Why implement a loyalty program?

Customer loyalty is more than just numbers in a database or membership in a rewards program. It is a deep connection between the customer and the business, a trust built over time through repeated positive experiences and valuable interaction. When customers feel loyal to a brand, they go beyond just being customers - they become advocates, ambassadors, and a part of the brand's story. This emotional attachment can be crucial to the long-term success of a business. This can create emotional loyalty, which provides higher value than mere transactional loyalty.

A loyalty program gives you the opportunity to offer exclusive benefits to your loyal members, as well as to communicate with guests. By actively utilizing the loyalty program, for example, you can market events and offer your members extra special deals related to these events. This way, you can more easily increase activity and thus revenue. By creating a digital guest journey, you can send information that makes customers feel taken care of throughout the customer experience, thereby fostering a stronger connection to your brand.

If you want to learn more about creating emotional loyalty, you can click here.

The importance of the digital guest journey and follow-up communication

Ensuring that customers and guests are kept updated through good communication is crucial for creating positive experiences and building lasting loyalty. Digital guest journeys through strategically placed emails are an effective way to keep members engaged throughout the experience. A typical digital guest journey for hotels, for example, begins with a welcome email providing guests with all necessary information about their stay. For both hotels and stores, it's important to inform about available bonus points, any gift cards, and other relevant information.

This is followed by an email just before or during the stay that can convey local tips and relevant information to enhance the experience. For stores, it may be wise to communicate promotions and offers, exclusive events, or an email detailing how customers can get more out of their memberships.

After the guest's departure or purchase, it's important to maintain contact through a "thank you for your visit" email. This email not only shows gratitude but can also request feedback about their experience. By showing interest in members' feedback and following up on any concerns or requests, hotels and stores demonstrate that they value members' opinions and are dedicated to improving their services.

This is a basic example of what a typical guest journey might look like, and there are many variations you can use to keep customers engaged. Here, it's mostly about being creative and exploring what will work for your business.

If you want to learn more about digital guest journeys, we at Loyco are ready to provide guidance. Contact us here.

‍