREE Dessert
Example: Oct 21st Campaign - $5 OFF
Example: Black Friday - 50% OFF ALL Inventory
Keep in mind that your subscribers do not see the coupon name. So feel free to place anything here that helps you identify your coupon!
Coupon Description
Not much to say here. This is just a spot for you to make any notes about the coupon for your own use.
Allow Only 1 Redemption Per Person?
Choose whether your coupon is only redeemable 1 time (YES) or multiple times (NO). There is a secondary drop down here as well which has a secondary effect on the (YES) option. In certain scenarios, you may want a coupon offer to be redeemed only one time, but then be able to offer it again for use after so much time has passed.
For example: Birthdays come once per year. To keep your birthday texts going for years to come, you would select (YES) the offer is only able to be redeemed 1 time: but can be redeemed again after 1 year. This is a major assistance in full account automation for the birthday feature!
Apply an Expiration Date
YES! or no. The choice is yours.
Expiration Date OR Days Till Expiration
Most coupons have an expiration on them somewhere. This can come in 1 of 2 forms. Either coupons come with an expiration date, or days until expiration. Though these options sound similar, there is a BIG difference.
Expiration Date: If you are looking to expire the coupon on an exact date, this is the route for you. Either type the date into the box here (mm/dd/yyyy) or take the easy route; click on the text box and find the date you want the coupon to expire. The information will then populate automatically.
Day Until Expiration: This feature allows users to receive a specific amount of time that they can use the coupon within until the coupon expires. This is great for scenarios in which you are not sure when users will receive your coupon. To use this option, simply type a number, such as: 14
Example: The auto-reply goes out to subscribers based on when THEY joined your list. A person can join your list today, tomorrow, or sometime in November. Regardless of when they join, they will now be giving X amount of time to redeem your offer within.
Allow Users to Vote
Selecting Yes here will generate a clickable thumbs up and thumbs down option closer to the bottom of your coupon. This function allows you to gain additional feedback about the value of your offer, in your customers' eyes.
Coupon Colorway
Find the color you are looking for, that will outline your coupon. Sometimes it helps to upload your image first and then adjust the coupon border and text colors based on the image upload (see Step 2 for uploading your image).
For those familiar with color hexes, just type in your preferred color hex to code generate those sweet shades. 😎
Step 2: Content
The coupon content represents the text and imagery that your subscribers see upon opening the coupon on their cell phone. Here you will focus on writing out your offers, branding, call to action, fine print, and more.
Header
This is a good place to restate your business name or organization, though you are not limited to this. A few examples are below.
- Slicktext VIP Club
- Happy Birthday
- Black Friday Sale
- Flash Sale
Offer Image
By clicking on the browse button, you can now upload an image right into the coupon. Be sure to upload a high-resolution photo as you do not want the image to be granular. Image files supported are png, jpg, and gif. There are no specific size requirements for the image as the coupon fills to meet the device size, however, 700 pixels in width is a recommended baseline to start at.
Offer
Write out the offer that the user will receive. Keep things simple here.
Offer Description
This is a good place to redefine your offer. For example, some offers require a purchase to be made in order to redeem the offer. Outline that portion here. Additionally, this is a great place to make the call to action clear. An example description is below.
Receive 1 FREE Burger with any fries and drink purchase. Valid on at XYZ location. Must show at checkout to redeem.
Redeem Button Text
To allow your subscribers to redeem their reward (and for you to track and prevent abuse), there is a redemption button available with customizable text. Keep things simple here such as: Redeem Now! or Associate Click Here!
Vote Up Button Text
Verbiage seen when casting a thumbs up vote. Examples: Love it! or It's Tasty!
Vote Down Button Text
Verbiage seen when casting a thumbs down vote. Examples: Hate it! or It's Burnt!
Fine Print
Largely unseen, the fine print allows you to outline restrictions, limitations, or additional requirements for offer redemptions. Fine print shows up at the bottom of the coupon. A solid boilerplate fine print template is below.
Limited to 1 per person. Cannot be combined with any other offers. Offer expires in 14 days or upon use. Must show at checkout to redeem. Valid only at X location.
Step 3: Helper Links
These social buttons will help your subscribers find quick ways of getting of you or your business. By turning any of these options on and filling out the information required, subscribers can simply click on the corresponding icon to access your information.
Show Call Link
Place your store phone number here
Show Website Link
Place a link leading back to your website
Show Facebook Link
Place a link leading back to your Facebook page. Note: This is NOT your handle. This is the link itself
Show Instagram Link
Place a link leading back to your Instagram page. Note: This is NOT your handle. This is the link itself
Show Directions Link
Place a link here that brings users to your location via Google Maps. For those not familiar, head to google. Then type in your store's address. Now click on MAPS. From here, copy and paste the URL.
Step 4: Redemption Screen
Arguably the most important part of your coupon, the redemption screen is a key part of tracking used offers and preventing against abuse (multiple use) of deals and promotions.
Redemption Type?
Standard - This is simply just a self-made code entry (redemption code), same as a promo code or a code to use online
Barcode - Choosing this option will open a drop-down below. Here, you are able to create a barcode for the self-made code entry (redemption code). If this code entry aligns with the code entry in your POS system and you are using a barcode format that your POS scanner can read (scan), your scanner will be able to scan this code during the checkout process. Your POS system will then deduct the offer from the total.
Image - With this option, you are able to upload another image. This is helpful as your POS system may scan barcodes, but may not accept any of the available formats that are built into the coupon. Here, you can upload a high-resolution image of your barcode as a jpg. or png. format, making this coupon scannable by your POS system's scanner.
Redemption Action
Remind your customers of the call to action. How do they use the code?
For example: Use code below at checkout, associate scan code below, show at checkout to redeem, etc.
Redemption Code
This is the promo code itself that the barcode would represent. This is customizable by you, but should match up with the code in your POS system (where applicable) to validate the use of the offer. If your POS system is not set up to scan a barcode, this code is simply just a place holder. Simply hit the "complete redemption" button located at the bottom of the redemption screen to complete the redemption.
Using Your Mobile Coupon (Inserting the Mobile Coupon)
Now that your coupon has been created, you are ready to send out your text blast with a that 'oh so sweet' offer. Head over to any campaign creation page (ie. send a message, auto-reply, birthday text, drip campaign, etc.) and start typing in your text content. Next, provide your users with a call to action, prompting them to click on the coupon link. And finally, click on the "insert" drop-down box located at the bottom right of your text box. Here you will find the option for mobile coupon. Then click "insert into message," voila! Your coupon now appears as a clickable link for any subscriber receiving said message.
And as always, make sure to test out the coupon before sending it out to your subscribers. You can do this just by opening the coupon link in a new window in your browser. Have fun!
