Everyone likes to get paid, especially for whatever they were about to do anyway. When you get a physical (or perhaps digital) reward, our brain's reward pathway gives a natural reward chemical reaction. This is what makes incentive marketing companies so effective. The brain responds to the physical stimulus of getting something good, even if the person doesn't really know why they are getting it.
Incentive marketing provides people with a way to get paid without having to resort to underhanded methods. People can decide how much incentive they want from the business and can then choose the method (whether a mailed envelope, a coupon, or a discount code) that best fits their budget and lifestyle. The best part of incentive marketing is that people don't have to share information about themselves in order to receive these rewards.
People have told me that incentive marketing saved their marriage, and I have a feeling they are right. If you keep your brand consistent and offer your customers products that offer value, they will continue to buy from you, and it will become an ongoing source of income for your company. If you can build up a loyal customer base, you can offer gifts, discounts, and special offers that are only available to those who join your email marketing list, and the benefits are endless.
New customers are another great use for incentive marketing ideas. Offer free samples of your product as a valued customer incentive, or find ways to thank your current customers with things like cash incentives, discounts, and vouchers. You can also offer incentives to bring new customers into your store. Everyone loves free samples, and most people want to take them when they visit your store. When you have loyalty in place from your past customers, you will have a loyal customer base that will lead to new customers.
Another great use for incentive marketing is a sweepstake incentive marketing campaign. Offer a sweepstakes prize to those customers who purchase a certain amount of product within a specified time frame. This allows you to get rewarded for promoting your business, and you have the potential to gain huge amounts of exposure. A good sweepstakes incentive marketing campaign will include prizes for those who purchase in bulk or those who visit a specific site. This is the best way to get rewarded for promoting your brand because you can choose the rules for your sweepstakes, and you can create unique content to drive traffic to your sweepstakes page.
Some other great incentive marketing ideas that do not require any monetary rewards are things like discount coupons and free food items. Discount coupons can be used in many different ways at Dunkin Donuts, and you can create specific coupons for various food items. This means you can reward customers with coupons for past purchases, or for future purchases with the incentive marketing company. Free food items can be thrown into any of your current promotions or can be sent as promotional materials. These are great because they give your customers the opportunity to use your brand while getting something for free, which can build a level of loyalty among your customers.
Non-monetary rewards can be used in conjunction with other incentive marketing strategies to really capitalize on your consumer's motivation to buy. When you offer discounts, free food, or freebies, ask people to use these coupons as a tool for motivation. Ask people to use their motivation for your business. For instance, if you were offering gift cards to your customers, you could ask them to use the card to purchase a gift for a friend, or to show their appreciation for buying from you.
There are tons of ways to motivate your program members to become loyal to your business. It can take a lot of time to list all the different incentive programs available to you. However, the research is worth it when you look at the results you get when you use incentive marketing to promote your programs. Start listing some of the different programs and promotional offers that you have today.
