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Coupon Marketing Strategy: How and Why Marketers Should Use Coupon Codes

A practical guide to using coupon codes with a defined goal: target the right audience, choose a checkout method, limit discount costs, and measure results.
From TheFinanceBase Team4 min to read
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Use coupon codes when they support a defined business goal and you can measure whether the resulting sales justify the discount. A code is a campaign tool—not proof that a promotion created new demand. Set the objective, target the right customers, control eligibility and stacking, and assess the effect on sales and margin.

Start with the business goal

Choose the outcome before deciding the size or format of the discount. A promotion intended to acquire new customers should be designed differently from one meant to move selected inventory or encourage larger orders. Shopify describes coupon marketing as distributing special deals to drive sales and notes that campaigns can also provide information about customer behavior and targeting (Shopify’s coupon marketing strategy guide).

Goal Possible offer What to measure
Acquire customers A code for a first purchase New-customer orders and the cost of the discount
Move selected inventory A percentage discount on specified products Sales of eligible products and margin after discount
Encourage a larger basket A multibuy or fixed-amount offer Average order value and the margin on qualifying orders
Re-engage customers An offer targeted to an appropriate customer segment Redemptions and purchases from the intended segment

These are strategic examples, not guaranteed results. A larger order or a redeemed code does not by itself show that the campaign generated incremental sales.

Match the offer to the audience

Use customer behavior, purchase history, or location to decide who should receive an offer. Targeting can make a promotion more relevant and prevent a discount from reaching people who would have bought at full price. Shopify recommends using customer segments when planning coupon campaigns (Shopify).

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Evidence also cautions against assuming one offer works equally well for everyone. A 2022 working paper by Henrika Langen and Martin Huber analyzed one retailer’s coupon campaign using causal machine learning. Only two of the five tested coupon categories had statistically significant positive effects on retailer sales, and reported effects varied among groups defined by prior purchases (Langen and Huber’s working paper). The result is specific to that campaign; it is not a general estimate of coupon performance.

Context can matter alongside customer history. A 2020 study of a restaurant-chain distribution experiment found that proximity and context mattered to redemption, and cautioned against assuming one distribution approach fits every campaign (Spiekermann, Rothensee, and Klafft’s study). Treat audience, offer, and distribution as choices to test rather than as universal rules.

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Choose a code or an automatic discount

A coupon code asks the shopper to enter a specific string at checkout. An automatic discount applies when the order meets the configured conditions. Shopify’s documentation describes these methods and their respective trade-offs (Shopify Help Center: Discount methods).

Method How it works Trade-off to consider
Discount code The shopper enters the code at checkout Useful for targeted campaigns such as email or partnerships, but a shopper can forget to enter it
Automatic discount The discount applies in cart or checkout when eligibility conditions are met Reduces entry friction, but shoppers may not notice the discount and broad eligibility can discount too many orders

Choose the method that fits how the offer is distributed and what you need to learn. A code can help identify redemptions associated with a particular campaign, while an automatic discount removes the need for shoppers to remember a string. Either method still needs clear eligibility rules and monitoring.

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Set limits and measure the economics

Before launch, decide which products and customers qualify, how long the promotion runs, and whether it can be combined with other discounts. Deep discounts and overlapping offers can erode margin. Track redemptions alongside sales and the discount’s effect on the bottom line; Shopify recommends examining the discount style and products associated with redemptions as well as customer response (Shopify).

  • Define the intended outcome and the customer group before choosing the offer.
  • Specify eligible products, purchase conditions, and any expiration or usage limits.
  • Check whether the promotion can stack with other discounts.
  • Monitor redemptions and sales for the products and customers the campaign targets.
  • Assess whether the outcome justified the discount, rather than treating redemptions alone as success.

Compare results with a suitable baseline or control where your setup allows it. Without a comparison, a rise in sales during a promotion does not establish that the offer caused the increase.

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Keep merchant promotions accurate

For US retailers participating in Google Shopping ads or free product listings, Google says providing competitive prices or promotions may make a retailer eligible for increased visibility. Its guidance recommends specific, accurate promotion titles, structured promotion data, accurate product labels for reporting, removing stale offers, and monitoring performance. Eligibility depends on the program and geography, so check the current requirements in the relevant Merchant Center account (Google Merchant Center: Promotions best practices).

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Disclose paid coupon relationships

A personalized influencer or affiliate code may suggest a relationship with a brand without making clear that the influencer is paid. The Federal Trade Commission says disclosures should make that relationship clear; for affiliate links, a clear and conspicuous disclosure should appear near the link or review. The phrase “affiliate link” alone may not explain that the publisher earns money. The FTC also says endorsements must reflect the endorser’s accurate experience and opinion, so do not claim to have used or tested a product if you have not (FTC’s Endorsement Guides: What People Are Asking). This is US federal guidance; publishers should verify the rules that apply in their markets.

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How much weight should you give older coupon statistics?

A 2011 release from RetailMeNot/WhaleShark Media described Forrester research in which 88% of 504 US coupon users surveyed said online coupons or promotion codes “close the deal” on a purchase decision. The same survey reported that 60% said a coupon or code would make them more likely to reconsider an uncompleted cart. These figures are from an old, commercially commissioned survey, not a current representative estimate of shoppers (RetailMeNot/WhaleShark Media release).

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best couponing strategy?

The best approach depends on the business goal. Choose an offer and audience for a specific purpose—such as acquiring first-time customers, moving selected inventory, re-engaging a segment, or encouraging a larger basket—then measure the result against the discount cost. No coupon format is universally best.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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