6 Ways to Use Loyalty Programs to Drive Holiday Sales
Posted: Sun Dec 22, 2024 8:28 am
The biggest retail event of the year is upon us: the holidays! As consumers hunt for gifts (and deals), retailers compete for their attention. But how do you stand out in a crowded marketplace?
While the holiday shopping season is a great opportunity to attract new customers, don’t forget the importance of your existing customer base. In addition to the fact that it’s cheaper to market to existing customers, they also tend to buy more often and spend more than new customers.
So here are six ways to make the most of your holiday promotions for your existing and new customers:
1. Create (or revise) your loyalty program
Last year, we surveyed retailers about their holiday sales tactics. The conclusion? Loyalty programs, particularly those that worked both in-store and online, stood out as a winning formula.
The appeal is clear: it’s a low-maintenance way to promote your business, and your customers are rewarded for choosing you over your competitors. During a busy holiday season, this benefit, for both parties, should not be underestimated.
Here's how it works:
First, customers sign up for your loyalty program to start earning points.
At this step, make sure you get their emails and permission to taiwan contact number communicate with them. You will need this later.
You add VIP status to incentivize customers to shop at your store again and again. That way, they're not just rewarded for coming back to you: they have a goal to achieve.
If you don’t already have a VIP status, create one now. Lightspeed Loyalty lets you award VIPs with additional rewards that enhance the shopping experience. If the next gift they buy elevates them to VIP status, they’ll be incentivized to come back and reach that level.
Remember those emails you collected? Using your loyalty program platform, create promotional emails (more tips on this below) and send them to your members. This way, you’ll stay top-of-mind with people who have shown interest in your brand.
Create your loyalty program with the Lightspeed Loyalty module
I want to speak to my account manager
2. Reward new customers who sign up
This holiday season, you won’t just be welcoming regular customers. New customers will also be looking for gifts. If you incentivize them to sign up for your loyalty program, you’ll be much more likely to get them to come back for more. Make sure your staff collects customers’ emails and permission to contact them when they sign up for your program—you’ll need this when you create your promotional emails.
Encourage new holiday customers to become repeat customers by offering them bonus rewards when they sign up for your loyalty program. To keep them coming back right away, give them enough points to earn a reward or discount on their next purchase.
You can use the Lightspeed Loyalty module to create an automated sign-up campaign, without any additional work for you or your staff. As an added incentive, consider increasing the number of points customers earn for signing up during the holiday season.
3. Spread out your holiday marketing
68% of consumers 1 say they pay more attention to company emails during the holidays. Since you’ve collected your customers’ emails as part of your loyalty program, you should definitely be letting them know about your holiday, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday deals.
But they won’t just be receiving your emails and texts. Consumers will be bombarded with holiday messages, so you need to make yours stand out without being overbearing.
According to Andrei Vasilescu, digital marketing expert and CEO of DontPayFull, a great trick is to spread out your emails. “Send a first wave of emails hinting at your upcoming offers to grab your audience’s attention. Your second wave of emails will contain your exclusive offers personalized to different potential customers,” says Vasilescu.
Create and send holiday emails with the Lightspeed Loyalty module
I want to speak to my account manager
Remember to create a sense of urgency ( this offer is for a limited time! ) so customers quickly take action upon receiving that second email.
Be sure to use segmented email marketing to offer your VIP customers exclusive offers that they might enjoy (details on this below).
While the holiday shopping season is a great opportunity to attract new customers, don’t forget the importance of your existing customer base. In addition to the fact that it’s cheaper to market to existing customers, they also tend to buy more often and spend more than new customers.
So here are six ways to make the most of your holiday promotions for your existing and new customers:
1. Create (or revise) your loyalty program
Last year, we surveyed retailers about their holiday sales tactics. The conclusion? Loyalty programs, particularly those that worked both in-store and online, stood out as a winning formula.
The appeal is clear: it’s a low-maintenance way to promote your business, and your customers are rewarded for choosing you over your competitors. During a busy holiday season, this benefit, for both parties, should not be underestimated.
Here's how it works:
First, customers sign up for your loyalty program to start earning points.
At this step, make sure you get their emails and permission to taiwan contact number communicate with them. You will need this later.
You add VIP status to incentivize customers to shop at your store again and again. That way, they're not just rewarded for coming back to you: they have a goal to achieve.
If you don’t already have a VIP status, create one now. Lightspeed Loyalty lets you award VIPs with additional rewards that enhance the shopping experience. If the next gift they buy elevates them to VIP status, they’ll be incentivized to come back and reach that level.
Remember those emails you collected? Using your loyalty program platform, create promotional emails (more tips on this below) and send them to your members. This way, you’ll stay top-of-mind with people who have shown interest in your brand.
Create your loyalty program with the Lightspeed Loyalty module
I want to speak to my account manager
2. Reward new customers who sign up
This holiday season, you won’t just be welcoming regular customers. New customers will also be looking for gifts. If you incentivize them to sign up for your loyalty program, you’ll be much more likely to get them to come back for more. Make sure your staff collects customers’ emails and permission to contact them when they sign up for your program—you’ll need this when you create your promotional emails.
Encourage new holiday customers to become repeat customers by offering them bonus rewards when they sign up for your loyalty program. To keep them coming back right away, give them enough points to earn a reward or discount on their next purchase.
You can use the Lightspeed Loyalty module to create an automated sign-up campaign, without any additional work for you or your staff. As an added incentive, consider increasing the number of points customers earn for signing up during the holiday season.
3. Spread out your holiday marketing
68% of consumers 1 say they pay more attention to company emails during the holidays. Since you’ve collected your customers’ emails as part of your loyalty program, you should definitely be letting them know about your holiday, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday deals.
But they won’t just be receiving your emails and texts. Consumers will be bombarded with holiday messages, so you need to make yours stand out without being overbearing.
According to Andrei Vasilescu, digital marketing expert and CEO of DontPayFull, a great trick is to spread out your emails. “Send a first wave of emails hinting at your upcoming offers to grab your audience’s attention. Your second wave of emails will contain your exclusive offers personalized to different potential customers,” says Vasilescu.
Create and send holiday emails with the Lightspeed Loyalty module
I want to speak to my account manager
Remember to create a sense of urgency ( this offer is for a limited time! ) so customers quickly take action upon receiving that second email.
Be sure to use segmented email marketing to offer your VIP customers exclusive offers that they might enjoy (details on this below).