I remember a time, not very long ago, when I did a lot of math to put food on the table. I would get the Sunday paper, check every single flyer, find corresponding coupons, and go to different stores with a precise grocery budget and a definitive plan to scrape as many dollars off the total as I could. Whenever there was a big sale on shelf-stable staples, I would buy them in bulk so that I could remove them from my regular expenses and splurge on extra produce or protein. It sounds taxing, but it became a bit of a hobby.

It took a few years of this to get into the financial position to get married and buy a house. I continued to coupon, stocking up on laundry detergent, paper goods, canned beans, breadcrumbs, and the like. I would buy end of season sales clothing the next size up for my kids to save money on shopping the next year. Hell, I still do that stuff. But it was more out of necessity than it was out of being prudent and planning for the future.

We went through job changes, title changes, the whole shebang. And we finally made it to a somewhat secure place where I didn’t have a calculator and 18 coupons in hand while walking down the aisles of the grocery store. We got to a place where we could order pizza every Friday and not sweat it. We got to a place where a nice steak dinner was not out of the question. And because food and cooking are so magical to us, this was blissful comfort.

I was reflecting on this recently in a moment of gratitude. It was actually after I wrote my last blog, where I was discussing the conveniences I happily pay for in order to have more time with my family and for self-care. While I am most certainly in a better place financially than I was during the times described above, I am still 100% a sucker for a good deal. In fact, I have a separate email address I use to sign up for marketing emails and promotions for my favorite retailers and sites. I get excited when I get a sale catalog in the mail. Here’s my bottom line: Coupons are the best marketing.

Pumpkin marshmallow waffle candles had truly not crossed my mind until I got an email telling me to hurry up for 50% off. I can assure you that platform sneakers were nowhere on my radar until I saw a discount code on my Instagram feed (and yes maybe my teen says I’m too old, but man, are they cute sneakers). I didn’t think my husband needed new tactical boots for work until the manufacturer emailed me a friends and family discount. And I had zero intention of hoarding new pens until I was offered half off if I picked them up same day. To be clear, I haven’t actually purchased all of these things, despite the coupons and sales thrown my way. But every single one got my full attention for at least a minute. (I may have ordered the candle.)

I get incredible offers for meal kits, produce delivery and other services. But where are the offers from manufacturers and producers in the food space in my inbox? I remember the Sunday paper being filled with coupons for eggs, pasta, chicken — you name it. But as the years went by, they became largely for cleaning and personal care products (and oddly, a ton of OTC pain medicines that I could use now with the current state of my lower back). It’s time to up the ante.

Send me emails promoting your product. Tell me if I try your chicken nuggets, I can scan the QR code in your email for 50% off at my local grocer. Offer me $3 off to try your chuck roast over another, and I guarantee you that when I am buying a roast, it will be yours (especially with prices as they are). You know why? Because I am a consumer. I have habits. I buy things I know and I rarely deviate unless incentivized. So, incentivize me. Get into my Instagram feed and tell me why your bacon is better, where to buy it, and how to do so paying a little less the first time. Subscription services do this often. But where are the rest of the brands that want to win me over?

If you have a new product, a new brand or new shelf space, you need to establish market penetration right away. How do you get traction? By making people try it. How do you do that? Incentivize them. And how are most people incentivized? Money. Have you ever ordered something and been asked to leave a positive review in exchange for something free or deeply discounted? I have; and each of those products that used that kind of incentive has thousands and thousands of positive reviews, creating more buyers.

So whether you are targeting someone who is buying food on a shoestring college budget, a parent trying to plan lunches for four kids every week, a fitness enthusiast that meal preps every Sunday, or retirees that like to dine out, we’ve all got something in common. We like a good deal. Make it easy and appealing for consumers to try and stay loyal to your brands. Think QR codes, promo codes that can be used at retail, or a good old-fashioned coupon right in the ol’ mailbox. Think coupons.

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