Just like a juicy Thanksgiving turkey, the best discount programs are made with carefully chosen ingredients that come together to create a recipe for success.
When we think about eating a delicious holiday bird, most of us imagine ingredients like parsley, celery, onion, lemon pepper, salt, sage and thyme. Almost no one is dreaming of eating a turkey where the main ingredient is, let’s say… Flamin’ Hot Cheetos powder (unfortunately this is a real thing).
Much in the same way, nobody wants to be a part of a discount program that has poor customer service, novelty discounts that people won’t use, low-value deals, online-only offers, discounts that are nonredeemable, and no mobile coupon options.
So for all you membership organizations out there, make sure the white label discount program you’re offering members is one you would actually want to use yourself – and not just every once in a while, but frequently.
And for those companies and organizations looking to make a switch or offer a discount/loyalty program for the first time, it’s important to be aware of the essential “ingredients” to look for that make a discount program effective.
After all, your members/customers/employees don’t just want a discount program for the sake of having one. It’s only valuable to them if they can utilize and incorporate it into their everyday lives, saving money often on the things they buy all the time.
The 2020 US election is complete. We hope everyone was able to vote safely and to make your voices heard. No matter how you feel about the results of any particular election, I think we can all agree that it’s wonderful to have a say in our future.
As we anxiously wait for the final votes to be tallied, here’s a question to keep your mind busy. Do your members have a say in what benefits they receive? Even with many value-added benefits to select from – like discount programs, birthday rewards, points earning, surprise and delight campaigns, etc. – you don’t have to blindly guess what members want. We’ve got some tips to help you figure out exactly what will keep them coming back year after year.
When membership organizations make bad decisions, we can learn a lot from their mistakes. Here is a tongue-in-cheek look at ten easy ways to scare away member loyalty and engagement. About a 7 minute read.
Sometimes member loyalty is skittish as a kid in a haunted house, tensed to bolt at the first sign that all isn’t well. Some members may fear a horror-filled experience. Others may worry your organization is secretly an identity-snatching zombie.
The worst thing is, they don’t often stay with organizations long enough to find out whether these warning signs are scary monsters or (more likely) simple mistakes.
My role as a marketing consultant has allowed me to work with all types and sizes of membership organizations. From large organizations with a million or so members, to small non-profit and trade groups with just a few thousand members. Most organizations seem to get it. They’ve figured out how to adapt to meet the unique needs of their members, and they can seamlessly integrate our discount platform into their existing suite of member benefits and privileges.
A few others -- dare I say -- are unprepared for success.
They have so many fundamental problems with how they run their organization that adding a powerful engagement tool, even one backed by the best discount program provider, will actually make matters worse.
After more than a decade in working with various groups, I’ve noticed some important patterns among the few groups that struggle the most. The ones that send members fleeing in the other direction.
I think there’s great value in learning from the mistakes of others, so here’s my list of the ten easiest ways an organization can scare away their member loyalty and engagement:
Who else is enjoying the chill in the air reminding us that the holidays are just around the corner?
Some things might look a little different this year: more holiday gatherings will have partygoers “zooming” in… more gifts will land on doorsteps instead of in shopping carts…
But luckily, we can count on many holiday staples, our personal favorite being the extra deep savings available only once a year.
Last year, we launched the first ever holiday savings campaign, much to the delight of our client organizations and their collective members.
In 2020, we hope our clients will join hands with us (figuratively, of course) to repeat last year’s success. Our results show that working together on a common goal is the most effective way to spread joy and cheer with extra deep discounts in time for Hanukah, Christmas and “just because.”
We’re taught pretty young that the shortest route from point A to point B is a straight line. In many cases, this means a straight line is also the fastest and easiest path.
For example, if I need to get on the roof of my house, I can get there faster climbing a ladder than, say, a series of switchbacks.
If we look at the member journey, point A would be the beginning of the relationship between member and organization. Point B may look different for every organization, but in general, the end goal is to guide every member to the point of true loyalty.
You may say members have reached point B when they:
- Log in every day
- Refer friends and family
- Take a volunteer position of leadership
- Register for an annual conference
- Turn to your services for help when they encounter a challenge
- Redeem rewards over 30 times
