Congratulations! You’re one giant step closer to creating loyal customers with your new program.
Your decision to offer a loyalty program has created opportunities to connect with your customers, deliver deeper value, and show how much you care about them.
After all, consumers prefer personalized rewards for their loyalty to a brand, with 68% indicating they would shop at a store offering them over one that did not.
Given the amount of thought, research, and hard work that went into building your loyalty program, you want it to be valuable for your customers and your bottom-line growth.
While 70% of consumers agree their loyalty is more difficult for a retailer to maintain than ever before, 88% agree retailers could do more to earn their long-term loyalty.
So that means the work isn’t over yet and the best part is just beginning.
Optimization determines the lifecycle of your premium loyalty program.
Here’s what you can do to get off to a running start and grow an impactful, profitable loyalty program.
Measure Initial Customer Responses
Now that your loyalty program is in market, what are your customers saying about it?
Ninety-two percent of practitioners believe their members are very or somewhat satisfied with their loyalty program, but only 79% of customer feel the same way.
Are they at all confused by what you’re offering? Do they find it valuable?
The most successful programs change based on customer receptivity and feedback. While it may take time to gather feedback and understand why customers choose to join (or not), this information is crucial to the success of your program.
Listen. Ask. Survey.
You could ask a million questions, but different scenarios call for different questions.
For example, if a customer joins and then cancels after never using the benefits you might ask, “Why did you leave so soon?”
Or if a customer uses the program frequently, perhaps a message like this would be appropriate: “Hey Danielle, we’re so glad you’re using the program. What are your thoughts about the benefits?”
If a member isn’t using the program, but has been a member for a while, then maybe send a message like this: “Why haven’t you used your loyalty program yet?”
The most valuable first step you can take is to understand how your customers think about and react to your program.
This step ensures you’re not only giving them value for being a member, but you’re also showing them you care about what they want.
Make Frequent Changes in Acquisition Message
In most cases, once a customer starts using the benefits of your Premium Loyalty program, they’ll stick around because they’ve experienced value.
The hardest part, however, is showing value before the customer has experienced it. This happens at the point of sale. Whether online or at the counter, how are you showing customers the value of joining your program?
You’re probably offering your program to every customer that has made a transaction (or you should be!).
This means you’re selling to a mix of existing, potentially already brand-loyal customers who are just waiting to join and even first-time customers who don’t have that brand affinity yet and may be hesitant to pay for your program.
Constantly tweaking your message and showcasing information and value in a way that proves most relevant for your audience takes time and dedication.
But since not every type of customer will respond to the same message, the results can be shockingly more positive with slight tweaks to your original approach.
Learn From Your Customers
After surveying members and seeing how your customers are converting into your program, what have you learned?
While it takes time to gather and analyze your member and customer data, you’ll learn how your program has impacted your customers’ shopping behavior, why (or why aren’t) customers are signing up on different channels, and how your program benefits are being received and used.
This is extremely important information for every Premium Loyalty program.
Learn more about premium loyalty.
Success is measured by impacts to your business in terms of increased shopping frequency and even average order value, but also by your customers’ growing loyalty for your brand.
Keep Your Program Fresh, Relevant, and Valuable
You know better than anyone that your customers change over time and your KPIs may change too. Obviously, technology has had a great deal of influence on shopping behavior and continues to increase as the years go by.
Your customers have been using their access to information to their advantage and may change the way they shop because of it.
That’s why it’s crucial to continue updating your program from first impression through member experience.
Updating the value your members get from the program by introducing new benefits and personalized special offers give your members reasons to stick around while continually building their loyalty to your brand.
The Work is Never Done
So, the bad news is your work is not over yet.
The good news is your opportunities are endless.
Continuous change and improvement will make your Premium Loyalty program successful and appealing and create a lasting impact on your customers.
Hold on for a great ride because this is just the beginning!
Danielle Perez
Danielle is the Director of Marketing at ebbo. When she’s not heads down finding new ways to get us in front of companies that love loyal customers, she’s enjoying time with her husband, kids, and dogs. Her favorite non-work activities include cooking, coffee, fast cars, hiking, biking, and anything you can do outside.
