Unless you are busy all the time, fully booked for each and every meal setting, coupons are a good way to promote.
The best thing about promoting with coupons is you can set the terms and conditions. Some conditions I recommend include:
- If you are busy on Saturday and Sunday nights, then set your coupon to exclude these nights.
- If you are busy during the evenings then create a lunchtime only deal.
- Limit the number of coupons on offer. The best way to do this is by limiting the print, or with online coupon promotions limit the number of coupons available for redemptions.
- Set an expiry date and measure. Again, good online coupon applications will give you statistics to measure performance so use online coupons to set shorter expiry dates and measure.
If you need help with working out what type of deal to offer see my previous post “What discount should I offer” and don’t be pressured into offering a discount to a third party program like the ‘Entertainment Book’ if promoting with them makes you lose control of your promotion.