Jonathan Pritchard, Managing Partner at Tangent Snowball, discusses why loyalty schemes need to offer more than just points. Great content, offers and exclusive benefits are key to building customer loyalty
In the digital world, SMEs need to create a more effortless and seamless customer experience which extends beyond their direct offering. When embracing the omnichannel loyalty approach, SMEs need to look beyond simply offering points and instead consider three things:
• Experiences – Offer experiences that support and extend the initial offering; a little bit of extra knowledge about the customer goes a long way here
• Services – Provide value-added services, like expert information, that help customers get the most from the experience
• Content – Deliver highly personalised content that adds value to the customer experience, for example reviews and how-to guides
Ultimately, SMEs need to ensure they are providing information that makes the customer experience better and stress free. By going above and beyond the basics SMEs must ask themselves what the customer gets in return. Is it something they actually want?
Jamie’s Italian Gold Club is a great example of a loyalty scheme moving away from the simple points system approach. Once they’ve signed up to the Gold Club, customers get access to exclusive offers, rewards, seasonal recipes and even priority booking online. Jamie’s Italian is all about feeling better about the experience, getting some preferential treatment and reducing barriers to enjoy the brand more.
SMEs need to understand how they can leverage the value they already bring to customers, in a way that makes the experience more remarkable and more convenient. We are in a disloyal, connected world.
This article also appears on Tangent Snowball’s blog page.