As social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter continue to grow, companies are taking advantage of them to offer special deals to their fans.
Using today as an example, on Twitter, shoppers will find that Target is offering “Buy One, Get One for $1: Juniors’ Long and Lean Tanks”. KMart is offering prizes for product reviews. Orbitz announced “We have great Miami hotel deals for this weekend!” And WalMart said “Be one the first 1,800 to preorder Justin Bieber: Never Say Never & get a copy autographed.”
Another trend that has been observed is for companies to use Facebook and Twitter to hold contests and drawings. Companies will set a particular time and those who are fans can participate. Lowe’s took this to a new level several months back when they held a weekend long promotion. The company would announce a new special and how to contact them. They allotted a number of people they would pass the deal onto. Fans would contact them and once that number was reached the deal was over. Many customers were able to receive expensive items for as much as ninety percent off. The demand was so high that it ended up crashing the website temporarily.
Lowes is not the first or the only company to appeal to customers through their Facebook page. Many businesses are using the site to offer specialized deals and coupons that are only accessible to their fans. This helps the business grow their customer base and allows the customers a special offer they may not have realized previously.
By becoming a fan of their favorite product, consumers can sometimes receive a coupon or even a free sample through their Twitter or Facebook feed. Even those sites that are set up to bring consumers the best deals each day are often directing them to a company’s social networking site. Many times the deals can only be found at a specific time of day on a specific date.
Coupons are still in high demand, but the use of social networking to acquire deals is growing rapidly. As companies see the advantages of building fans by offering these deals they will continue to do so. Consumers find it an easy way to get a bargain and keep up with the latest offerings of their favorite store, product or company.
