This article discusses the importance of creating customer groups or “segments” so that you can always share your most relevant content with your members.
Segmenting your messages and offers leads to better conversion rates. Better conversion rates mean better customer experiences, and better customer experiences means higher lifetime value. So, by using segmentation, you create a virtuous circle that keeps building and benefitting both your customers and your stores.
The two most common segments we recommend are students and employees. They are easy segments to identify as they have very clearly defined needs, so it’s both easy and important to tailor your programme for them.
Joining a Segment
Firstly, your marketing team can automatically allocate people to segments using demographic data such as gender or age, purchase frequency, customer value or previous actions in store such as coupon redemptions, purchases or receipts.
We also recommend that you invite your members to opt-in directly and we have created TWO ways for your members to join any group or segment. Firstly, they can simply join a group within the app, or alternatively, for more security, you can set the group up so that they need a code to enter.
A Loyalty App Showing the Member Having Joined the Student Segment
Student Segment
Let’s consider ‘students’ as our first group. Narvesen, part of Reitan Convenience for example offers student-specific deals in order to attract students. If you want any student to be able to join, the app won’t need any code in order to see the offers and deals. In this case, you could ask for their student ID at the point of sale.
Alternatively, you could set up the group with a code needed to join. Then just the FIRST time these members come to buy a student deal or product, you would check their ID, and then simply give them the code to enter on the app for full access to the group in the future.
This app is requesting and accepting a students code to allow them enjoy the student offers
Employee Segments
Your second-most important segment should be for your employees, and there are a number of ways to create different groups of employees for different reasons. Here are three great ideas for segments of employees of all types.
Firstly, it’s very powerful to get your own employees using your app. By having it on their own phone, they get to know your program better because they use it themselves. They can enjoy better deals and stamp cards and of course get the latest information on your customer campaigns.
You can even manage sampling opportunities for employees to try new products in your store. In this particular use case, you have an accurate understanding which members of your team have tasted new products, really useful information that suppliers love .
Secondly, if you have a store in a busy retail area such as a shopping mall, a train station or even an airport, you can create a segment for all of the people who work in the stores nearby. By offering exclusive deals to this group, you can become the favourite place for lunch or coffee for people that work around your shop.
Finally, you can create deals for any employees of big local companies in your area or anywhere there are large groups of people nearby. This sometimes has the added advantage that the Human Resources Managers in those companies will actively tell their staff about your store and your exclusive offers. Companies with large customer service teams or call-centres for example, love to be able to get exclusive offers for their employees.
For all three employee groups, using the “segmentation” feature, you have the option to let users immediately opt in to either of these groups or set them up with a PIN code for extra security.
In closing, we hope that this article explains how simple it is to segment your offers and improve your programme’s engagement rate.
If you’d like our help setting up your groups using the segmentation feature, please just contact the customer excellence team in Liquid Barcodes and we’ll be delighted to guide you.
About Us:
Liquid Barcodes is a leading global loyalty and digital marketing technology company specialising in the convenience store and foodservice industries. Our proprietary cloud-based technology platform allow retailers to create and manage their digital marketing campaigns with a proprietary process we call the “customer connection cycle’ to engage, promote and reward customers activities in real-time across digital and media channels.
How we do it:
We have developed the most advanced loyalty and digital marketing technology platform specifically for convenience store and foodservice retailers globally.
Retailers use our self-service dashboard to create and manage loyalty driven marketing campaigns that increase purchases with their existing customers, as well as effectively target and acquire new customers through partners or paid media channels.
One core component of live loyalty is gamification. We have gamified branding, loyalty and promotions. We believe this approach is essential in order to get customers’ attention and ultimately truly engage them with repeatable actions thereby winning their loyalty.
Check out some of our exciting/proven results here:
About Me:
Chief Content Officer, Liquid Barcodes and Loyalty Podcaster
With over twenty-five years marketing experience, I specialise in loyalty marketing articles and podcasts. In addition to working with Liquid Barcodes, my clients have included Telefonica O2 Priority, Three Mobile, Electric Ireland, Allied Irish Bank and The Entertainer Group (UAE), as well as Avios – the global points currency for some of the world’s top airlines. I am also a former judge for the Loyalty Magazine Awards and proud host of the “Let’s Talk Loyalty” podcast – the industry’s first podcast for loyalty marketing professionals.
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