How to Incorporate Personalization Into Customer Loyalty Programs

Picture this: One of your most loyal customers opens their mail to find a postcard from your company welcoming them to your loyalty program. They're excited, but when they turn it over, they find the piece begins "Dear Sir/Madam."

At this point, your loyal customer is feeling pretty blue. They're feeling like even though they've purchased from your company repeatedly, they don't matter enough for you to get their name into a piece ostensibly rewarding them for being loyal.

Now you understand why personalization belongs in your loyalty programs. Here are a few tips for using personalization in both print and digital marketing.

Personalization for Digital

Unless you have a very small email list, going into each email you want to send and changing the name is going to chew up a lot of time—so don't do that. Instead, utilize the personalization tokens available in your CRM or email provider. Personalization tokens auto-populate with form field data based on recent conversions, allowing you to create loyalty program messaging that's not only highly personal, but highly efficient as well.

The key is to automate without making it obvious to your customer that you've done so. Any time you can insert a name, a reference to your most recent brand interaction, or send along a special offer on their birthday, you're using personalization in a way that increases loyalty and makes a customer feel like they're genuinely valued. Just don't be too creepy about it, please.

Personalization for Print

There aren't a lot of shortcuts for print jobs, because you'll have to print every name, but with the right solution you can keep your loyalty program humming along in print and do some really cool things along the way too.

For example, you can use Variable Data Printing (VDP) software solutions like FusionPro and uMerge to change elements of print pieces without slowing down the run. Imagine sending 100 different customers branded decks of playing cards with their names embossed on the box, or a 3D printed megaphone for your sporting goods store, or even custom ID cards in a postcard-style mailer.

It's a small time commitment and relatively inexpensive way to show your gratitude. Few things can make a client feel special like a personalized mail piece with some obvious effort behind it.

With the right personalization, your loyalty program won't just reward customers for their loyalty. It will actually make them more loyal.