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For decades business owners have wanted a magic wand for their marketing: the quick, easy, cost-effective campaign that brings scores of new customers through the door with zero effort and minimal cost.

And now, it appears that this really is possible... or is it?

The new marketing superstar: One Day Offers

There are many websites offering the new promotional model: One Day Offers. They all work in pretty much the same way: you offer your product or service at a ridiculous discount; they put the offer out to their database; and you pay for a percentage of the deals sold. Some of the models may vary, but that's the crux of it.

Finally, an advertising model that's based on success!

This is what's really good about these One Day Offers; you only pay based on the success of your campaign. Plus One Day Offers can also give a business a very sizeable cash flow injection.

What's not to love?

Love can make you blind... so don't get too blinded by these campaigns.

The punters don't love you

The people who buy the One Day Offers are punters - people who take a punt on things... they're definitely not customers. Remember, someone who buys from you once is NOT a Customer - they are a Shopper. Shoppers flit here and there till they find the perfect supplier (or else they'll keep chasing deals). Someone is not a Customer till they have bought from you twice.

Beware of the bargain hunters

The people who buy the One Day Offers are bargain hunters. Some people can be addicted to getting "bargains"; other people use this is a means of saving money in tough times.

Therefore the One Day Offer business model actually discourages customer loyalty. Pinning too many marketing hopes onto these bargain hunters could be a risky marketing tactic - especially if you're not supporting these campaigns with customer retention strategies.

Customer retention strategies are vital

Of course, many business owners hope that at least some of these bargain hunters will become regular customers. But you need to work at that. Out of sight becomes out of mind all too easily - not just with your bargain hunters, but your existing client base too.

If you don't keep in touch with your clientele, it's easy for them to assume that you don't care about them, or don't value them. So the chances of them defecting to a competitor becomes much greater. (They may even have a punt on a One Day Offer themselves!)

Therefore it's absolutely vital that you work hard at making sure every Shopper and every Customer comes back again and again and again. And you have to work at that. It means that everyone in your team has to have top-notch sales training, with well-planned processes and scripts in place to lure these Shoppers back for a repeat purchase.

You'll need to have sound marketing initiatives in place too around customer retention: that includes things like newsletters, text reminders, social media updates, loyalty cards, courtesy phone calls - whatever is appropriate to your business.

Regular customers are the lifeblood of your business

Regular customers keep your business alive. This is where the real marketing gold lies - in having as many loyal customers as possible, who love your business so much, they'll send all their friends to you.