A customer loyalty program is like a jar of candy that stores keep for their customers. It creates a bond between the customer and that store that goes beyond shopping. It makes the customer feel that the store cares about them and wants to see them fully satisfied and happy. But, imagine if the jar of candy is kept at a place that is not in the customer’s range of visibility. It would be a complete waste. That is exactly what happens when you don’t promote your Shopify store’s customer loyalty program right!
The promotion of a loyalty program ensures that every shopper that comes to your store is aware of the loyalty program. They are aware of the benefits associated with choosing your brand over others.
According to surveys, 83% of shoppers said that a customer loyalty program makes them more likely to continue doing business with a brand.
That’s a huge number of online shoppers. Right?
And yet, most Shopify stores set up a customer loyalty program and forget about getting their customers to join it.
In this article, we are sharing some tactics that we personally recommend to stores using Flits for setting up their customer loyalty programs.
Haven’t checked out Flits yet? Install the app to see how we enable setting up the next-gen customer loyalty programs.
Different ways to promote your Shopify customer loyalty program
1. Add a banner to promote your loyalty program
Promoting your loyalty program using a banner on your store website can result in a remarkably high rate of conversion. It works like an announcement bar that tells visitors that something new is up for them, something that can benefit them directly.
Usually, you’ll see Shopify stores using this space to promote free shipping or their ongoing discounts. Why not use it to make your customer loyalty program more sticky? Keep your message crisp and clear to make the most out of this space.
For example, your announcement bar could say: “Join our customer loyalty program to earn 10 store credits on every purchase.”
2. Add your customer loyalty program to the navigation
You can also add the link to the loyalty program page in the navigation menu of your online store. This improves the discoverability of your customer loyalty program page, as it becomes a part of the shopper’s online journey with your brand.
But make sure you’re keeping it as a separate item in the navigation, and not making it a part of your product categories. You don’t want to confuse your shoppers.
3. Include a pop up on your site to target returning visitors
Nothing grabs a shopper’s attention like a pop-up. Imagine browsing through a website and deciding to leave – just then, you’re targeted with a popup that offers a 20% exclusive discount on the product range you liked. Wouldn’t you stop and consider making the purchase?
Use the same psychology to promote your Shopify customer loyalty program. Retarget your visitors with a popup that clearly states the benefits of joining your customer loyalty program and then links them to the page where they can sign up for it.
You could also design the popup to provide a glimpse of possible rewards that a customer can win on making purchases from your store.
4. Reach out to your returning and repeat customers on email
Shoppers who have been returning to your store to make repeat purchases are already displaying trust in your brand. Why not take these relationships a step ahead with your customer loyalty program, to make it a win-win situation for everyone?
Send out a personalized email to these customers thanking them of their support and faith in your brand. Tell them about your customer loyalty program and how it benefits them too, to win a special place in the customer’s heart.
Customers who repeatedly shop from your store are more likely to take part in the loyalty program than new customers. So it’s a good starting point if you have just set up your customer loyalty program.
According to stats, email marketing still proves to be one of the most effective ways of marketing with an ROI of 122%. But that happens only when you make sure that your personalized email is crisp and easy to understand for the customer. So keep your email copy crisp and highlight the benefits of the loyalty program. Ensure that there’s a call-to-action in the email that leads to the signup page of your loyalty program too.
5. Include information about the loyalty program in your weekly newsletters
Most online stores send weekly newsletters to their customers, which can also be used to promote the customer loyalty program in a very efficient way. When you’re creating the newsletter, make sure that there is a section with information and call-to-action for the loyalty program.
Ensure that this section explains the benefits of joining the loyalty program and includes a link that can direct the customer to the loyalty program sign up page.
You don’t have to create a dedicated section for the customer loyalty program in your newsletter. A small section at the bottom does the trick!
6. Set up a web push notification campaign
Most of the online stores are opting for web push notifications to keep their customers updated about offers, sales, discounts, etc. Web push notifications are said to get 3X higher click-through rates than any other channel. This makes web push notification the perfect place to even promote your customer loyalty program.
The small space of web push notifications demands a crisp call-to-action to customers and subscribers. Make sure that your push notification successfully tells the customer about the benefits of staying loyal to your brand. Link the subscriber to your customer loyalty program sign up page from the web push notification to get maximum participants!
7. Share your customer loyalty program on social media
You’ve probably been using your social media pages – Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest and more, to share product pictures, information about your ongoing sales and discounts.
According to a study, an average person spends 144 minutes of their daily time on social media; this makes social media the perfect platform to also promote your customer loyalty program. It increases the program’s reach among your brand followers, new shoppers and instantly boosts your conversion rate.
All you need to do is create an occasional post promoting your customer loyalty program. Use a creative that is sure to grab their attention, and in the caption, share details and benefits of the program. The best of brands like Sephora use this strategy to keep reminding their followers to join their customer loyalty program!
PS. Make sure that you also include the link to your customer loyalty program sign up page or the signup page for a customer account.
8. Run social media ads to promote your loyalty program
Social Media ads can also be used to reach out to a broad base of potential and existing customers who are interested in your brand. This works in two ways – you’re reaching out to shoppers who already know of your brand, making them more likely to purchase from your store owing to your appealing customer loyalty program. Second, you’re reaching out to your existing customers, giving them a reason to come back for more.
But to make your customer loyalty program a success, you need to focus on setting up the right targeting and creating an ad that people feel compelled to interact with. While the rules remain the same on creating a graphic and a caption that highlights the benefits of your program, make sure that you’re spending time creating the right target audience to avoid spending too many dollars on those who won’t convert.
9. Use text or SMS marketing to promote your customer loyalty program
There is no guarantee of your customer staying online during the time you are promoting your loyalty program on social media or any other online platform. To tackle this scenario, implement SMS marketing to promote your customer loyalty program. Sending a short and personalized SMS along with a link to the loyalty program can bring many customers back to your store.
Here’s an example of the SMS body:
“Sign up to our loyalty program today and get a discount of 30% on your next purchase!! Click here for more information.”
And here’s an example we found:
10. Promote your customer loyalty program on product listings
Another smart hack to get your store visitors to notice your Shopify customer loyalty program is to show the benefits of it under your product details page. So that even if someone lands on a specific product page, they get to notice the store credits or points they can earn on making the purchase after becoming a part of your customer loyalty program.
11. Train your employees to promote the program during customer service
When you have a walk-in store, you can always educate the customer about your loyalty program at checkout. But when you’re running an online store, having this conversation can be tricky and you need to train employees that are manning the live chat or offering post-purchase support to promote your loyalty program.
For example, when a customer reaches out on live chat to ask for help with a size guide, let your employees know that they should follow a simple formula – <offer help and resolve the issue> and then tell them about your customer loyalty program.
Since offering support during making a purchase or after the purchase to track orders, exchange products etc creates an impression that your brand is focusing on offering a great customer experience, these shoppers become more likely to join your customer loyalty program.
This can also be done while asking for a client’s feedback after a purchase over a phone call or an email. Just make sure that your staff is ready to answer the client’s questions regarding the program.
Do you really need to promote your customer loyalty program?
You may think that a customer who chooses to purchase from your store will sign up for your customer loyalty program automatically. But what if they don’t even know that you have such a program in place?
So yes, you need to make promoting your customer loyalty program as much a priority as the discounts you’ve been promoting!
Don’t have a customer loyalty program yet? Install the Flits app today to create the next-gen customer loyalty program that is sure to win hearts!
