Something I get asked about sometimes as an internet media marketing consultant are Groupon type offers and if they are worth doing in terms of getting new business. One of the reasons that some businesses shy away from them is the worry that they will take too big of a hit from the discounts they will have to give. Additionally, their concerns are that the potential clients they will attract are bargain hunters and therefore not necessarily good prospects for retention.
On the flip side, the benefits of doing a Groupon type offer include building visibility as well as introducing totally new people to your business. One thought when deciding “to Groupon or not to Groupon” is to look at the offer you are considering presenting and its potential for upsell. Also, if you are in a service business with multiple employees, you could set up contests for rebookings. In the final analysis, taking calculated risks when trying new marketing campaigns is always a good thing. Because if something does not measure up to expectation, you can always not do it again.