The rate at which competitors can respond to or copy innovation is rapidly increasing due in part to advances in technology. Coupled with lower entry barriers, the result is an exponential growth in competition across consumer driven industries. Consumers are now taking a far more active role in the purchase decision, with the ability to shop around in a quicker and more convenient manner – comparing not only prices, but product ranges, brand promises and value added benefits.

It’s a tough economic climate and creating loyal customers is now more important than ever. Currently, the big innovation in the loyalty arena is leveraging technology to effectively deliver messages, offers and discounts in increasingly convenient ways – from coupons printed at tills, to mobile sites allowing for quick download of multiple coupons, to the introduction of Card Linked Offers which is taking off in the US (connecting offers and discounts directly to a consumers credit / debit card once they opt-in to a loyalty program).

The digital savvy consumer therefore has the power and ability to buy what they want, when they want, how they want. To remain competitive, companies need to ensure they are present where customers want to engage with them – in the moment.

Digi-tech profoundly impacts customer loyalty

Customer loyalty is nothing new, but it is the perceived silver bullet for achieving success. Loyalty is the result of a very carefully planned strategy, where everything is designed with the customer in mind – from the usual profile information to taking their preferred communication channel into consideration too.

In my opinion, the future of a successful loyalty program lies in the effective adoption and execution of mobile technology – merging mobile and loyalty will enable easier purchases.

Marketers should therefore use all the relevant touch points [online, apps, mobile and email] to not only gather relevant information on their customer, but also to engage with them effectively.

Here are 3 easy tech starters to boost your loyalty program:

1. Email is the cornerstone
   Using the intimacy and personalization of email marketing helps to leverage a satisfied customer into a brand advocate. Email campaigns with offers that are targeted specifically to loyalty customers are thus likely to be more successful, as they will generate higher open rates, resulting in greater revenue for your company.
   Tactics such as using customer lifecycle marketing – starting off with an email welcome program through to more personalized, triggered email communications relevant to the loyal customer and where they are in their life stage, is an effective approach.
2. Optimize and go mobile
   Evidence shows that more email is read on mobile devices than on a desktop email client or via webmail. Recent analysis from Litmus indicates that 51 percent of mail messages were opened on a mobile device.
   While your entire customer base may not be digitally savvy; the rapid uptake and acceptance of smart phones and mobile browsing is transforming the relationship between your company and your customers. This undoubtedly has to result in more targeted and relevant email marketing.
   Loyalty emails optimized for mobile, including vouchers, will ensure a great customer experience which will drive engagement and ultimately purchases.
3. Don’t forget about the power of text messages
   What about those uncomplicated, time-critical or reminder messages? Text messaging is the one channel that also reaches feature phones, making it a valuable channel to drive loyalty customers to engage.

To sum it up, loyalty marketers have to find a unique way to differentiate themselves from competitors – and judging from the current mobile trends, I think it’s going to be about who offers customers the best mobile loyalty experience.

Need advice on how to boost your loyalty program with messaging optimized for mobile? Let’s chat…