How You Should Reward Loyal Members

Rewarding loyalty is often the key to gaining new members and retaining old ones.  Membership websites can get an advantage over their competition by offering rewards and incentives that other memberships fail to offer.  Small membership websites may not have the resources to roll out complex loyalty programs, but they can still deliver rewards that will appeal to their members.  Have you thought about what rewards are the most effective?

 

One way to reward members for loyalty is to give discounts according to how long they have been a member.  Obviously, members who have renewed their membership for many years get a better discount than a person who just signed up to be a member.  When implementing discounts, never be too aggressive as this could lead some people to question the value of your services.

Another option that should be considered for rewarding loyalty is to give members exclusive access to services or products.  Offer them access to content, software, and eBooks before releasing it to visitors.  This will make members feel as though they are getting more value out of their membership and it encourages them to remain loyal.  What else might be beneficial for members?

 

Aside from offering discounts and exclusive access, contests can be easy to run and draw a lot of attention to your membership website.  Not only will it boost your brand but it helps encourage members to be more involved online.
As you strive to gain new members and keep current ones, remember that providing value is the ultimate incentive for members to stay loyal in the future.  The way you reward members for being loyal is often a major influence in how your membership association grows.  However, long-term success is only possible if you keep delivering great value!