Send notifications rarely, only to customers who said yes and only when there is something worth knowing. Most of what you could send is worthless to the customer, and then they turn it off or delete the card. One notification a week is a ceiling, not a target.
A notification on the lock screen is the closest you get to tapping the customer on the shoulder. That makes it both valuable and easy to ruin. Here is a way to think about it, with example texts, timing and technical limits.
Which notifications are welcome?
Divide them into two kinds.
Service messages belong to the card and the customer expects them: a stamp has been added, a reward is waiting. They’re sent automatically and the customer receives them without having said yes to advertising.
Campaigns are things you choose to send: a new seasonal item, an offer, changed opening hours. They should go only to customers who ticked the news box when they joined. The legal position is covered in the guide to GDPR for a loyalty club.
How often is right?
There’s no scientific figure, so start carefully. One campaign a month is a good start. Watch what happens: if customers delete the card after a mailing, it was too much or too uninteresting. Fidelia also sets a cap on the number of campaigns per shop per day, so a mistake doesn’t turn into a flood. Google Wallet shows only a limited number of alerts per card per day, and the rest appear quietly on the card.
What should a notification contain?
Three rules:
- One message. Not three offers in the same notification.
- Something concrete. A date, an item, a time. “The cinnamon buns are back” beats “We have news”.
- Short. It should be readable in two seconds. In Fidelia the heading has room for 40 characters and the text for 200.
When in the day and week?
Send when the customer has a chance to act. A lunch offer is useless at 3 pm. A coffee offer works in the morning. Avoid late evenings and early mornings, and don’t send on the same day as another mailing. With Fidelia you can schedule a message up to 60 days ahead and choose an end time, so the offer disappears from the card when it expires.
Who should get it?
Not everything needs to go to everyone. In Fidelia you can choose recipients: all customers, those with a reward waiting or those who haven’t been in for 30 days. The last is a good moment for a “We miss you”. If you have several cards you can target the message at one of them.
What differs between iPhone and Android?
On iPhone a message appears on the lock screen when the card is updated. Google Wallet sends only a limited number of alerts per card per day, and after that the message appears on the card instead. Fidelia warns you before you send if this affects any of your customers. Your own messages require the Pro plan, which costs 599 kr a month excluding VAT.
Five mistakes to avoid
- Sending advertising to everyone, including those who haven’t said yes.
- Sending the same thing every week.
- Writing at length or unclearly.
- Sending an offer too small to care about.
- Forgetting that the offer applies when the customer comes in, so staff don’t know about it.
Summary
Good notifications are few, short and concrete, and go only to customers who said yes. Keep service messages and campaigns apart, start with one campaign a month and watch what customers do. If you want to combine them with reminders near the shop, read about location-based wallet notifications.