Want to boost customer loyalty? These rewards program tactics can help you build a loyal customer base and drive more sales.
Everyone loves to save money when they shop. When customers join a loyalty program, they expect brands to give them the freedom to use their points to get better deals.
However, roughly 54 percent of memberships for loyalty programs remain inactive, indicating that many customers are not using the loyalty programs for which they signed up. This is possibly because the program isn't relevant to them or is inconvenient for them. With this in mind, you need to find ways to improve your loyalty programs so your loyal customers can get the most out of it and become even more loyal to your brand.
Here are five loyalty program ideas to inspire you.
1. Plan unique offers in exchange for reward points.
Aside from your general offers open to the public, create special offers that members can take advantage of by exchanging points.
The key to success with this tactic is to make sure that these offers are exclusively available for the members of your loyalty program and can only be redeemed with points. This will not only promote your customer loyalty program, but also encourage members to spend more to gain more points so they can grab the offer.
2. Give special rewards for referrals.
This loyalty program is beneficial for both brands and their loyal customers. It gives brands the opportunity to draw in new customers, and loyal customers get rewarded. It also allows your new customers to purchase your products at a better price and gain reward points.
All you need to do is send a message to your loyalty members asking them to refer their friends and family in exchange for an exclusive discount. The people they refer will qualify for the same discount once they sign up for your loyalty program. This is a great way to make your loyal customers feel special and draw in new members at the same time.
Don't worry if you don't have a proper loyalty program in place. You can still set up a program that rewards your loyal customers with discount codes and offers for referring others to your brand.
3. Roll out a bonus point campaign.
There are two ways to execute a bonus point campaign: You can promote a particular product or service that members can earn more points than usual by buying, or you can give extra reward points to loyal customers when they buy multiple products from your store.
This type of loyalty program is a great way to drum up some excitement, because now your customers can earn multiple points. But make sure you promote it effectively over social media if you want to reap the full benefits. Also, leverage your homepage and all your product pages to highlight these rewards.
Make this offer available to your loyal customers, and thank them for being with you through your journey. These offers shouldn't be available to other customers to maintain a sense of exclusivity that will make members feel special.
You could also target a particular high-value section of customers with this campaign. Offer extra bonus points to customers who are loyal but not part of your loyalty program. You could also include an invitation to join the program.
4. Organize a prize draw for your loyalty members.
This campaign involves automatically entering the members of your loyalty program into a prize draw. This gives your loyal customers an opportunity to win something big, so it's a nice way of thanking them for their loyalty. You can also include customers who have recently made a purchase from your store.
This program could play to your advantage, because prize draws are a great way to create buzz and generate brand awareness. This program will not only help you cater to your loyal customers, but also help you expand your reach to attract new customers.
5. Openly favor your loyal customers.
It's not a new thing for brands to offer sales and discounts, but always give first priority to your loyalty program members so they can access your special sales earlier than regular customers. You can always send out customized messages or emails to your loyal customers and inform them about the exclusive sale or offer.
Members will like this gesture and enjoy being given priority. It will also help you win their confidence and trust and, as a result, entice other people to sign up for your loyalty program.
Final thoughts
The main goal behind these programs is to boost sales and garner loyalty. You could use these ideas each year, revising them as needed.
However, don't forget to keep your overall organizational goals in mind when developing your loyalty program. Also, make sure you leverage social media and your website homepage to highlight the offers if you want to experience their full impact.
What type of loyalty program do you prefer for your business? Do you know any other effective loyalty programs ideas? If so, please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.