subject: Text Marketing Loyalty Programs [print this page] As the economy slowly picks up, you might be wondering how to bottle some of that summer business, nurture it through the slower months and really reap the benefits through the holiday season? By creating a text marketing loyalty program you can start to build a customer database when you are busy, communicate with those customers during the slow times to encourage more sales and then give those loyal mobile customers incentive to act and spread the word through the holidays.
Although loyalty programs have been around for years (frequent flier miles, hotel rewards), smart businesses are now starting to utilize the same methodology with new technology of SMS. A keyword is created, consumers are asked to text that word into a shortcode phone number in order to become a loyalty member or VIP and then those customers receive an automated reply from that business. So from the start the program is permission based...you will only collect numbers of those people who want to hear from you and have actively agreed to participate in your program. With a permission-based program, any messages the business sends thereafter are more likely read. With texting, the business can directly communicate an offer, a reward, a discount, a VIP service etc. so that the customers may take advantage of these offers on the go. Communicating with your customer while they are out shopping is more likely to elicit a positive response to visit your store or establishment and make a purchase.
Once loyalty members redeem rewards and offers, there is the opportunity to upsell, cross-sell and encourage viral marketing by rewarding referrals. Buy one get one free gift certificates for the holidays, for example, work well to encouraging action by the loyalty member (giving them an instant answer to holiday gifting), and also provide opportunity to sign up the gift recipient to the loyalty program.
To read more about Qittle(TM) and how they can help create text marketing loyalty programs for businesses, click here
