{"id":2327,"date":"2018-08-24T16:09:00","date_gmt":"2023-10-18T16:09:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/?p=2327"},"modified":"2023-10-18T17:35:42","modified_gmt":"2023-10-18T17:35:42","slug":"make-customer-loyalty-program-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/ca\/blog\/make-customer-loyalty-program-work\/","title":{"rendered":"What To Do To Make Sure Your Customer Loyalty Program Works"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Brands may strive for a one-to-one relationship with their customers, but the most successful make sure they\u2019re building a community of customers as well. Being part of that community is almost like being part of an \u201cin\u201d club — where membership is often defined by a strong customer loyalty program.<\/p>\n

When they\u2019re done well, customer loyalty programs not only reduce the chances of customers shopping around<\/a> with other companies. They also turn customers into real advocates and ambassadors for the brand, because they\u2019ve gotten to enjoy direct benefits from the program that demonstrate a true appreciation for giving the brand their business.<\/p>\n

At the other end of the spectrum are customer loyalty programs that miss the mark for a variety of reasons. Some of the potential challenges include a lack of perceived value in joining, confusion around how to join or use the program, inconsistent execution of the program\u2019s benefits and lack of integration with the overall customer experience a brand is trying to develop. In fact, there is so much that can go wrong that some brands may be afraid of developing a customer loyalty program at all.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no need to shy away from these risks, however. All it takes is a good understanding of the key elements that make customer loyalty<\/a> programs work and planning them at the outset. What follows are some of the best practices that should be at the top of your agenda:<\/p>\n

Know Your Current Landscape To Start Changing It<\/h2>\n

You can\u2019t start in a void. Marketers should begin by delving into whatever data they have about the current state of loyalty within their customer base. How many customers tend to become repeat customers, for example? Do they come back the first time, or after rotating through several competitors? Is customer loyalty higher in-store, or online, and why?<\/p>\n

Answering some of these questions will help drive a strategy that\u2019s focused on more specific targets or goals. In some cases, a brand may be looking to increase foot traffic, while others want to boost the e-commerce side of their operation. The kind of rewards or benefits your program offers, what it takes to achieve those benefits and integrating the program into the experience of browsing and purchasing should all follow suit.<\/p>\n

Personalize Through Data<\/h2>\n

At one point, companies had no choice but to offer a one-size fits all customer loyalty program that offered more or less the same rewards and benefits, regardless of who you were. Today, however, marketing automation tools like Marketing Cloud<\/a> allow businesses to create specific segmentations that could form the basis of more personalized customer loyalty programs<\/a>. Beyond looking at offering benefits or rewards based on what you\u2019ve spend in the past, for instance, some of the variables could include:<\/p>\n