10 Marketing Strategies to Increase Customer Loyalty
Jan 15, 2025
When most business owners think about marketing, they think about finding new customers. More people through the door means more sales, right?
Not necessarily.
Consider this: would you rather have twenty customers who buy from you once, or five customers who come back again and again? It only takes four visits from each of those loyal customers to match the value of twenty one-time buyers. And loyal customers do more than just return—they spend more per visit, they're cheaper to serve, and they tell their friends about you.
Customer retention isn't just as important as acquisition—it's often more valuable. And the right loyalty marketing strategies don't just keep existing customers engaged; they attract new ones through word of mouth, referrals, and social proof.
So how do you turn occasional visitors into devoted regulars? Here are ten proven marketing strategies that build genuine customer loyalty—practical approaches that work for small businesses without requiring enterprise budgets.
1. Actively Promote Your Loyalty Program
Having a loyalty program isn't enough. If customers don't know it exists, it can't do its job.
This sounds obvious, but it's remarkable how many businesses launch a loyalty program and then barely mention it. The programme sits there, underused, while customers walk out the door without ever knowing they could be earning rewards.
In-Store Visibility
If you have a physical location, customers should encounter your loyalty program at multiple touchpoints:
At the entrance: A window decal or door sign that says "Ask about our rewards program" plants the seed before customers even reach the counter.
At the point of sale: Counter cards, small signs near the register, or a tablet display showing how to join. This is where the decision happens—make joining easy and obvious.
On receipts: A QR code and brief message inviting customers to sign up after their purchase captures those who weren't ready during checkout.
Staff Involvement
Your team is your most powerful promotional tool. A genuine recommendation from a friendly staff member converts far better than any sign.
The key word is genuine. Don't script your team to robotically recite the same pitch to every customer. Instead, help them understand why the program benefits customers, and let them share that in their own words. When a barista says "Have you joined our loyalty program? Honestly, it's worth it—your tenth coffee's free," it lands differently than a rehearsed corporate speech.
Make sure every team member knows: how the program works, how to help someone sign up, how to add stamps or points, and how to handle reward redemptions. Confidence breeds promotion.
Online Promotion
For e-commerce or businesses with an online presence, promote your loyalty program:
During checkout: A pop-up or banner offering an immediate discount for signing up can convert browsers into members at the moment of highest intent.
On your website: A dedicated page explaining the program, plus mentions in your header, footer, or navigation.
In email signatures: A simple line—"Join our rewards program and save on every purchase"—adds passive promotion to every customer interaction.
2. Give Customers an Immediate Reason to Join
People respond to instant gratification. A reward they can use right now is more compelling than one they might earn after ten future visits.
Welcome rewards work because they create immediate value. When someone signs up and instantly receives something—a bonus stamp, a small discount, a free add-on—they feel the program is already working for them. This creates psychological ownership: they've invested, they've seen a return, and now they're more likely to continue.
This is sometimes called the Endowment Effect: once people feel they own something, they value it more highly. A customer who starts your stamp card at 2/10 instead of 0/10 feels they've already made progress, and they're more motivated to complete the journey.
Welcome Reward Ideas for Small Businesses
A bonus stamp on their first visit (start at 1/10 instead of 0/10)
A percentage off their current purchase for signing up
A free upgrade (small to medium, single to double shot)
A complimentary add-on (free pastry with their first coffee, free side with their meal)
With Perkstar, you can configure automatic welcome rewards that trigger the moment someone joins—no manual process, no extra work for your staff.
3. Offer Experiences, Not Just Discounts
Discounts and free products are the foundation of most loyalty programs, and they work. But experiential rewards—things that create memories—can build deeper emotional connections with your brand.
An experience gives customers something to talk about. When someone gets a behind-the-scenes tour, an invite to a product launch, or early access to something new, they share it. They post about it. They tell friends. This kind of social currency extends your marketing reach without additional spend.
What This Looks Like for Small Businesses
You don't need to offer red carpet premieres or celebrity meet-and-greets. Experiential rewards can be simple:
For a café: An invite to a coffee cupping session, early access to seasonal menu items, or a "barista for a day" experience for top loyalty members.
For a salon: A VIP evening with champagne and mini-treatments, first access to new products, or a personalised consultation with your senior stylist. Hair salons are particularly well-suited to experiential rewards because the service is already personal—a VIP styling session or product preview feels like a natural extension of the relationship, not a marketing gimmick, which is why salons that focus on attracting and retaining salon clients through experiences often see stronger rebooking rates than those relying on discounts alone.
For a fitness studio: An exclusive workshop, a Q&A with trainers, or recognition at a member appreciation event.
For a restaurant: A chef's table experience, a cooking demonstration, or an invitation to menu tastings before new dishes launch.
The goal isn't to replace transactional rewards but to supplement them. Most of your loyalty program can still be "earn stamps, get free stuff." But occasional experiential rewards for your best customers create stories, deepen relationships, and generate organic promotion.
4. Add Gamification to Keep Customers Engaged
Gamification takes ordinary activities and makes them more engaging by adding elements borrowed from games: progress tracking, achievements, challenges, and rewards for participation.
You've experienced gamification if you've ever felt compelled to complete a profile because LinkedIn told you it was "75% complete." Or if you've checked into a location on an app to earn a badge. Or if you've worked harder at something just to maintain a streak.
These mechanics tap into fundamental human psychology—our desire for progress, achievement, and completion. Applied to loyalty programs, gamification keeps customers engaged between purchases and makes the whole experience more enjoyable.
Gamification Ideas for Your Loyalty Program
Progress bars: Show customers visually how close they are to their next reward. "You're 7/10 of the way there!" is more motivating than just "You have 7 stamps."
Streaks: Reward consecutive visits. "Visit three weeks in a row and earn a bonus reward." This creates urgency and habitual behaviour.
Bonus challenges: Limited-time opportunities to earn extra stamps or points. "This weekend only: buy any seasonal drink and earn double stamps."
Surprise rewards: Random, unexpected bonuses keep customers delighted and checking their account. A surprise "free pastry on your next visit" notification creates positive anticipation.
Milestone celebrations: Acknowledge loyalty landmarks. "Congratulations! You've made 50 visits. Here's a special reward to say thanks."
Perkstar's automation features make gamification practical for small businesses. You can set up bonus stamp periods, milestone rewards, and surprise notifications without manually managing each one.
5. Partner with Complementary Businesses
One of the smartest ways to enhance your loyalty program—without spending more—is to partner with other businesses that share your customers but aren't your competitors.
Airlines figured this out decades ago. When travellers realised their frequent flyer points could also earn hotel stays, car rentals, and travel perks, loyalty programs became exponentially more valuable. The airline doesn't lose anything by partnering with a hotel chain; they share customers, not competition.
How Small Businesses Can Apply This
Think about who else serves your customers:
A café might partner with a nearby bookshop (show your loyalty card for a discount on books, and vice versa).
A hair salon might partner with a cosmetics brand or a local spa.
A gym or fitness studio might partner with a health food shop, a physiotherapist, or a sportswear retailer.
A restaurant might partner with a local theatre, cinema, or entertainment venue. A pizza restaurant might partner with a local brewery or dessert shop—though for pizza businesses specifically, the bigger opportunity often lies in building a loyalty program that reduces platform dependency and reclaims the customer relationship from third-party delivery apps.
The structure can be simple: "Show your [Partner Business] loyalty card and receive 10% off." Both businesses benefit from exposure to each other's customer base, and customers get more value from participating in either programme.
These partnerships cost nothing but create the perception of a larger, more valuable rewards ecosystem.
6. Reward Content Creation, Not Just Purchases
Most loyalty programs reward spending: buy more, earn more. But there's enormous value in rewarding customers for other behaviours—particularly creating content that promotes your business.
User-generated content is trusted far more than branded advertising. When a customer posts a photo of their coffee with a genuine caption, their followers pay attention in a way they never would to a paid ad. When someone creates a tutorial featuring your products, it carries authenticity no marketing budget can buy.
What to Reward Beyond Purchases
Social media posts: Offer bonus stamps or points for customers who share photos tagging your business.
Online reviews: Positive reviews on Google, TripAdvisor, or industry-specific platforms boost your visibility and credibility. Perkstar includes built-in Google Review rewards—automatically prompt customers to leave a review and reward them when they do.
Referrals: Give existing customers an incentive to bring friends. This could be bonus stamps for both the referrer and the new member.
User-generated tutorials or testimonials: For businesses with more engaged audiences, reward customers who create how-to content, unboxing videos, or detailed reviews.
The cost of these rewards is minimal compared to traditional advertising, and the content created is often more effective. A £3 reward that generates a genuine Google review or social post can deliver value far exceeding that cost.
7. Use Customer Data for Smarter Marketing
One of the biggest advantages of a digital loyalty program over paper cards is data. Every transaction, every visit, every redemption tells you something about your customers' behaviour. Used thoughtfully, this information transforms your marketing from guesswork into precision.
What Customer Data Reveals
Visit frequency: Who are your most loyal customers? Who's at risk of lapsing? Automated re-engagement campaigns can target customers who haven't visited in a while.
Purchase patterns: What do customers typically buy? What combinations are common? This enables relevant cross-selling and upselling.
Peak times: When do loyalty members visit most often? This helps with staffing, inventory, and targeted promotions.
Redemption behaviour: Are customers actually using their rewards? If not, your reward structure might need adjustment.
Turning Data Into Action
Personalised recommendations: Instead of generic promotions, send offers based on what customers actually buy. "We noticed you love our oat milk lattes—try our new oat milk matcha, on us."
Win-back campaigns: Automatically identify customers who haven't visited in 30+ days and send a re-engagement offer. This is far more effective than hoping they remember you.
Segmented communications: Message different customer groups differently. The key distinction is between cosmetic personalisation—slapping a customer's name on a card—and behavioural personalisation that actually changes visit frequency, a difference that explains why most personalised loyalty cards are marketing theatre rather than genuine retention tools. Your daily regulars don't need the same message as someone who visits monthly.
Perkstar's analytics and segmentation tools make this practical for small businesses. You don't need a data science team—just a platform that surfaces useful insights and lets you act on them.
8. Incentivise Referrals and Feedback
Your existing customers are your best source of new customers. Referred customers convert faster, spend more, and are themselves more likely to refer others. Studies suggest that customers acquired through referral are significantly more likely to become repeat buyers than those acquired through other channels.
Yet many businesses leave referrals to chance, hoping satisfied customers will spread the word organically. A structured referral program takes the goodwill your customers already feel and gives them a reason to act on it.
Building a Simple Referral Program
The structure doesn't need to be complicated:
Two-sided rewards work best. Give something to both the referrer and the new customer. This removes awkwardness—the referrer isn't just benefiting themselves; they're giving their friend a deal too.
Make sharing easy. A unique referral link or code that customers can text, email, or share on social media. The fewer steps, the higher the participation.
Track and reward automatically. The right loyalty program app for small businesses handles all of this automatically—generating unique codes, tracking who referred whom, and issuing rewards to both parties without you lifting a finger. Manual tracking kills referral programs. Use a system that automatically credits rewards when referrals convert.
Perkstar includes built-in referral program functionality—customers can share their unique referral link, and both parties are automatically rewarded when the new member joins.
Feedback as a Loyalty Tool
Beyond referrals, rewarding customers for feedback creates value in two ways: you get useful information to improve your business, and customers feel heard and valued. Restaurants that skip this step often fall into a common trap: they assume silence means satisfaction, when in reality their restaurant loyalty program is quietly failing because nobody told them the reward structure felt stingy or the redemption process was confusing.
This could be as simple as a post-visit survey that earns a bonus stamp, or a program that rewards detailed product feedback. The key is making it clear that you genuinely value their input—not just going through the motions.
9. Use Timing and Location to Your Advantage
A message that arrives at the right moment is far more effective than one that lands randomly. Digital loyalty programs give you the ability to reach customers when they're most likely to act.
Time-Based Messaging
Think about when your customers make decisions:
A café might send a "Beat the afternoon slump" notification around 2 PM, when people are reaching for their second coffee.
A restaurant might send lunch deals between 10:30-11 AM, when people are starting to think about where to eat.
A fitness studio might send motivational messages on Monday mornings, when commitment to exercise is highest. Food trucks can take this even further—since their location changes daily, time-based messages that announce where they'll be parked become essential, which is why the most effective marketing strategies for food trucks treat push notifications as a real-time location broadcast, not just a promotional tool.
A salon might send booking reminders mid-week, when weekend appointments are being planned.
Scheduling messages to align with customer behaviour patterns increases open rates and redemption rates significantly.
Location-Based Messaging
Geo-fenced notifications take this further. When customers are physically near your business, a timely message can tip the balance toward a visit.
"You're nearby! Pop in and your next stamp is double today."
This isn't intrusive when done right—it's helpful. The customer was already in the area; you've just given them a reason to stop by.
Perkstar supports geo-fenced push notifications, allowing you to define locations (your shop, a nearby station, a local event venue) and automatically send messages when loyalty members enter those areas.
The key to both time and location-based messaging is restraint. One well-timed notification is valuable; constant bombardment is annoying. Respect your customers' attention, and they'll appreciate when you do reach out.
10. Give Customers a Taste of Premium Benefits
If your loyalty program has tiers, or if there are premium perks for your best customers, one of the most effective ways to encourage progression is simply to show people what they're missing.
Temporary upgrades let customers experience the next level of your programme. Once they've had a taste, going back feels like a downgrade—and they're motivated to earn permanent access.
How This Works in Practice
Free trials of premium features: If you have a VIP tier with extra benefits, offer occasional "VIP for a day" experiences to regular members.
One-time perks: A skip-the-queue voucher, a free upgrade on their next order, or early access to a new product. Frame it as a preview: "This is what VIP members enjoy every time."
Birthday or anniversary rewards: Give customers your best treatment on special occasions. This creates positive association and demonstrates premium value.
Surprise upgrades: Randomly upgrading a regular customer's order to the premium version (with an explanation of why) creates delight and curiosity about what else they could be earning.
Subscription and streaming services have perfected this technique—"Try Premium free for 30 days" works because once people experience the upgrade, they don't want to lose it. The same psychology applies to any loyalty program with tiered benefits.
Putting It All Together
These ten strategies aren't mutually exclusive—the most effective loyalty marketing combines several approaches. You might promote your program actively (strategy 1), offer welcome rewards (strategy 2), send geo-fenced notifications (strategy 9), and reward referrals (strategy 8), all within the same programme.
The common thread is that successful customer loyalty marketing goes beyond "buy stuff, get free stuff." It creates genuine engagement, meets customers where they are, and makes them feel valued—not just as transactions, but as people.
A digital loyalty platform like Perkstar makes implementing these strategies practical. Automated rewards, push notifications, referral tracking, Google Review campaigns, customer segmentation, and geo-fencing are all built in—no complex integrations, no enterprise-level budgets required. The challenge is finding the right tool for your specific situation—your industry, your budget, your team size—which is why choosing the right loyalty platform matters as much as the strategies you run on it.
If you're ready to move beyond basic loyalty and start marketing strategically to your existing customers, give Perkstar a try. The 14-day free trial lets you test everything—no credit card required, no commitment—so you can see what works for your business.
