Human beings are social creatures. We love to talk and share exciting news with our tribe of friends and followers online. If we find something we love, and we think they're going to love, we tell them without thinking twice. That's one of the basic premises of group deal marketing, and that's the kind of social power you can now tap using 3dcart.

True enough, there are huge group marketers out there today, such as Groupon. But getting featured on Groupon may not be all that easy, plus you would have to give them a cut of your already-reduced price, further slimming down profit margins (or raising the price, thus making the deal less attractive).

Rolling your own group deals lets you reap all of the social buzz-producing benefits of this exciting marketing system, while still retaining complete control over your customer base and prices. Here are some quick tips for creating successful group deals:

An important part of group deals is that if the minimum amount of participants is not reached, the deal doesn't go through. This is great, but as the seller, it is up to you to define what that minimum is.

Let's say your store has 500 visitors in a given day; if you set a group deal with a minimum of 500 participants, it will obviously not work out. The conversion rate is far too high, and you'll just end up disappointing those customers who have signed up for the deal.

Conversely, if you go for a minimum that is too low, you just lose all of the advantages of a group deal. It feels "fake": The fun is gone, and it's just another deal. People don't tell their friends, because the minimum is so easy to meet.

It is important to let your customers know exactly how many more buyers are needed to make the deal happen. 3dcart helps you out by including that number in the "thank you" email sent to each customer, encouraging them to share the deal and get others on board.

You should also prominently feature that number on the page, and if you maintain an active social presence on Twitter (which you should, really), you would probably want to tweet that number out as important milestones are met ("Only 25 more to go!" and so on).

People will only tell their friends about the deal if it's worth it. Price comparison engines are very easy to use, and Amazon is always there, so it's easier than ever for customers to see if you're really offering something exceptional, or are just trying to generate excitement about nothing special.

Group deals can be lots of fun, and you may offset the low price you're offering with all the free marketing buzz you'll be getting. But you do need to be offering an exceptional price. If you're offering a localized service, be sure to explain the group deal concept thoroughly to the local representatives, and get them truly on board with the lowest rate they can possibly offer. Do that over and over again, and you may just find yourself creating a smash hit of a group deal service!