A great loyalty program can help a business gain loyal repeat customers and also increase a customer’s lifetime value. But just having any old loyalty platform doesn’t do it these days. Customers are looking to buy the brand, not just the product. They want to feel sought after or rewarded when they devote their time and money to your brand.
In just about every industry there is more than one company that offers similar or the same product. Creating a distinguishable brand is necessary to succeed! Designing a loyalty program that is creative, easy to use, and attracts attention is what will keep your business thriving.
When it comes time to take that step most businesses feel like “Where do I even begin?” While designing and implementing a “loyalty program” sounds complicated and overwhelming, we’ve got news for you: it’s not. As long as there is an objective in mind when creating a rewards program for your customers and an experienced loyalty platform provider to help execute marketing, translate retention tool metrics, and establish the expectations of the program, designing a loyalty program can be a rewarding, stress-free endeavor that any business can tap into.
Jumping into the top 5 goals of constructing a Creative and Successful Loyalty Program, beginning with:
1. Be Innovative With the Points Your Customers Earn
Your points system is one of the most important factors of your program, which is why we start here. Creating a unique name for your currency and a distinctive visual representation of the points themselves is a critical component to consider when designing a loyalty program. A unique name can be light and fun since the visual representation doesn’t have to be just a number to your customers. For example, customers can earn stars rather than earning basic points.
2. Be Creative With The Ways Customers Earn Their Points
The groundwork of a loyalty program is earning points for dollars spent. It’s essential for the program, but it doesn’t necessarily give your customers that “WOW” factor. When designing a loyalty program, you need to create opportunities for customers to earn points when they least expect it. This could be on their birthday or even for no reason at all! Yes, you read that correctly, a simple “Thanks for being such a great customer,” followed by a set amount of points can really go a long way! By creating a rewards program for customers that enables them to earn points at any time, you can build the type of engagement that drives repeat sales.
3. Think Outside the Box on What Customers Can Spend Their Points On
Designing a loyalty program in which customers can only exchange points for discounts off of products can become boring, and can even lose the attention of loyal customers. A well-thought-out loyalty program offers different types of rewards. Some examples include- VISA prepaid cards, movie tickets, music downloads, merchandise, travel, and much more! All Digital Rewards offers a 2,000+ item marketplace that contains all of these wonderful things to implement into your loyalty program. Offering a fun and different way to redeem points definitely makes your program stand out from all of the others.
4. Offer a Charity Donation Option
Some people just love to give, and that’s great! According to NP Trust, Americans gave $373.25 Billion in 2015; this is a 4.1% increase from 2014. Designing a loyalty program in which customers have the option of donating to a charity shows that you care about making this world a better place. Plus, your business receives certain tax benefits!
5. Provide Customer Status
Providing a customer status will give your customers something to work toward and the drive to want to earn more points. This could be an exclusive club or VIP program. You could distinguish this by the number of orders or dollars spent, or customer referrals. The more they give, the higher the customer status. Another great tactic is having a customer of the month. Everybody wants the feeling of being recognized. This could turn customers into brand advocates and even motivate them to engage more.
Creating a rewards program for customers that powers engagement and drives repeat sales isn’t rocket science, but having the necessary tools to build a creative program is what guarantees success. The above suggestions are to help inspire you in your loyalty program journey!
For more information on creating a successful loyalty program call us now at 866-415-7703
