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Our current society is definitely a bunch of joiners.
There’s no shortage of clubs, organizations or communities to be part of. Grown-ups can receive invitations to join everything from country clubs and service organizations to political parties. Even your library card provides members-only access and marks you as part of a tribe of individuals who, well, appreciates literacy.
With so many loyal marketing opportunities out there inviting you to be a member of everything from the local pizza shop to the hardware store, one could argue that membership in any of them doesn’t mean anything anymore.
But in the online world, loyalty marketing programs are definitely going strong, especially when it’s easier than ever to connect with your favorite brand via your mobile device. Customers like having a group to join, and they also like the privileges of membership, even if the perks can be as small as a free sandwich or drink, or an "exclusive" text about special offers.
If your organization is trying to increase your outreach to mobile customers and encourage them to stay loyal, try these strategies:
- Make it easy. This starts with a simple registration process – instead of filling out a long profile that you might not mind doing on your desktop, require mobile users to text back a couple of “give us your name and click here” links as a simple opt-in. Have later check-ins be just as easy, such as not requiring a forgettable log-in and password each time. The less complex a loyal marketing program is on every visit, and the more lucrative, the more people will return.
- Have lots of deals. Part of the reason ‘club’ promotions are so popular is that provide discounts, even free stuff. Some grocery stores even require a club card to access sale prices. A study by Colloquy, a loyalty marketing program publication, showed that grocery and drug store programs continue to increase. Among your communications, emphasize how much they can save with your promotions. This could drive them to buy, along with feeling good that they’re saving.
- Make it more than money. Though your database software should keep track of how much they’re spending with you and what they like, your mobile program can also emphasize other benefits of being a loyal customer. Can they participate in discussions? Can they take surveys? Without making your texts too busy, you can include some different links -- see today’s deals, tell us what you think, check out our site. Can they donate to your favorite charity, especially if you give them a short code? This can show you can go above and beyond, rather than just “thanks for spending X much with us.”
- Ask for help. Online users have nothing but opinions, so may welcome the opportunity to offer input and feel like part of your decision process. But it must be controlled – you can text your membership list and ask them to “Choose between A or B” and let them text back to an autoresponder. If you open things up to “let us know your thoughts” or create a special hashtag, it could provide a public forum for more negative voices and keep you from accomplishing your goal.
- Emphasize the ‘elite.’ Even if just about anyone can join your loyalty marketing club, you can still make being a member seem special and worthy of better things than non-members. Start with members-only deals and show how membership can make life better. Starbucks is a good example – you’ll usually pay the same as non-members for your morning coffee, but members can load mobile Rewards card with money and just flash their phone instead of digging for cash, and also occasionally get freebies or discounts.
- Make it easy to spread the word. True fans will keep shopping with you, but also tell their friends how cool the experience is. So your marketing efforts can include options to let customers brag about their deals. If you send them a text and a link about a good offer or let them claim a prize, have a place on your landing page where they can share on social media. Or have a multi-channel contest where they are texted a link about a contest on the company’s Facebook or Instagram page.
- Offer short, deeper discounts. One way to keep bargain-seekers returning is occasional super deals. You can send out texts about routine upcoming deals but also occasionally throw in surprise members-only sales, which can keep people coming back often to check.
Inviting potential customers to your business is a challenge, but getting them to return is a larger task. But one way to do so is to make them feel welcome and part of a larger community. For details on creating a mobile loyalty marketing program visit Trumpia.com.
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