A loyal customer is undoubtedly one of the greatest assets to any company - it ensures that you have locked in a client and that client will continue to stay engaged with your company’s activities and products. One way you can create dedicated customers is by creating an SMS loyalty program that can be powered through SMS texting. An SMS loyalty program is a loyalty program that makes use of text messaging to alert customers when they can redeem a prize. For example, if the customer makes five purchases, they will receive five points that build up to a free coupon. Then, they would get an alert telling them to come in to use that coupon. Building an effective SMS loyalty program can incentivize customers and continue engagement and interest. Here are some steps that you can follow in order to build a strong loyalty program:
- Highlight a campaign and call to action
Your SMS loyalty program needs to be focused. Why are you creating an SMS loyalty program? Why should subscribers join? What are you trying to get your subscribers to do? Answer these questions in order to create a focused campaign. Cap off the new campaign idea with a creative and catchy name. For example, if you are in the fashion industry trying to launch a promotion to increase sales, utilize SMS texting to keep track of a subscriber’s interaction with you and your brand. If they make ten different unique purchases, award them by sending promotions and discounts! The beauty of using SMS is that subscribers can easily join in by texting a keyword to a phone number. The days of stamp cards and physical coupons are long gone and outdated.
- Choose the reward
For example, if you are in the restaurant industry, you always want customers buying your menu items in order to generate sales. Encourage customers to join your loyalty program by offering a free meal after every 10 purchases of $8 or more. Each time they make a purchase, they will be sent a message that notifies them how many points they have earned. A lot of restaurants have been utilizing text messages to send free rewards to loyal customers such as Chipotle and many others.
- Offer an incentive to join your program
Sometimes, potential customers need a slight edge or push in order to join your program, even if the deal offers a great reward. These incentives create a sense of urgency and pressure to sign up quicker for your loyalty program. SMS texting is a great way to remind your audience in a way that other loyalty program methods struggle to do. If you see that a subscriber has not made a purchase in a long time, remind them of how many points they have earned, and any exclusive deal that they are missing out on! Chances are, they just needed a little reminder.
- Promote your loyalty program
When promoting your loyalty program, you essentially want to generate excitement over your program. If your campaign is memorable and catchy enough, people will continue to build the momentum for you. Make sure that you take advantage of all of the ways that you can promote your program - in person flyers, online advertisements, email blasts, social media advertisements, and many more ways! SMS texting allows you to send MMS, which is a powerful way of advertising your product. Also, SMS texting allows for integrations with other applications that will boost your campaign visibility.
- Determine frequency
Believe it or not, texting everyday can ruin your campaign, even if it is constant deals that you are offering. People do not want to receive repetitive messages and alerts, which can be a frustrating experience for so many. Pace your campaign, and make these rewards a special treat that your customers will look forward to. SMS texting, especially through Trumpia’s UI, makes this very easy. You are easily able to track how many messages you have sent over a period of time, while being able to schedule messages in advance in order to ensure that you are pacing yourself.
- Monitor your progress
Finally, always make sure that you are taking note of your results. You want to see that these programs are generating more overall revenue. Otherwise, you might be giving away free stuff without a proven track record. Adjust campaigns and strategies accordingly in order to make your campaign the most effective one possible.
We hope that as you are following these steps in creating an SMS loyalty program, you and your company will watch your sales and revenue grow. If you have any more questions on how Trumpia can help power your loyalty program, please feel free to reach out!
