Remember the days of collecting airline miles, meticulously calculating routes, and dreaming of that exotic vacation? Since then, loyalty programs have come a long way. In fact, the concept of loyalty program isn’t limited to customers only anymore. It has now extrapolated to the channel partners and last mile advocates too.
These are the folks who champion your brand, spread the word, and ultimately drive sales. But how do you keep them engaged and singing your praises? Drum roll, please – Loyalty management system. This is your secret weapon to create an army of brand evangelists.
Now, you might be thinking, "Loyalty programs are great, but what features do I really need for my channel partners and advocates?" Scroll down a bit because we have listed out the top seven for you.
1. Personalisation Powerhouse: More Than Just Points
Take this into consideration – You are a leading B2B business and one of your distributors crushed their quarterly sales target. This, in turn, translated to better revenue and ROI for your business.
Wouldn't a generic "good job" email feel a little…well, generic?
This is where a modern loyalty management software comes into the picture. These platforms let you customise the incentives based on the performance, loyalty and preferences of the individual channel partner or last mile advocate (influencer).
Personalisation of the rewards runs deeper than rewarding them with points and cashbacks. It has more to do with exclusive features like new product launches, invitations to events, custom marketing materials, etc.
2. Gamification: Turn Loyalty into a Fun (and Rewarding) Game
Let's be honest, a little healthy competition never hurt anyone. With the current loyalty management tools, the channel partners and influencers must have access to two things:
A unified dashboard that provides real-time updates and notifications.
A gamified loyalty program derived from the data acquired from the above-mentioned dashboard.
When onboarding any loyalty management software, gamification is an indispensable feature. It fosters a healthy competitive mindset, keeping things refreshing for each of the stakeholders.
Imagine your channel partners racing to the top of the "Sales Samurai" leaderboard, or advocates competing for the coveted "Brand Buzz Champion" badge. It injects a dose of fun and excitement, keeping everyone motivated.
The sole purpose of gamification in your loyalty program management system is to ignite the natural and innate competitiveness in people.
3. Omnichannel Marvel: A Seamless Experience Across All Channels
Your channel partners and last mile advocates are interacting with your business across multiple channels - online portals, mobile apps, even good old-fashioned phone calls.
While keeping up with all these individual avenues can be complicated, a loyalty management system offers a centralised hub that keeps track of all the real-time data, including performance insights, successful sales, revenue generation and more – all in one place.
Think easy access to their loyalty status, reward tracking, and communication across all touchpoints. It's like having a loyalty program that's always in their pocket (or on their computer screen). 1Channel’s loyalty management software has a comprehensive app and desktop version, simplifying the communication woes between the business and their channel partners.
4. Data Dashboard Dynamo: Insights to Fuel Success
“Data drives success,” is a phrase that holds true in every aspect of business success including loyalty programs. A modern loyalty management platform will thus prioritise data at the forefront, helping businesses understand partners' and advocates' behaviour.
What are their reward requirements? What kind of rewards are they encashing the most? What are their performance metrics after implementation of the loyalty programs?
Having access to this particular data on the loyalty management system allows the businesses to tailor the future loyalty campaigns, personalise the rewards and optimise the existing programs for maximum impact. In short, data is your unsung weapon for building lasting loyalty.
5. Mobile-First Mindset: Loyalty in Their Pocket
Roughly 659 million people across India use or have access to a smartphone. This accounts for the fact that the need for a mobile-first mindset is not just a folklore anymore. Pretty much every household in the country uses a smartphone.
So, when looking into onboarding the best loyalty management system, you have to look for options that offer a customisable mobile application aside from the standard desktop version of the software. 1Channel LMS takes care of that for your channel partners.
A dedicated mobile app or a fully responsive web portal is non-negotiable. This allows partners and influencers to check their points, redeem rewards, participate in challenges, and stay updated on the go.
6. Integration Powerhouse: Seamlessly Connect Your Ecosystem
A B2B enterprise won’t solely run on the wheels of the loyalty management tools. Instead, an LMS can be one of the many software that contributes to the smooth operation of the business.
This hence indicates the need for a loyalty management platform that integrates with the existing technological ecosystem of a business. In short, it should integrate seamlessly with your existing CRM, marketing automation, and e-commerce platforms.
With this, you get a unified view of your channel partner and influencer performances, personalise communication and automate the key processes involved.
Integration streamlines operations, improves efficiency, and enhances the overall partner and advocate experience.
7. Communication is Key: Keep the Conversation Flowing
Another integral feature to watch out for in a loyalty management system is communication channels. Every loyalty program you curate isn’t just for awarding points to the channel partners and influencers and then redeeming them. It is more about building lasting relationships.
For this, choose a software that prioritises consistent and meaningful communication. Your loyalty system should facilitate two-way communication, allowing you to send targeted messages, gather feedback, and foster a sense of community.
Open communication between the business executives and the channel partners via the loyalty program tool takes away possibilities of miscommunication and builds transparency too. It ensures that these partners and influencers feel valued and heard.
Making the Switch to 1Channel Loyalty Management Software
If you’re nodding along and thinking, “Yes, this is what we need,” then it’s time to consider 1Channel’s loyalty management system. Our loyalty management system is specifically designed for the channel partners and influencers aka the last mile advocates.
Every feature that you’d need in your loyalty management tool is curated and customised to fit to your business needs, ensuring that no hooks are left unturned. From advanced and real-time analytics to gamification and integration, every aspect is taken care of.
With 1Channel, loyalty isn’t just a program—it’s a strategy for success. Book your free demo with us today!
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