Public Relations & Social Marketing Insight

For generations, consumers have loved using coupons. But with a smartphone in nearly every American’s hand, today’s mobile marketing coupons aren’t your mother’s newspaper clippings.

Research shows mobile coupon use is expected to climb to 48 percent by 2017, compared to 40.5 percent this year, according to eMarketer. By 2017, nearly half of American companies with 100 or more employees will offer mobile coupons via mobile-friendly websites, apps, email, or texts. Those coupons are aimed at US Internet users who say they access coupons for online and off-line shopping, eMarketer reports.

For content marketers, coupons and incentives can be a relatively easy way to generate buzz, promote customer loyalty, secure new customers, and, critically, drive sales. But even marketing tactics as universally loved as coupons may need a content marketing boost to hit their mark. Simply put, a coupon may not be enough to drive consumers to purchase, especially as mobile coupons become more ubiquitous. Brands must think creatively about using mobile coupons within their content marketing strategies to better capture consumer attention....