What do you do when you want to track results from influencer marketing campaigns and offline channels like podcasts but can’t use click tracking? Enter voucher codes. This article highlights three benefits of using voucher codes (hint: more revenue), and a bonus on how to use voucher codes to optimize A/B testing.
OfferForge has since 2005 lead the South African market in tracking online performance marketing. But how do you track sales performance in the fast-evolving social, podcast & influencer marketing campaigns where click tracking doesn’t work?
Enter voucher code partner tracking, through which OfferForge now tracks and attribute the revenue generated to affiliate & influencers.
Using voucher codes for clickless tracking
Voucher codes are also known as promotional (promo) codes, coupon codes, vanity, discount or referral codes and are a highly effective tool for advertisers & brands to track influencer marketing campaigns on media buying platforms such as TikTok, YouTube, Instagram or offline channels including print, podcasts, TV or radio where digitally tracked attribution is not possible.
On Instagram, for instance, when an influencer promotes a voucher in their post they can add a promo code directly in the caption or comments, where traditional links are not allowed. Though our attribution tracking the brand can tie conversions back to their post.
The code will typically include the influencer’s name or a shortened version of their name in addition to the discount percentage that will be applied to the purchase, like “Use code: JAMES15” or “Enter promo code: KELLY30.”
This enables you to easily track the number of sales attributed to that code and measure the overall success of the influencer’s campaign.
In the OfferForge network, you can create voucher codes for your partners, and partners can request codes via the affiliate portal.
You can also manage the attribution settings for the use of a voucher code. For example, if a consumer had previously clicked on a campaign tracking link, you can decide whether you want to pay out the affiliate (influencer) that had the voucher code or the affiliate that generated a click on a different advertisement. To limit the use of a voucher code, you can also set expiration dates on them or set a maximum amount of uses (e.g. first 1,000 users.)
3 benefits of using voucher codes
Using voucher codes to accurately track your performance marketing campaigns will also provide additional benefits to the advertiser.
- Increase conversion rates: Voucher codes drive shoppers to try new products and brands, help convince them to finalize a purchase, and have been shown to lead online shoppers to return to an abandoned shopping cart.
- Increase order value: When customers save money through an offer, many will increase the amount of their purchase, oftentimes far beyond the value of their original order. 40% of consumers say they’d spend more overall and/or (28%) purchase a more expensive product with an exclusive offer. To encourage larger purchases, you can restrict the use of the voucher code to a certain dollar amount (e.g. “Use code FREESHIP50” for free shipping on any order of R500 or more), which will motivate customers to spend more to get access to a certain discount or benefit.
- Increase brand loyalty: One great way to show your customers you care and earn their business is to treat them to a special offer. Special codes make customers feel like they’re part of the insiders’ club or in the VIP suite. And when they feel like they’re a valued customer, they will be more loyal to your brand: 68% of consumers say digital coupons help generate brand loyalty. They will also be more likely to share a voucher code in their network. And that word-of-mouth marketing has a positive impact on the reputation of your brand as a quality retailer.
Bonus: use voucher codes to optimize A/B testing
A/B testing should be part of every campaign and when you use a different voucher code for different offers, channels, or campaign elements, you can easily identify which ads and channels are performing the best.
Experiment by creating unique voucher codes for:
- The same offer sent out via different channels;
- Different ads on the same web page;
- Different email formats;
- Emails with different messaging; and
- Different offer amounts (e.g. 10% off R200 order, 15% off R500 order, 20% off R2000 order).
The goal: increased visibility and accuracy
Voucher codes are a great option to accurately measure your campaign performance, especially for offline media and influencer marketing campaigns. With OfferForge’s clickless tracking through voucher codes, you can easily track all media buys in a single platform, increasing visibility, and accuracy around attribution and performance measurement.
How to get started
If you’re an OfferForge advertiser, please contact your Account Manager or Technical Support today to learn more about using voucher codes to accomplish clickless tracking within OfferForge.
If you’re looking to learn more about OfferForge and our measurement solutions, contact us today.