Running an independent business can be a lot of work, but having loyal customers makes it much easier. Loyalty programs provide you a way to reward customers for returning again and again. But the REAL secret to the success of a loyalty program isn’t points and rewards for your customers. The true benefit to having a loyalty program is it provides you with all the contact information of your customers, and the more you get, the more beneficial it becomes.
Having a way to communicate with your customers allows you to constantly remind them about you, and let’s you identify who your best (highest spenders) and less frequent customers are. This in turn, gives you the chance to create marketing that moves them up the ladder, building an iron cage around customers who are the most loyal, and encouraging more frequency from the infrequent.
This is where the money is.
There are so many loyalty programs out there for independent businesses it is overwhelming. It might be tempting to pick the one with the coolest technology, the most dominant in the market, the lowest price, or the easiest setup, but it’s really important to think about what you want to get out of it first.
A good loyalty program should:
- Help you reach your goals.
- Collect the right customer data.
- Keep customers coming back and spending more.
- Allow for personalized, customized marketing.
- Make you money with measurable ROI.
- Allow easy communication multiple ways (direct mail, text, email, app).
- Provide knowledgeable and accessible support
Choosing the right one means you’ll actually see results, instead of just spending time and money on something that doesn’t help your business grow. Here are seven important things you need to include in your loyalty program to make it really work.
1. Recognition
When customers feel special, they are more likely to come back. Personalized offers based on their spending are a great way to make your customers feel valued. All your marketing needs to be customizable, so you can tell YOUR unique story and personalized with the customers name to create connection and make them feel valuable.
2. Easy Sign Up Process
If it’s too hard to join your loyalty program, people won’t bother. Make sure signing up is quick and easy. Direct them to sign themselves up on your own App collecting as much information as you can about them, not just their email address. Promote sign-ups through your website, social media, and especially within your business using strong offer-based signage to tell customers about the program. The easier it is to join, and the faster they get their first reward, the more people will sign up.
3. Exclusive Events and Experiences
Points and rewards are nice, but creative campaigns, offers and events are even better. These unique experiences make your customers feel like they are part of something special, which makes them want to stay loyal to your business. As we said above, a loyalty program is the means to collect customer data, and after that your program needs to have a wide variety of marketing tools available to them foster the relationship and influence their behavior.
4. Effective Communication
Keeping in touch with your customers consistently is very important. Use emails, text messages, print marketing and social media to let them know about your business. Create a connection with storytelling, humor, nostalgia when you share what’s happening in the business. When you include the reason why you are communicating, they are MUCH more likely to connect and respond. Regular, engaging communication keeps your business in your customers’ minds and encourages them to visit more often.
5. Feedback and Positive Reviews
Show your customers that their opinions matter. Ask for feedback about their experiences after they have visited and ask what they would like to see in the future. Use their suggestions to improve your business and your loyalty program. When customers see that you listen to them, they feel more connected to your restaurant. In turn, use their positive comments to get more positive online reviews – the review sites need a constant supply of fresh reviews to keep you climbing up their rankings.
6. Avoiding Flashy Technology
It’s easy to be tempted by the latest technology for your loyalty program. Instead, focus on what really matters: building strong relationships with your customers, multiple ways to communicate, measurable results and solid customer data. Use technology to help you communicate better and understand your customers’ needs. This way, you can create a loyalty program that truly increases your bottom line.
7. Multi-Media Marketing
Effective marketing is key to a successful loyalty program. Use different types of media to reach your customers. This includes emails, social media posts, print marketing and text messaging. Not just standard pre-written content, but customizable, personalized content that you can modify. Each type of media can help you connect with your customers in a different way, and each customer is unique in what they will respond to.
By combining these seven key elements and focusing on effective multi-media marketing, you can create a loyalty program that goes beyond just points and rewards. It will help build strong relationships with your customers, making them feel valued and appreciated. This, in turn, will encourage them to keep coming back, helping your restaurant thrive.
As you might guess, Royalty Rewards® was created to adhere to these seven key strategies. We aren’t a technology solution, though we use highly tuned technology to implement your program. We are a marketing company, focused on results for our clients. We integrate with many different POS companies to create seamless processing, and we also have solutions if you do not want to integrate. You are also paired with your own personal Coach to provide support, report results and implement marketing with your direction.
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