Social Media: The Same-Day Deal

You see it all the time posted on Facebook and Twitter, “Today only, 10 percent off your entire purchase!” or “Book a massage for today and receive 20 percent off!” These same-day deals are the attempts of businesses trying to speed up a slow day, or to land an instant customer through a deal they can’t refuse and a deadline they can’t miss. The deals are often tempting and the deadline inflicts a strict call-to-action, which allows for little decision-making time and immediate response. These posts sound like a great idea, but do they really work to drive sales and are the sales positively affecting the bottom line? To answer this, it makes sense to review the types of deals offered and which businesses are using this method.

First, the deal. Is the “same-day” deal something people want to buy, or is it something the business wants to push? This means identifying the business motivation for launching the deal and the motivation of the consumer. For the deal to work, it must be heavier on the consumer motivation side than on the business need. For example, if a business offers 10 percent off of a specific product, is it because they want to move the product or because it is something the consumer wants to purchase, but needs a push?

Second, the business. Do the business goals warrant a same-day deal and will the audience be receptive? From a business aspect, will the business benefit from a same-day deal in terms of the audience it will attract? Will the one-day deal lead to exposure to a new audience or will it entice a repeat purchase from an existing customer? From the audience standpoint, will the audience respond to the same-day deal? Is the purchasing decision one they can make on the spot? As an example, if a spa decides to issue a “book an appointment for today and receive a discount” deal, will the consumers be able to make the decision to purchase a service, book an appointment, and be able to make it into the spa the same day?

By reviewing these two main contributors, a business can decide if a same-day deal will work for them, or if it will be a failed attempt (failed attempt = no response, or overwhelming response that negatively affects the bottom line or disrupts buying processes). Choose your deals wisely and be sure your social audience is listening!