You’ve heard of Groupon and LivingSocial (maybe you even broke the bank buying those darn coupons). But what about B2bucks.com or BizyDeal.com?
While deal-of-the-day group coupons are a big hit with consumers, it’s uncertain whether they’ll catch on in B2B. Still, that hasn’t stopped several sites from trying.
The concept usually involves a minimum number of purchases needed for a deal to be activated, serving as a sort of insurance for advertisers. This works well for B2C deals—although not without some profitability challenges.
In B2B, you’re even less likely to make big money directly from a group coupon offer. And yet, maybe that’s not the point.
The value of a social commerce site, after all, is much more social than commercial. Think of it as another marketing channel to reach and engage new prospects.
So, is a deal-of-the-day right for your business? Depends. It’s a more logical fit for small- to medium-sized businesses with transactional business models. Group coupons can help fill the pipeline with new customers for equipment parts, design and delivery services, etc.
If you decide to give it a try, do so as a marketing and advertising investment. Check out these sites: GroupPrice.com , OfficeArrow.com and RapidBuyr.com … and let us know how it goes.
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4 comments:
Hey Tom, thanks for the mention! We're excited about the potential for this type of offering in the b2b space. You've hit the nail on the head - we do see ourselves working directly with small- and medium-sized businesses primarily, though we don't require any minimum purchases in order for our deals to be activated. We'll be launching soon with some incredible deals right out of the gate, so I hope you hear only positive experiences from folks that dip a toe in business daily deals.
Sandra Rand
Social Media Mgr, RapidBuyr
Thanks, too, Tom for mentioning Bizy. Our small-business-focused b2b deal site launched March 28, and we've produced two deals a week since that date: a small-business cargo van, a multi-pack of discounted hotel room cards, a super-efficient LED office task light, a credit-card-processing-fee-reduction offer and a telephone "on-hold" recording offer. Coming up: a virtual "live" receptionist offer, event-marketing software and, during the week of April 25, a LinkedIn deal. They're all deals crafted for small businesses with their owners especially in mind. We're learning a lot and would be happy to share more if you'd be interested in an interview. Finally, as one b2b agency leader to another, very nice job with your agency blog!
Sandra, congrats to RapidBuyer on the recent launch in Minneapolis/ St. Paul!
Gary, hope business is going well for Bizy with your great B2B deals.
Best of luck to you both!
Hey Tom -
I don't see the B2Bucks site up, did they shut it down? I still believe that Group Coupon Sites for B2B can be a hit. Still in infancy stage, curious to see how it pans out over the next couple of months/years.
Brian Schwartz
VP Marketing, MeetABusiness - Business Directory of Coupon Deals, over 300,000 Listings!
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