5 Ways Mobile Engagement Can Amplify Loyalty Programs
Today’s consumers shop from anywhere with their phone in hand. In fact, U.S. retail mobile commerce sales are anticipated to double between now and 2025. Therefore, it’s critical to ensure that mobile engagement is incorporated in a brand’s loyalty program to effectively deliver personalized omnichannel experiences.
With a loyalty program that’s integrated with mobile engagement solutions, such as SMS, MMS, mobile wallet, and mobile app push notifications, retailers can send exclusive personal marketing content to their top customers, analyze their behavior, and learn how to attract similar customers to grow a more loyal customer base.
Acquisition Through SMS Texts
SMS acquires new loyalty members quickly. Whether a shopper is at the point of sale in the store or checking out online, they’re prompted to enter their number and receive a text to confirm interest. Once the consumer opts in, brands follow up with a personalized messaging that builds trust and demonstrates the value of the program.
Increased Engagement Through Mobile Wallet
Implementing native mobile wallet in Android and iOS elevates a loyalty program by providing a personalized card directly on the consumers’ phone. Mobile wallet integrates with a retailer’s branded app, further boosting engagement on both communication channels. For example, Redbox’s Mobile Pass can be added to mobile wallet, allowing customers to sign in at a kiosk, use points, and view rewards. As a result, the brand can update important information, draw customers to visit the app more often, and send automatic triggered notifications to entice purchase and reward redemption.
Personalized Messaging With First-Party Data
With recent changes in data collection, including Apple’s App Tracking Transparency and the demise of third-party cookies, brands have turned to mobile engagement to collect first-party data that feeds personalization. One example of this is CVS using mobile to drive personalized campaigns through its loyalty program, which boasts 74 million members. Brands like The Children’s Place also provide a discount incentive for shoppers who sign up for text alerts.
Data can be used to filter and segment audiences when determining distribution of style guides or new collections. What’s more, a shopper’s habits during last year’s holiday season can be used to inform and provide exclusive, relevant offers via mobile wallet. As well, with direct links embedded in these messages, brands can analyze sales patterns to determine successful campaigns.
Reward Information in Real Time
Surprise rewards and offers are the most important ways a retailer can interact with shoppers, according to 61% of consumers. Rewards not only entice consumers to join a program, but also increase engagement and long-term loyalty. Mobile can further improve reward redemption by delivering earned rewards and offers through mobile wallet, as well as by triggering reminders through SMS messages and notifications.
Pairing mobile engagement and rewards also helps remove any guesswork in finding out reward balances by updating loyalty information in real-time or having text-based campaigns deliver point balances.
Improve the Customer’s Experience
Customer service should be a top priority for retailers, as bad experiences can deter a customer from shopping again with a brand. In fact, 77% of poor experiences leading to a break in trust occur during post-purchase activities, such as delivery delays. To help maintain trust, marketers can utilize mobile to provide order status updates, ensuring customers aren’t surprised by any possible issues or delays. Because of the immediacy of SMS, it serves as an effective channel for sending important information.
When it comes to questions or concerns, using SMS-driven campaigns to answer frequently asked questions reduces the time – and annoyance – customers experience when waiting on the phone. Additionally, mobile wallet can store useful information for consumers to keep them aware of purchases past and present, as well as the rewards acquired for each purchase. By incorporating mobile engagement into post-purchase customer service, retailers can increase loyalty and affinity, building trust and value among their most loyal customers.
Build Trust and Foster Relationships With Customers on Mobile
Mobile engagement equips retailers with endless possibilities to further interact with consumers in a loyalty program. From delivering information related to exclusive offers, earned rewards, and point balances – via SMS, mobile wallet, and mobile app push notifications – to personalized marketing based on previous purchase behavior, retailers are able to build relationships with customers where they are: on a mobile device.
-Alex Campbell, Co-Founder and CIO, Vibes