Make your list and check it twice. For the big holiday retail events, customers are looking for gifts and retailers are trying to win attention in the crowded marketplace. 67% of customers would choose a retailer over another based on the strength of their customer advocate program/rewards incentives, so focus on social rewards for your customer and brand advocate marketing plan. Marketing to your existing customer base is not only less expensive but they also spend more and buy more often than first-time customers. Understand what your customers care about to optimize your rewards program to keep your advocates coming back.
It’s a great time of the year to say “thank you”, give back to your customers, and promote loyalty among new customers. Standout to your brand advocates with these four ways to reward them and revamp your customer program to continue building relationships.
Gift Cards
Personalization is important. Giving customers the option to choose their rewards will improve retention rates and satisfaction. The best gifts are ones that customers truly want. What’s better than a gift card to places your customers shop and eat at the most? Make their day with digital cards that can help them purchase any necessities with diverse reward options. Plus they can make additional purchases at stores where your product is sold.
Philanthropic Gifts
Promote your socially-responsible brand image with philanthropic gift rewards. Go the extra mile and offer the incentive for customers to choose a charity to send a direct payout to so your brand and members can collaborate to give back. Choose a charity that is personal to your brand that speaks to your ethos.
[READ MORE: The Ultimate Gift for Your Brand Ambassadors for more ideas.]
Site Credit
Reward customers with site credit to encourage more purchases for them to create more UGC. Similar to earning one point for a dollar at major retailers, for every story post they can earn a dollar or $5 for every Reel/Tiktok to rack up towards their next purchase. Promotional UGC from brand advocates will help expand your brand’s awareness and reach through word-of-mouth posting.
Merchandise
Surprise and delight with personalized touches. Merchandise rewards keep customers engaged and excited about their reward progress especially if it’s ice cream. Yasso’s ambassadors can be rewarded with all the frozen Greek yogurt they can eat! Similar to site credit, offering free brand products keeps customers active in the program to help generate more UGC, maintaining program momentum.
Cultivate Customer Advocacy All Year
A brand advocacy program can elevate your holiday performance and provide value to your customers that will pay off in the new year. These types of social rewards will strengthen loyalty without discounting your products. Sending rewards supports your sales and customer success strategies that encourage retention, more purchases, and upsells. The LoudCrowd platform provides tools to help you reward your customers, build your program, and boost ROI beyond the holiday season. Connect with our team to start rewarding.