How to write a City Deals offer people will use
A field checklist for writing a City Deals offer: benefit, item, who can use it, end date, exclusions, how to redeem, and what staff say.
- An offer needs seven parts. Miss one and people argue at the counter.
- Name the item. Do not write 'great savings'.
- Say who can use it, when it ends, and what is left out.
- Say how a person redeems it: show the deal page on the phone, one time.
- Write one line your staff can repeat word for word.
Who this is for: Shop owners writing the offer that goes on their City Deals ad
A City Deals offer works when a stranger can read it once and know what they get. Write seven parts: the benefit, the item, who can use it, when it ends, what is left out, how to redeem it, and what your staff says. Miss one and people argue at the counter.
The seven parts
- Benefit: what the person gets. Money off, a free add-on, or a set price.
- Item: the exact thing. Not 'services'. Name the dish, the cut, the part, the visit.
- Eligibility: who can use it. New customers only, or anyone. One per person or one per household.
- Expiry: the last day it works. A real date you can honor.
- Exclusions: what it does not cover. Holidays, other offers, delivery apps, certain products.
- Redemption: what the person does. Show the deal page on the phone before you ring it up.
- Staff instruction: one sentence your team says out loud.
Fill-in table
Print this table or copy it into your notes. Fill every row. Send it with your ad.
| Part | Your answer |
|---|---|
| Benefit | |
| Item | |
| Who can use it | |
| Last day | |
| What it does not cover | |
| How to redeem | |
| What staff say |
Weak line vs clear line
Example only. These are made up, not real City Deals offers.
| Weak | Clear |
|---|---|
| Big savings on food | Example only: $5 off any large pizza. One per person. |
| Discount on service | Example only: free tire rotation with any oil change. |
| Special for new clients | Example only: first haircut $15 for first-time customers. |
Test it at the counter
- Read the offer out loud to a person who does not work with you.
- Ask them what they get. If they guess wrong, the line is not clear.
- Ask your staff what they would ring up. If two people answer differently, fix the wording.
- Check your price. Can you give this to every person who asks, all month?
- Send the final wording to us before print. Ask us to confirm the issue.
When the offer is ready, send it with your photos. See what we need from your shop or contact us.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to give a discount?
No. A free add-on or a set price also works. Pick what you can give every time without losing money.
Can I change the offer after it prints?
No. Print is print. Ask us about the next issue before you book.
What if a customer asks for it twice?
Decide whether your offer has a use limit, then state that limit clearly in the offer and staff instructions. For example, a merchant might choose one redemption per customer; that is a hypothetical policy choice, not a City Deals default.
Put your shop in the City Deals magazine.
One printed page. Two codes. People open it on the phone.
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