Keeping your rewards program engaging can be tough, but it's worth it. By making things exciting, customer participation won’t fizzle out over time. Here are five tips to help you do just that.
In a challenge, customers can earn a prize, like bonus points, for doing certain activities within a timeframe. For example, a health club challenge might include completing a fitness assessment, checking-in four times, and taking two classes all within 30 days.
When done well, challenges drive customer engagement because they give people something to strive for in a fun way like playing a game. The most successful challenges that we see usually have the following traits:
Some customer loyalty programs have features that automate and digitize challenges, making them easier to manage. With Perkville, for example, businesses can automatically track challenge progress and reward clients using loyalty points. Feel free to read more about it here.
Another way to keep customers engaged is to regularly change up the rewards available in your program. This strategy works for a few reasons:
At Perkville, we see our best customers switch out at least one reward every few months, or offer a limited-time or raffle reward instead. This keeps customers on their toes, always wondering what new rewards they might be able to earn.
Some customers might forget about their points and the possibility to redeem them. Giving them a chance to see how others are using their rewards can help to re-engage these customers. You can do this by:
Each time you highlight a customer who has redeemed a reward successfully, it shows your other customers that they can achieve the same benefit if they stay engaged with your program.
Also, it creates a positive feedback loop for the customer that was highlighted. They are more likely to remain loyal to your business and refer friends when their efforts are being noticed and appreciated.
It can be helpful to set reminders for important industry-related events, like Customer Appreciation Day or special holidays. You can use these events as an opportunity to offer promotions like bonus points for customers who spend a minimum amount or double points for referrals. Point promotions show customers how much you appreciate their loyalty, and keep them engaged with your rewards program throughout the year.
If you're looking for creative ideas on what kind of point promotions to run, here are some examples, and how they might benefit your business:
Perkville offers a way to create and manage your customer loyalty and referral platform. We automate the experience by integrating to point-of-sale, scheduling, and membership systems. Schedule a demo to learn how Perkville can help your business - we’d love to chat.
