Hachiko Insights

5 reasons to outsource your loyalty program

Written by Donna Adam | Mar 26, 2021 2:51:24 AM

Engagement and reward programs are an effective way to inspire action and boost productivity in your channel. But they’re also time-consuming and complex to manage – particularly if you have a pile of other tasks on your plate.

That’s where outsourcing channel engagement comes in. Working with an outside agency – like Hachiko – can have serious benefits for your business. Engagement increases, loyalty rises, sales skyrocket – all without investing significant time in managing a complicated program.

Here’s why outsourcing can make all the difference:

1. Reclaim your time

Running a successful engagement program means pouring time and energy into nurturing your members. If you’re short on time, it’s almost impossible to do it well. Outsourcing your channel engagement puts those clients in expert hands – and gives you more time to work on other campaigns and projects. With Hachiko, you also get regular reports and updates, so you can track progress without hands-on involvement.  

2. Expert skills and in-depth knowledge

Engagement programs require a skill-set that’s different from more traditional marketing activities. Working with a specialist agency means you get those skills on tap – from the technical and practical aspects of running a loyalty program to an in-depth understanding of behavioural science.

3. Cost-effective choices

Marketing isn’t cheap. Hiring a marketing manager to run your engagement program is a major expense, and that’s before you factor in designers, rewards fulfilment teams and the cost of technology. Working with an agency lets you consolidate those factors into a single cost – you get engagement expertise, in-house designers and access to a custom loyalty software platform to manage the practical aspects of your program. In the long-term, it can be far more affordable.

4. The right tech for the job 

Loyalty programs have multiple moving parts – you need to track points as they’re accrued and redeemed, communicate with members, show progress for individuals or teams, send out rewards and more. Depending on the specific way you run your program, it can require a complex website and ongoing tech support – far from cheap or simple.

An expert agency will have those systems already in place and can whip up a branded website with tools to meet your specific requirements. This gives you the sophisticated tech you need, without the cost outlay. Hachiko’s platforms, for example, offers features like personalised target trackers, leaderboards, quizzes and built-in reward shopping.

5. Fast and flexible

An effective loyalty program isn’t set in stone – keeping it fresh and engaging means introducing new offers and initiatives regularly. With a specialist agency, it’s easy to keep things moving and make changes as needed. Because your marketing team isn’t spending all its time managing the program itself, they’ll have the capacity to develop new offers. Having software systems and expert help on hand means you can implement those ideas almost immediately.

 

Expert engagement support

Engagement programs have to connect with busy people in a crowded market – it’s not easy to cut through. Partnering with a specialist loyalty-led agency like Hachiko can give you the expert skills and high-level tech you need, without the same investment in time, money or energy.

We’re ready to roll up our sleeves and work with you to drive loyalty, boost engagement and create a more productive channel.

Let’s go.