Improving customer loyalty is a vital goal for any business. Especially in today’s economy, creating and fostering a strong sense of brand loyalty among the customer base can be the difference between a business’ success and failure. An increasingly common method of encouraging customer loyalty is to create rewards program for loyal customers. This not only improves the loyalty of existing customers, but also makes it more likely that new customers will be attracted by the favorable word of mouth advertising.
Email and Social Media Reward Programs
Fortunately, the rise of social media and email has made rewarding customers easier than ever before. One online tool that can be used is to provide discounts to loyal customers, by sending them coupons or other benefits that have been personalized to serve as a direct reward to the individual. This makes use of the greatest strength of modern email and social media, namely the ability to target the message to the individual, rather than sending out a horde of generic letters. This is especially useful for birthday and anniversary messages to the customers, further increasing their loyalty.
In addition to direct offers, social media and email can be used to invite loyal customers into exclusive clubs where they can receive offers or be provided with information unavailable to the public. This can include information about upcoming promotions or exclusive discount offers.
Finally, email and social media programs can allow the customer to inform the company of areas where he or she feels improvement is needed. This type of customer feedback program, whether for positive or negative reviews, can assist the business in remaining responsive to their customer base. This is especially important given the modern emphasis on effective customer service.
Reward and Membership Cards
Another method that can be used is to provide loyal customers with their own reward and membership cards. These cards can allow the holder to obtain a discount on items they purchase, or allow them access to services that are not available to other customers. In some cases, the benefits of a membership card can be combined with those of a credit card, allowing the customer to place funds in his or her card in order to make shopping easier.
Personalized Reward Cards
By using on-site ID card printers, the business can create personalized reward cards. This can include a unique visual design, perhaps incorporating the company logo or other attractive design. In addition, it is possible to place the photo of the customer on the card, making it immediately identifiable and further demonstrating the value the business holds their customers in.
Finally, by incorporating RFID or magnetic stripe technology, the card can hold a variety of information that can benefit the customer and business alike. Another benefit of such a card is its immunity from theft, as stolen cards can be remotely deactivated and replaced.
By using preferred customer cards, social media and email techniques, a business can help reward the loyalty of its customers and thus encourage them to continue their patronage. Furthermore, these techniques can help expand the customer base, as the benefits accruing to loyal customers become generally known. For this reason, initiating effective customer reward programs can radically improve a business’ reputation and profitability alike.
Amanda Graham works for CardPrinter.com, an online retailer offering a variety of plastic card printers and accessories.