How Brand Loyalty Programs Make Way for Better Customer Connections?
- Posted on December 12, 2023 by Robert
- Reading time about 6 minutes
Don’t keep standing at a crossroads while putting your best efforts into building a brand loyalty program. There shouldn’t be two thoughts about investing in customer loyalty to survive the dynamic economy. In modern times, retaining old customers is a more cost-saving strategy than spending too much on new customer acquisition. A loyal, happy customer who wants to come back and re-purchase from your business is a spokesperson for your brand. If you’ve succeeded in establishing a genuine connection with your customers, they will talk about your business and do word-of-mouth marketing for free.
This blog will discuss why building connections is important and how big brands have created successful brand programs to multiply their success.
How Does Customer Loyalty Work?
Let’s face it—every other business is offering discounts, early access, and reward points to their customers. These benefits have not remained exclusive to selected customers. Your loyal customers are looking for an emotional connection. Your brand loyalty programs must offer emotional benefits to customers where they feel exclusivity for their loyalty to the brand. For example, offering your customers access to your store after-hours generates a feeling of exclusive treatment that instantly bonds them with your brand.
An emotionally invested customer would:
· Become a spokesperson for your brand.
· Not switch to your competitor.
· Purchase more often.
Many brands are using customer loyalty management software to streamline their customer loyalty initiatives and establish the required emotional connection.
How to Foster a Stronger Customer Connection?
If your customers feel heard, seen, and valued, they will stay, despite your competitors rolling out far better offers. To establish authentic customer connections, you will have to do more than just give reward points. Customer loyalty efforts shouldn’t be occasional. If you are reaching out to your customers only twice a year when you need business, it’s not going to establish any meaningful relationships.
To each their own—modern customers aren’t alike. What motivates one person might not motivate another. You must know what drives your audience and exercise the highest level of personalization. Before you start to wonder how that’s possible, Let us tell you one secret.
“Data is the engine that drives personalized loyalty programs.”
One of the most successful ways to collect consumer data to know their tastes and likes is to invest in robust customer loyalty management software. It provides you with great insights into consumer behavior and preferences.
Know Best Practices, Get Inspired
Some brands have successfully hit the chord by earning the emotional loyalty of their customers. Let’s have a glance at what they did right and how.
Sephora’s Beauty Insider Program
Sephora took a personalized route to win the loyalty of its customers. Their Beauty Insider program is not just about rewards and redemption. It’s personalization beyond points. While members do earn points for purchases, the program is beyond transactional. They provide access to exclusive events to foster a sense of exclusivity and community. These events offer beauty enthusiasts the chance to connect with the brand on an emotional level as they share a passion for beauty and cosmetics.
Besides, they provide personalized product recommendations to their customers, showing them that they know their preferences. Adding more to it, they don’t reach out to their customers when they need them. They add a personal touch by rewarding them with special gifts on their birthdays and anniversaries.
Amazon Prime’s Exclusive Invite
When a customer signs up for Amazon Prime, their orders reach their doorsteps at lightning speed. However, there’s more in the Prime bucket than just quick shipping. It’s like a secret doorway to a whole bunch of awesome perks.
With Amazon Prime, customers are in for exclusive deals. They get a wide range of streaming services to pick from, and then there’s the hype around Prime Day. It’s a whole day of crazy-good deals, and guess what? Only the selected customers with Prime get the invite. It’s not just about buying stuff; it’s about feeling like a bit of a VIP. Amazon Prime wants their customers to know they’re not just another shopper; they’re part of a special club.
It’s all about building a connection that feels real. It’s not just about the perks; it’s about making customers feel like they belong to something exclusive, something more than just packages showing up at their door in a flash.
BrewDog’s Badges and Referral Rewards
To truly connect with customers, BrewDog encourages more than just purchases. They ask for reviews, completed profiles, survey responses, and referrals to friends. This builds trust and gives marketers more data to work with. A standout loyalty program is about the whole experience—think fun perks, VIP treatment, challenges, and games that make customers feel special.
In the loyalty program at BrewDog, there are no points; it’s all about earning badges. Members receive badges for purchases and other engaging activities. The twist? When they refer a friend, they both get a discount. The double-sided referrals are their USP. BrewDog’s loyalty program goes beyond buying; it rewards members for sharing and supporting eco-friendly goals. It’s like a fun club where everyone comes out as a winner.
How Customer Loyalty Management Software Can Help?
Customer loyalty management software can help you roll out unique and personalized loyalty programs, meeting the needs of diverse customer sets. It’s your secret weapon to build stronger connections with customers. An efficient loyalty platform like Novus Loyalty helps businesses understand what each customer prefers, allowing for personalized perks and rewards. Whether it’s special deals, tailored messages, or individualized rewards, Novus makes sure your customers feel seen and appreciated.
But that’s not all—it helps you decipher customers’ preferences like a pro. Novus analyzes data to extract what customers dig, helping businesses tailor their loyalty programs. From easy-to-redeem rewards to fun challenges and automated messages, it keeps the connection alive.
If you are looking to build lasting customer relationships through your loyalty programs, it’s the right time to upgrade by choosing Novus.