Today membership loyalty rewards aren’t about points, it’s about people.
However, most loyalty programs fail before they could even start. The reason? They forget what members value the most. A true loyalty membership program stands on the 5 pillars which are:
- Trust
- Emotional engagement
- Gratitude
- consistent value
- and creative rewards
Sometimes you have to give more than just discounts to keep customers buying from you, for a good reason. You have to understand your members don’t just want perks. They crave recognition, connection, and reasons to stay.
This article shows exactly this: 9 proven membership loyalty reward program ways to make your members feel special, stay longer and renew with ease.
So, wondering how to create membership loyalty programs that truly reward and retain? Your search ends here!
We’ll share quick, straightforward and ready to go ways for membership businesses to boost their customer lifetime value, loyalty and engagement. So without any further ado, let’s dive in!
Start With a Clear Loyalty Goal
We have done research and analysis only to find out one thing is very common for all best successful loyalty programs: Clear valuable rewards.
To decide on clear valuable rewards, first you have to decide what you want to make out of this loyalty program. You sure must have a goal, a reason to start this membership loyalty program. Clear loyalty goals such as:
- Encourage repeat orders
- Boosting customer lifetime value
- Improve AOV (average order value)
- Enhance customer engagement
- Collect valuable insights from customer data
Once you set a goal in mind, you can also choose the right reward structure. There are multiple types of loyalty membership programs like:
- Point based programs
- Tiered based programs
- VIP programs
- Referral program
- Hybrid program
Rest assured, this is the first step towards building a successful membership loyalty program. By having a clear goal only you can make a perfect roadmap to a true loyalty program.
Offer Tiered Membership Rewards
Give people what pleases them the most. Thus, having a tiered membership reward plan is the best.
Every member looks for different things, the things that suit their needs and budget the best. That’s why give your different membership loyalty plans to grow.
You can create multiple membership tiered plans like Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum. The higher the tier, the more benefits and perks they get.
We promise – A tiered based membership loyalty rewards program works the best. It keeps members on the edge, wanting for more exclusive and personalized experience while still being engaged.
By having a tiered membership reward program, you can turn your customers loyalty into a rewarding journey. Further, it also helps:
- Encourage more spending as they go for higher plans
- Boosts customer retention with a tier status
- Improves customer engagement by offering more interactive experience for all
- Easy customer segmentation for better understanding your members
- Reduces price sensitivity as members can also start with basic
Afterall, tiered loyalty programs are easy to create with a good strategy. You can start with 3-5 clear membership levels, each offering different perks in increasing order.
Worth mentioning, ARMember is the best for creating unlimited membership levels, plans with different access rights and unique pricing.
Personalize Rewards Based on Member Activity
Let’s be real here! Generic offers don’t work anymore, as everyone is offering the same “Special” discounts, perks and freebies.
So now is the time to hit the spot by bonding with your members on a personal level. You can offer personalized rewards based on your members’ activity.
All you have to do is collect detailed membership analytical reports. With ARMember, you can easily get multiple analytical reports. From members, payment, login to coupon reports all are easy to access right from the ARMember dashboard.
You can also personalized rewards based on members activity, tiered level and engagement.
For example, you run a beauty salon loyalty membership program. So you can give your members choices how they wish to redeem their membership benefits. Like you can let your member choose from either a free product, a personalized talk for skincare, or an entry into a giveaway.
Add Non Monetary Rewards That Build Belonging
No two members are alike – some look for only discounts while others crave for special gifts.
That’s why you have to think beyond discounts. Afterall, more than 91% of global brands and companies now offer loyalty programs so there’s no denial to competition.
To build a true membership loyalty reward program, you have to stand out of the crowd. You can also add exclusive rewards aside from discounts such as:
- Recognition badges
- Early access to premium content
- Early bird perks
- Community shoutouts
- Personalised freebies
These all rewards will never put a hole in your pocket. In fact, offering them instead of the same every time discounts will deliver a truly personalized reward, giving your customers an exclusive experience and options.
Use Gamification to Keep Members Motivated
Now who doesn’t love games, huh? Gamifying your membership loyalty programs adds a new interactive fun in your members journey.
You can add interactive gamification elements like:
- Spin to win games
- Quizzes
- Badges
- Treasure hunts
- or Mini games
Apart from this, you can also take advantage of gamification elements by integrating progress bars, streaks like snapchat or points on each purchase.
Plus, you can also add a leaderboard and run team challenges for a twist of friendly competition. Moreover, it gives members a reason to strive for more. You can setup rules such as the higher the membership loyalty tier, the more exclusive gamification rewards and badges.
You can set badges like “Newbie” for new members and “Gold” badge for your most loyal and engaging member.
So it’s time to turn your membership loyalty reward program into a fun experience for all members.
Automate Reward Distribution
How you deliver your loyalty incentives and rewards matters too. Automating reward distribution saves both time and prevents any missed opportunities.
You can set triggers like,” After 1 month of active membership, send a loyalty bonus discount coupon”.
First you have to decide how and when you wish to deliver rewards. You can send rewards for specific customers behaviours also like:
- Making first purchase
- Signing up for a paid newsletter or side program
- Birthday celebration of member or membership anniversary
- First product review
- Referring a friend
- More engagement with your social media
You can also use platforms like ARMember, you can easily create coupons in bulk for different occasions. ARMember Coupon Management Addon seamlessly creates coupons in bulk. Plus, you can set discount amounts, coupon validity and lifespan as well.
Best of all, ARMember allows the purchase and sharing of Gift Membership too.
Combine Loyalty Rewards With Referrals
Reward members for bringing in friends. This is one of the best ways to grow your membership loyalty reward program.
Even studies say over 92% of customers trust recommendations from friends and family more compared to paid marketing ads and all.
The best part? You get double value! New members plus loyal members willing to recommend. Afterall, nothing can beat word-of-mouth marketing. And referral marketing is a part of it.
You can give your existing members offers such as:
- Invite a friend and earn 2 free months of premium access
- Recommend a friend and both of you get extra bonus points
- Tell your friends too and get amazing discounts on first 3 orders
The good news? You don’t need any third party software for it. With ARMember, you can native Affiliate Addon. It lets you create and run your own affiliate program right from your ARMember dashboard.
You can easily add and reward countless number of affiliate partners (members who wish to refer a friend also). Moreover, it creates a powerful cycle of growth and loyalty as:
- New customer discovers your brand and engage
- Referred friend gets exclusive perks and offers
- Increases loyalty for existing members as they earn loyalty rewards and points
- Boosts members loyalty
Give Exclusive Perks for Long-Term Members
Now who doesn’t love surprise gifts?
Unexpected membership rewards and gifts create a sense of excitement. So sometimes there’s no need to inform members of all perks. Just say it like a “Surprise Gift” and watch how much they love it.
Trust me – These little unexpected rewards when personalized perfectly makes members feel special and valued. Moreover, giving gifts without any occasion or prior notice keeps engagement high and makes your loyalty membership program unforgettable.
You can offer unannounced perks such as:
- Random bonus points
- Surprise gifts
- Special discounts or upgrades
Moreover, you can send surprise rewards with personalized messages, notes and email. This never costs an extra penny but adds a personal touch.
Track, Analyze, and Improve Your Program
Last but not the least, always keep track of your membership loyalty reward program.
A loyal membership program isn’t “set it and forget it.” You need to see what works the best, what doesn’t make much impact. By keeping all this in check, you can actually improve your membership loyalty program.
To improve your current loyalty program, you can:
- Track members engagement: You can use ARMember to track and see who claimed their coupons, log in and more.
- Measure outcomes: Always keep an eye on rewards that actually convert better.
- Optimize regularly: If your current loyalty incentives aren’t gaining results, you can always change and improve your rewards, timings and personalised messages.
Final Thought: Build a Membership Loyalty Rewards Program That Lasts
A membership loyalty rewards program is the best way for generating consistent revenue, boosting customer retention and growing strong brand loyalty. You can also boost the CLV of your membership sites.
All you create is a true engaging membership loyalty program which is a win-win for both you and your members. Members get exclusive discounts, freebies, personalized offers and experience while you get loyal members and more renewals while fostering brand loyalty.
Best of all, you can also start small. Send personalized rewards, automate smartly and make your loyalty membership program interactive.
So what are you waiting for? Follow these real proven strategies and create your membership loyalty reward program right now!
FAQs
What are loyalty rewards?
Loyalty rewards are incentives or perks which are offered to members for their repeat purchases or participation. You can also gain loyalty rewards by joining a membership loyalty program. Moreover, loyalty rewards are basically incentives, discounts and perks to boost customer retention and loyalty.
What is loyalty program membership?
A loyalty program membership is a strategic program where members earn benefits, discounts, or freebies. Meanwhile, loyalty membership programs boost customer lifetime value and foster a sense of brand loyalty.
What are the 4 types of loyalty programs?
Here are the 4 types of loyalty programs:
- Point based programs
- Tiered based programs
- VIP programs
- value based programs
What is an example of membership based rewards?
An example of membership based rewards are Amazon Prime, Uber One and Taco Lover’s pass where customers pay a monthly fee and get exclusive benefits, perks or free items too sometimes.
What are tiered loyalty programs?
A tiered loyalty program allows you to offer different membership reward levels such as Bronze, Silver, Gold based. Members can choose different plans and levels as per their needs and budget.
How do loyalty rewards work?
Whenever members buy a product, renew a membership or engage more with the brand, they can earn loyalty reward points. Best of all, you can also earn points by joining a membership loyalty program.
Do membership reward points expire?
Yes, Of course! Most membership reward points have a decided lifespan based on your company’s rules. However, there are also some membership rewards points which never expire as long as your membership is active.
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