14 types of customer loyalty tools (and examples!) to keep the flame burning with your customers
There are many ways of building customer loyalty, through a variety of channels, in order to reach the target audience where they are most receptive to small gestures.
Whether we're talking about old methods that are still effective or new digital levers, their strategic nature is no longer in question, given that building customer loyalty costs less than acquiring new customers.
But what are these tools for managing customer relations effectively and sustainably? Answers and examples in this article.
What is a loyalty tool? Definition
For a company, loyalty consists of creating and maintaining a lasting relationship with its customers. Loyalty tools are the means available to achieve this effectively.
👉 The aim is to maximise profits and brand image while guaranteeing the company's long-term viability and profitability.
It is important to distinguish between
What are the best ways of building customer loyalty?
Building customer loyalty is more than just offering a discount voucher. It's an in-depth process, based on relationships, trust and perceived value. Here are the most effective levers to activate:
- Reward loyalty: set up loyalty cards, benefits programmes or surprise gifts. These gestures strengthen brand loyalty and encourage repeat visits.
- Personalise the experience: address your customers by their first name, recommend relevant products and tailor your messages to their preferences. A personalised experience leaves a lasting impression.
- Listen and respond to needs: set up effective listening channels (surveys, reviews, responsive customer service). Active listening is a powerful driver of satisfaction.
- Create post-purchase value: offer useful content, tutorials, support and usage advice. A customer who continues to learn or progress with you is a loyal customer.
- Involve customers in the brand: set up a sponsorship programme, run a customer community, or get your users involved in co-creation. Commitment creates attachment.
What are the tools for building customer loyalty? 14 types of tools for your teams
How do you build customer loyalty? Don't worry, others have asked this question before you: so we've got some answers for you!
To implement your loyalty strategy, (re)discover the BtoB and/or BtoC loyalty tools (or loyalty levers) below.
Mobile wallets
Do you too have a collection of loyalty cards sitting at the bottom of a drawer (or worse, an old wallet full of cash)? Your customers probably do too...
The good news is that mobile wallets are putting a stop to all this! In practical terms, this is an application like Apple Wallet or Google Pay that allows you to store your loyalty cards directly on your smartphone. No more searching for your card at the checkout or remembering a 12-digit code: everything is just a click away, and in real time.
Why is this a must-have for customer loyalty?
- your customers always have their card with them, and therefore their loyalty programme to hand;
- brands can send push notifications with special offers, points reminders or personalised discounts;
- no more lost cards = no more frustrated customers abandoning their benefits!
🛠️ Among the solutions on the market, Captain Wallet stands out by helping companies to dematerialise their loyalty cards and promotional offers on mobile wallets. Customers receive live updates on their points, discount vouchers and even VIP invitations. The result: more engagement, more visits and an ultra-fluid customer relationship. All with a promise to make your competitors pale in comparison: up to 2x more sales per customer!
Captain Wallet by Brevo
Loyalty programme management software
Loyalty programme management is also going digital. With software that can create, automate and monitor your customer loyalty initiatives.
How do you do this? By analysing your customers' buying behaviour to trigger targeted, relevant campaigns, without any manual effort. You can set up various mechanisms: points-based systems, sponsorship, cashback, exclusive advantages, etc.
🍒 The icing on the cake is that these tools can usually be integrated into your digital ecosystem (CRM, e-commerce sites, emailing platforms, etc.), so that you have a complete overview of the customer journey.
What are the benefits of these solutions?
- You effectively improve the customer experience, and by extension your retention rate;
- you can automate time-consuming tasks, allowing you to focus on more strategic missions;
- you can segment your customer base more finely.
🛠️ If you're looking for one of these, we recommend SPREAD, a complete marketing platform (marketing automation, CRM, etc.). Among its many features are tools dedicated to setting up tailor-made loyalty programmes, with more than twenty loyalty missions that can be endlessly adapted: leaving a review, taking part in a survey, following your brand on social networks, and so on. These missions, which can be deployed both online and in-store, can be combined with a sponsorship programme.
SPREAD
Marketing automation platforms
A marketing automation platform enables you to automate interactions with customers by sending targeted, personalised messages based on their behaviour. Thanks to these tools, you can strengthen customer loyalty by maintaining an ongoing, relevant relationship with your customers. That's everything we want, isn't it? 🙌
Here's how:
- automatically send personalised emails based on customer actions ;
- advanced segmentation to provide tailored offers;
- automated scenarios to support customers throughout their journey.
With these platforms, you optimise the customer experience by delivering relevant content at the right time, without manual intervention. The result: greater engagement and loyalty.
One of the specialist marketing automation tools is ActiveCampaign. This all-in-one email marketing platform automates your sales and CRM processes. ActiveCampaign automates your marketing channels using personal and behavioural data about your contacts. The result: more leads and faster deals.
ActiveCampaign
CRM
The importance and benefits of CRM software as a loyalty-building tool
CRM (Customer Relationship Management) is the ultimate customer relationship management tool , particularly for tracking customer history and satisfaction. A CRM centralises all your customer information, such as :
- contact details and profiles
- purchase history and requests
- payment methods
- sales operations, etc.
Knowing and tracking this information allows you to :
- segment your customer base;
- propose a customised customer path and personalised offers;
- automate certain actions, such as sending email campaigns at key times, etc.
3 examples of CRM to build loyalty
🛠 monday.com CRM, for example, offers you a comprehensive, intuitive CRM solution that' s very easy to use, giving you advanced loyalty features :
- structure your customer data using visual, personalised records;
- track the progress of your leads using real-time dashboards;
- find customer information quickly thanks to seamless e-mail integration, etc.
monday CRM
Sales Cloud is Salesforce's CRM solution, ideal for managing your contacts. Among its many features focused on customer relations :
- a global view of all your interactions with your customers, so you can get to know them better;
- integration with your various social networks, so you canfind out what your customers think of your products and services;
- a chat function, so you can talk directly to your customers and get valuable information about their needs.
Salesforce Sales Cloud
🛠 Sellsy is a complete CRM suite designed to manage your entire sales cycle, from prospecting to customer loyalty. Aimed at VSEs and SMEs, it incorporates a host of interesting features to satisfy your customers and optimise your NPS:
- fine-tuned contact management, with enriched data to identify your customers' needs and keep a record of their dealings with the company;
- marketing tools, to automate the sending of targeted campaigns to your segments (satisfaction surveys, for example);
- dashboards and reports to monitor your performance, so you can improve your actions if necessary.
Sellsy
Omnichannel customer experience platforms (CDP)
If you want to offer your customers an unforgettable experience, but don't want (or have the budget for) a lot of software, turn to the global platforms known as Customer Data Platforms (CDP).
What is a CDP? We've got a full article detailing what it is, its benefits, how to use it and how to choose it! To understand the CDP, it's over here.
💡 What you need to remember, in a very simplified version: it's a comprehensive tool that centralises all your marketing and customer data, grinds it down, and comes out with customer profiles and personalised actions tailored to reach each target. With the help of your human intelligence, of course.
Bloomreach, for example, is the 1st 'sales experience' cloud that brings together all the functions you need to create a unique customer experience, in a single tool. It offers a fully personalised customer journey to promote customer engagement and relieve your teams of their work by :
- exploiting your customers' data to create unique experiences across all your digital touchpoints (personalised e-mail campaigns, web personalisation, etc.) ;
- using artificial intelligence and predictive marketing to create quality content, focused on APIs (search intelligence, product recommendations, etc.);
- creating reports, detailed statistics and dashboards to monitor your performance.
Bloomreach
The newsletter or personalised email
Focus on personalised email
Emailing can be used for a number of purposes, such as to communicate a gift, a promotional code or an exclusive event, as mentioned above.
Personalised (and it's not just a question of putting the first name in the header, but of taking into account the customer's history and recent interactions with the company), it tells the customer that the company is interested in them, their needs, tastes and habits.
Whether it's a welcome email, an anniversary email, a customer satisfaction survey or an account reactivation email, any occasion is a good one to use loyalty tools!
Here, Vert Baudet uses humour and a childlike tone to take the temperature and avoid unsubscribing from its newsletter, not without praising its merits.
Focus newsletter
For a company, a newsletter consists of sending a regular email to a list of recipients, also known as "subscribers". Most of the time, these emails are sent on a monthly basis. Their purpose is to inform readers about :
- your company's activity and/or news ;
- your events
- your commercial offers
- your discounts.
It also enables you to promote your content (new article, white paper, interview, etc.). The newsletter is therefore a real communication tool.
According to the McKinsey Institute, it is 40 times more effective than Facebook and Twitter in terms of customer acquisition.
The loyalty card or loyalty programme
⬆️ Earlier, we talked about mobile wallets.
⬇️ Below, we talk about gamified loyalty programmes.
👉 Here, we're talking about the good old loyalty card.
This is a loyalty tool that comes from setting up a loyalty programme. This consists of offering your customer members a range of exclusive services and benefits with the aim of building their loyalty and encouraging them to buy.
The system is simple: the more your customers buy, the more their loyalty points increase and the more gifts and rewards they receive. The loyalty card is therefore an optimal and effective way of tracking your customers' purchasing habits.
There are many advantages to a loyalty programme:
- a personalised relationship ;
- a smoother shopping experience
- tailor-made sales recommendations to encourage purchasing decisions;
- enhanced brand image.
Customer feedback tools
A customer feedback tool makes it possible to collect, analyse and use customer opinions to improve the experience and relationship they have with a brand or service. It can take the form of :
- survey software ;
- integrated surveys
- online reviews ;
- or even analytical dashboards centralising customer feedback.
Thanks to feedback tools, a company can identify the shortcomings and strengths of its offering, and then adjust its strategy accordingly. By making the most of customer feedback, you strengthen the sense of belonging and long-term commitment.
👉 For example, a well-structured feedback programme makes it possible to anticipate needs, personalise the customer experience and optimise after-sales service.
After-sales service
When we talk about customer satisfaction, we sometimes talk about after-sales service, i.e. the way in which customer service handles complaints and settles disputes by taking account of customers' comments.
👉 High-quality after-sales service is therefore an underestimated driver of customer loyalty.
Catching up with an unhappy customer and taking care of them can help retain them, and even build loyalty.
💡Little post-purchase gestures are also appreciated, such as sending tips on how to use or care for the last product purchased.
Sponsorship
A sponsorship programme is based on a simple principle: turn your satisfied customers into ambassadors for your brand. It combines loyalty and acquisition by encouraging existing customers to recommend your products or services to their friends and family.
In exchange, the sponsor receives a reward, often in the form of a discount, loyalty points or exclusive benefits. The sponsored customer can also benefit from a welcome offer, which encourages them to make their first purchase:
- discount on the next order for the sponsor ;
- special offer or cashback for the referral;
- access to exclusive benefits for recurring sponsors.
Referral programmes are an excellent way of increasing customer satisfaction while capitalising on the power of word-of-mouth. A satisfied customer not only becomes loyal, but also your best acquisition lever.
👉 For example, brands such as Dropbox have built their growth on a referral system: by inviting a friend, both the referrer and the sponsored friend benefit from additional storage space. A win-win model that strengthens customer relations and boosts the company's visibility!
A multi-channel or even a physical approach
The customer experience is key to building loyalty. The purchasing process must be increasingly fluid: click and collect, web to store, these practices enable you to build loyalty with customers who like to combine the two worlds, physical and digital, according to their desires and needs.
Order online, try on in-store, and you've removed all the disincentives to purchase.
👉 If your main competitors have adopted it, go phygital before you lose your customers, who are increasingly volatile and demanding.
Social networks
Federating and animating a community is essential for building loyalty.
Social networks are essential communication channels for conveying your brand image and paying attention to your customers, particularly when it comes to after-sales service.
You can collect their opinions, respond to them and showcase your ambassadors who speak out. It also encourages their commitment, the ultimate proof of their loyalty and attachment to your brand, and one that's there for all to see!
It's also a good place to organise competitions, which are always very popular, and to publicise offers reserved for customers.
Self-care tools
On the web, customers like to be autonomous, but find the information they need easily. How can you keep them informed while ensuring that their digital customer journey runs smoothly? By integrating self-care tools! Set up :
- a chatbot on your website ;
- dynamic FAQs ;
- tutorials, etc.
In short, give them answers quickly and offer them a quality of service so that they don't go elsewhere if it's easier. This loyalty-building tool is ideal for customers who are committed over the long term.
For example, with the BOTNATION.AI chatbot creation solution, you can install a virtual assistant on your website, Facebook page, Instagram or WhatsApp, so that you can nurture customer relations from the very first contact with your brand.
You establish a close bond with your customers and prospects, creating value while saving time for your customer service, and you design a unique and differentiating experience to engage your users.
Gamified loyalty programmes
A gamified loyalty programme is based on the integration of game mechanics to stimulate customer engagement and loyalty. Unlike traditional programmes, these tools transform the purchasing experience into a playful interaction where customers are rewarded for their actions. This can take the form of :
- accumulating points with levels to unlock ;
- challenges or missions giving access to exclusive rewards;
- rankings and badges to encourage participation.
Gamified loyalty programmes strengthen customers' emotional attachment to a brand and stimulate their long-term commitment. By making the customer experience more interactive, these tools encourage repeat purchases and increase customer value.
For example, Starbucks has introduced a gamified loyalty programme where customers collect stars with every purchase. These stars unlock exclusive levels and benefits, encouraging repeat purchases and adherence to the brand's universe. ⭐
How can you make the most of your loyalty tools?
You have loyalty tools in your hands. That's great! But are you using them like a pro? Here's a clear method, with tried and tested advice, to ensure that your customers never (or almost never) want to leave you.
1. choose the tools to prioritise according to your structure, your needs and your budget: comparison table
| Type of tool | Budget | Company size | Suitable sectors | Key features |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile wallet | Medium | SME, ETI | Retail, catering, services | Electronic loyalty cards, push notifications, integration with CRM and POS systems |
| Loyalty programme management software | Medium to high | SMEs, ETIs, large companies | E-commerce, retail, services | Points management, personalised rewards, multi-channel integration, advanced analytics |
| Marketing automation platforms | Medium to high | SMEs, mid-sized companies, large enterprises | All sectors | Automated campaigns, segmentation, scoring, personalised messages |
| CRM (Customer Relationship Management) | Medium to high | All sizes | All sectors | Centralisation of customer data, interaction tracking, segmentation, reporting |
| Omnichannel customer experience platforms (CDP) | High | SMEs, large companies | E-commerce, retail, services | Unification of customer data, real-time personalisation, multi-channel orchestration |
| Personalised email | Low | All sizes | All sectors | Targeted campaigns, automated messages, personalised content |
| Newsletter | Low | All sizes | All sectors | Regular communication, building loyalty through content, promotion of offers |
| Loyalty cards / Loyalty programmes | Low to medium | All sizes | Retail, catering, services | Points accumulation, rewards, exclusive offers |
| Customer feedback tools | Low to medium | All sizes | All sectors | Satisfaction surveys, NPS, opinion gathering, customer feedback analysis |
| After-sales service | Medium | All sizes | All sectors | Customer support, complaints management, multi-channel assistance |
| Sponsorship | Low | All sizes | E-commerce, services, retail | Rewards for sponsors and godchildren, acquisition by existing customers |
| Multi-channel / Phygital approach | Medium to high | SMEs, ETIs, large companies | Retail, services, e-commerce | Integration of physical and digital channels, seamless experience, consistent messages |
| Social networking | Low to medium | All sizes | All sectors | Community engagement, customer service, promotion, feedback gathering |
| Self-care tools | Medium | SMEs, ETIs, large companies | Services, telecoms, e-commerce | Dynamic FAQs, chatbots, knowledge bases, customer autonomy |
| Gamified loyalty programmes | Medium to high | SMEs, mid-sized companies, large enterprises | E-commerce, retail, mobile apps | Challenges, badges, rankings, fun rewards, engagement through gamification |
2. Centralise your customer data: the age of the treasure hunter is over!
With a good CRM, you can access all the useful information about your customers at a glance. Segmenting your audience, identifying consumer buying behaviour, and even predicting their needs, it becomes (almost) child's play.
💡 Practical tip: follow up inactive customers with tailored offers. The right message at the right time can make all the difference.
3. Personalise your interactions: talk to your customers, not the crowd
Personalisation is the key. Your customers don't want to be "one of many". They want to feel understood. So send them messages that really touch them. A birthday, a product recommendation, or even simple attention can score points.
💡 Simple tip: send a birthday email with a little surprise. It's simple, but still effective.
4. Multiply the points of contact, but stay fluid
Your customer starts a conversation on Facebook, buys on your site, then visits your shop. Offer them a seamless experience, whatever the channel.
💡 Example: connect your CRM to an omnichannel platform. That way, an abandoned basket online can trigger a reminder email... or even an SMS.
5. Listen to your customers: their opinion is gold
Send out satisfaction questionnaires, analyse their responses and adjust your strategy. Your customers will feel heard and you'll gain valuable insights.
💡 Tip: offer a reward (discount, bonus points) in exchange for their feedback.
6. Train your teams to shine
A high-performance tool is good. A team that knows how to use it is even better. Offer regular training so that your staff can exploit the full potential of your tools.
💡 Tip: organise monthly workshops to share tips and update their knowledge.
With this advice, your loyalty tools will become indispensable allies. And remember: building customer loyalty isn't just about keeping them, it's about making them want to talk about you.
Why build customer loyalty?
Increased sales
By increasing the frequency of their purchases and the average value of their purchases, customers generate more sales for the company. The more loyal a customer is, the less likely they are to buy, and the more they buy.
👉 This loyalty can be explained by the length of time the customer has been with the company, which gives them a certain amount of confidence in the brand.
Reducing costs
Building customer loyalty costs 3 to 6 times less than converting a prospect into a customer. Companies reduce their costs through engaging approaches and strategies that are highly profitable in the long term. A loyal customer buys more than an average customer.
👉 Building customer loyalty is therefore a genuine investment that will provide the company with real prospects for the future.
Improved brand image
A satisfied customer, and therefore a loyal one, will talk about it to others. They will become a real point of influence and improve your brand image within their circle. Whether on social networks or through word of mouth, a loyal customer can bring you lots of leads at a lower cost!
Building customer loyalty is a whole programme for your company... with the right tools!
Building customer loyalty is much more than just selling them your products. It's about building a long-lasting relationship using high-performance tools: CRM, loyalty programmes, social networks and self-care solutions. But these tools are only effective if they are integrated into a strategy designed with your customers in mind.
Ask yourself the right questions:
- Do we really know our customers and their expectations?
- Are we delivering a smooth, memorable experience with every interaction?
- Are we using our tools to their full potential?
- Are we measuring the results of our actions so that we can improve?
Customer loyalty is a combination of listening, anticipating and innovating. Used properly, it turns your customers into ambassadors and strengthens your business over the long term. Ready to move on to the next stage? 🫂