After completing market research and understanding how a loyalty program can benefit your business, the next step is to select the best software that can analyze consumer data and offer the best suitable plans for your enterprise. Once you are set, the second crucial step is spreading the news for attracting customers.

Over the years, customer loyalty programs (CLPs) have helped brands retain consumers and attract new ones. Now, technology is making them highly efficient, creative, and unique. These schemes can be significantly beneficial for both businesses and consumers. Here’re strategies that can help in improving CLP activation rates and getting better exposure.

• Keeping the program relevant
• Using cross-promotion techniques
• Easy enrollment process
• Let consumers check loyalty points via app
• Provide tailor-made benefits to consumers
• Conducting training sessions for employees

1. Keeping the program relevant by refining benefits

Studies suggest that most consumers do not see any difference in rewards offered as a part of loyalty programs by brands. So, companies need to make sure their CLP can be easily differentiated from others provided by competitors. The point is even more significant considering the current economic conditions. Consumer demands have drastically changed due to the COVID-19 crisis. Thus, understanding the new requirements is crucial for every business to make the affinity program relevant. Some buyers would appreciate purchasing products that are not available elsewhere, while others may be looking for discounts on future purchases. Chances of them joining the loyalty program will increase if you offer what they want.

The CLP needs to provide the best experience to the consumer in the form of products and services. And benefits need to refine continuously for ensuring the program remains valuable and relevant for customers.

2. Use cross-promotion techniques

If you want more of your existing consumers to join the program, all the teams need to convey a consistent and straightforward message encouraging the customers to join the initiative.

Your brand’s CLP message should be integrated into your email communication, social media posts, IVR messages, website, marketing initiatives, and app notifications. Highlighting the sign-up process, details about the rewards is crucial. Customers should be able to understand how the affinity program would benefit them. You can also consider publishing videos answering the most frequently asked questions about the scheme.

Auto-enrolling your best customers for a free trial into a loyalty program can be a good idea. Starting with old consumers who were a part of the firm’s earlier CLP can prove fruitful.

3. Ensure the enrollment process is easy

Consumers often avoid signing-up for programs that have a lengthy enrollment process. At times, they may prefer forfeiting rewards instead of completing lengthy, frustrating procedures. The pattern has been visible for decades. Remember? Back then, shoppers hated waiting in long-queues at shopping malls in exchange for loyalty program cards. So, the enrollment process should consist of minimum steps to improve the chances of increasing customer participation.

4. Let consumers check their loyalty points via app

A study conducted by 3C interactive highlighted that roughly 18 percent of the consumers often remain unaware of the loyalty points they have earned. The same survey results also pointed out that a considerable percentage of buyers prefer making more purchases if they receive notification for loyalty points from time to time. Customers appreciate companies if they offer updates about loyalty points that can be used for making purchases. Unfortunately, brands lack in communicating the same.

Going paperless is essential. If your business has an app that customers use, it is advisable to let members check their points, transactions via their digital wallet. Make it easy for the buyers to redeem the points and make purchases using the same.

5. Offer tailor-made loyalty benefits

Participants should feel they are a part of something special. So, obviously, they don’t appreciate being offered the same privileges that other shoppers can easily avail. Brands can provide that special feeling to selected customers with personalized rewards, access to specific member-only events, and early access to a product or service.

6. Create awareness about the affinity programs in employees from every department

Convincing the right set of customers and enrolling them for the loyalty program won’t be an issue for employees who remain well-aware of the details and associated rewards. Consumers also trust representatives who know in and out about the program they are enrolling people into. So, providing training about schemes to employees from every department in the organization is essential. Weekly contests and quizzes should be conducted to ensure employees are ready for the conversation with customers. Awarding the workforce for enrolling new customers can be an excellent way to appreciate their efforts. Rewards and appreciation would encourage the workforce to learn more and respond better to customer inquiries, resulting in better conversions.

If appropriately implemented, loyalty programs can increase the consumer’s transaction frequency, recency, and lifetime value. Customers enrolled in loyalty programs for longer are less likely to look for other options or move their business to competitors. If they enroll in your affinity program, they will give first preference to your products and services.

Are you searching for a loyalty management platform that can analyze your business trends and design the best affinity programs for your consumers? It would help if you considered discussing your unique needs with LoyaltyXpert. We can develop software solutions that would enable you to provide tailor-made loyalty programs for every customer.