Coupons in Web 2.0

As the "great recession" either lumbers on or quietly gives way to economic recovery, the proliferation of Web 2.0 sites which provide information to their user base about every offer or coupon code in existence on the web has forced us (and presumably other businesses) to rethink some of our marketing strategy. In my opinion, it's safe to assume that any general offer you send out to your email list, or otherwise communicate in a limited fashion will show up on CouponCabin, RetailMeNot, SlickDeals, Deals.Woot or their counterparts for the whole deal-obsessed portion of the consumer market to see in a few hours.

Of course smarter technology can let you limit these offers with unique discount codes or business rules enforced in your ecommerce platform, but generally should you? There are a handful of sites out there with highly dedicated audiences who may be exposed to your brand for the first time through one of your discounts. (Think Groupon without the restrictions and outrageous cut of your sales.)