Have you ever offered a promotion on a daily-deal site like Groupon or LivingSocial? The experience of running a Groupon or LivingSocial promotion can be a mixed bag, to say the least. On one hand, you make a lot of new contacts and your phone rings off the hook for a short time. On the other hand, you don’t make as much money as you hoped, and the overwhelming majority of these new contacts are just there for the discount. These bargain hunters, or “Groupon groupies” as we like to call them, rarely return to your business because they’re only interested in deals.
So, what do you do? How do you capitalize on the opportunity to expand your loyal customer base with a Groupon or LivingSocial deal? It’s not easy to do, given the fleeting interests of your new customers. However, there are a few things you can do to stay top of mind and lure them back. We’ve put together some tips below. Check ’em out!

1. Only use a daily deal like Groupon or LivingSocial if you’re a service provider.

If you use the coupon site to sell products, expect to lose a lot of money and inventory. On the other hand, promoting deals as a service provider just means you lose time. Still not a win, but definitely worth it if it leads to expanding your customer base.

2. Get their email address before you perform any service.

When you get their email address right from the jump, you already have their contact details and you don’t have to track them down after the service is complete. Getting their email address is crucial because it enables you to keep them in your marketing funnel and follow up with them later. Even though they’re bargain hunting, they’ve still demonstrated an interest in your services—which means they have the potential to be consistent customers if you play your cards right.

3. Ask them to like your Facebook page and follow you on other social media right away.

Do this as soon as your service is complete—or even smack-dab in the middle of it. This helps you grow your social reach and follower count, which are important numbers in your overall web presence. Facebook also functions as another channel for promoting specials to customers in the future.

Related: “The Only Checklist You Need for a Winning Facebook Page”

4. Don’t be afraid to up-sell immediately.

Hand them a coupon for a similar service with a comparable discount so they’re tempted to return. We’ve already established these customers are bargain hunters, so another discount will surely lead them back to you. Plus, next time, at least the middleman (Groupon, LivingSocial, etc.) won’t be part of the equation.

5. Remember to follow up a few weeks later.

Following up helps you stay top of mind. Sending them special offers and discounts to get them back in the door is a great idea. However, you should also ask them for reviews and referrals to help you grow your customer base even further.

6. Don’t spam them!

Nothing turns off customers more than a constant barrage of texts and emails. Show some restraint and only contact them a maximum of once per week.

7. Give them an experience worth returning for.

This may seem obvious, but it bears mentioning. Don’t phone it in just because they’re not paying you full price. Give them the royal treatment—really wow them. Otherwise, if they’re unhappy with their experience, all the follow-up emails and Facebook posts in the world won’t bring them back.
Have you discovered any other tricks that work for you? Let us know!
Good luck out there!