Automating voucher code delivery
Hi everyone,
For those of you selling tours independently, how do you handle voucher codes?
Do you use one voucher code with multiple uses, or unique codes for each customer?
If you use one shared code, have you had any issues with customers sharing or misusing it?
And if you use unique codes, have you found a simple way to automate sending a different code to each customer after purchase?
Thanks!
Hi Yohanna,
I decided to use unique codes to avoid any possible abuse.
I sell my tours on my website and have integrated an online booking software. It was a long work for me to find one which could offer me the possibility to send one by one the code from a list that I would provide. I found my solution with Billetweb.
However, it is a French company, so I donât know if their services are available everywhere.
Best,
Elodie
Hi, I use the same code for many buyers.
It is one pdf file that people get then buying a certain tour on my website (downloadable file with code, instructions and general travel tips). It has a code and a comment âthe same code applies to the whole group if you bought the tour for multiple peopleâ - as sometimes people buy 2 or more at once, to avoid confusion why it is only one code.
I even have a comment that the code is valid to use 30 days from the purchase - to create impression of uniqueness of the code and as I was planning to update that code in pdf regularly to avoid miss-use.
But I have not noticed any abuse, so I stopped updating the pdf file frequently. Probably the last time I updated was like 6 months ago.
Hi Elodie,
Thank you so much for your reply. I checked and can definitely use it. I really appreciate your help.
Yohanna
Thank you for your reply. Glad to hear people donât misuse the codes.
Yohanna
When I started back in 2020 I was not expecting to sell large numbers of tours and I was keen to track who actually used the codes vs purchased them. The one-code-per-user made that possible. That meant the tours I sold from my own website required me to direct manage each request. I set up my own excel sheet to record who/when I distributed them, and then every month or so I compared that to the VM report. Hardly a convenient process, but one that allowed me to followup on the codes which hadnât actually been redeemed. Six years onâŚIâm still not selling large numbers, regardless of the quantity or variety of methods Iâve experimented with. And to be honest, Iâm frustrated about that. In theory I should spend the time automating in the way @elodie.jourdin has highlighted (it sounds terrifically convenient in the long run) but Iâm truly getting tired of learning the âcurrentâ strategies and then discovering a few months or so later that the tech has changed or the algorithm has shifted enough to require me to seemingly start the whole process all over again. When I began this creative journey I did so because I love developing and telling stories. I do NOT love marketing or the tech upkeep required for it. I havenât yet seen a direct connection between the amount of effort I put into that aspect of the gig and sales. And looking back at my comment here I realize that itâs more of a rant than a reply, LOL! I guess what Iâm saying is: take some time to consider the relationship between your âwhysâ and your time/energy investments. My struggles for years with tech & marketing has led me to rethink my approach to the whole process.
Hi @amyemcmahon thank you for sharing.
One thing I want to flag for others reading this thread, not to push back on your experience, just to add some context. This voucher code conversation is specifically about selling tours privately, meaning outside VoiceMapâs own channels, which include our apps, website, and distribution network. We offer publishers the option to distribute through VoiceMapâs channels, privately, or a mix of the two.
Private sales work best when youâve already got a distribution channel or audience in place. Publishers who have had success with this are usually already running a private tour company and mentioning their audio tour to people already booked on in-person tours, or have events, a mailing list, or a storefront where people are already coming to buy from them. The voucherâs just how you deliver a sale youâve already made elsewhere.
We also share an example of a publisher who uses Fareharbor to set up sales through her website on our publisher documentation.
I can understand that finding a way to create and track those sales at the same time can be challenging. Thatâs why both Elodieâs approach of automating unique codes and Ausraâs approach of using one shared code can work well, depending on what suits your setup. Itâs worth noting that we havenât seen much abuse of the one-code approach.
The fact that youâre six years in, still trying different approaches, staying engaged, and showing up to think this through out loud, says a lot about your dedication, and we appreciate that. Most publishers we work with feel the same way you do, theyâd rather be telling stories than marketing them. But we need publishers to engage their own audiences too. With more than 800 publishers, thereâs a real opportunity to reach new listeners that way. Thatâs why we provide the tools to support publishers in promoting their tours, and we have a social media toolkit coming soon to make it easier.
I like your point about weighing your âwhysâ against your time and energy. Selling through your own channels privately is one option, but itâs not the only one. Itâs a good nudge for anyone reading to think about which route, our channels or private sales, actually fits what theyâve already got in place.