Reach Players Before They Start to Disappear

The longer a player stays away, the harder it can be to bring them back. The opportunity is reaching them before that happens.

Not every player stops visiting overnight.

Often, disengagement happens gradually.

A player who normally visits several times a week starts coming once.

A weekly player skips a week.

Then another.

Eventually, someone who was once an active player becomes an inactive name in your database.

By the time you realize they’re gone, winning them back can be much harder.

What if your loyalty strategy could help you act before they disappear?

Pay Attention to the Space Between Visits

Most loyalty programs are very good at recognizing what a player has already done.

They visited.

They earned points.

They redeemed a reward.

But there’s another piece of information that can be just as valuable:

What hasn’t happened?

If a player normally visits every few days and suddenly hasn’t returned, that change can create a marketing opportunity.

The goal isn’t simply to communicate more often.

It’s to communicate when there’s a reason to.

That shift—from sending more messages to sending more relevant messages at better moments—can make loyalty much more powerful.

Create Reasons to Visit at the Right Time

Once you know when you want to influence a visit, you need a reason for the player to act.

That’s where planned incentives can help.

A Bonus Point Calendar, for example, can create specific days or periods when players have an additional reason to visit and participate.

Instead of simply saying:

“Come back soon.”

You can give the player something more concrete to respond to.

Earn bonus points today.

Take advantage of a special opportunity this weekend.

There’s something waiting for you at a participating location.

The message becomes more meaningful because there’s a reason behind it.

Make Check-Ins Part of the Experience

The RoboRewards Mobile App can also connect the digital loyalty relationship with the player’s physical visit.

Using a Geolocation PIN, players can check in through the app when they’re at a participating location.

That creates another way for players to interact with the loyalty program during a visit while helping connect digital engagement with real-world activity.

A check-in can become part of a larger loyalty experience.

Visit.

Check in.

Participate.

Earn.

Come back and do it again.

Instead of loyalty living only in a database, it becomes part of what the player actually does when they arrive.

Don’t Treat Every Player the Same

One of the limitations of broad marketing is that everyone receives the same message regardless of their behavior.

But a highly active player and someone whose visits are declining don’t necessarily need the same reason to engage.

The frequent player may respond to one opportunity.

The player beginning to drift away may need another.

And a player who hasn’t visited for a much longer period may require a completely different approach.

The more you understand about player activity, the more opportunities you have to make marketing relevant to where that player is in the relationship.

Use Rewards With a Purpose

Rewards can do more than simply say thank you.

They can help influence behavior.

Bonus points can encourage activity during a specific period.

A targeted incentive can create urgency.

A special opportunity can give someone who hasn’t visited recently a new reason to return.

The key is connecting the reward to the behavior you’re trying to encourage.

Instead of giving something away simply because you can, ask:

What do we want the player to do next?

Then build the incentive around that objective.

Stay Top of Mind Before Another Location Does

Players have choices.

And the longer someone goes without interacting with your locations, the easier it becomes for another entertainment option to capture their attention.

Consistent loyalty engagement helps keep your locations relevant between visits.

But consistency doesn’t mean bombarding players with messages.

It means maintaining the relationship.

A timely promotion.

A bonus opportunity.

A relevant reward.

A reminder when it actually matters.

Each one creates another opportunity to put your locations back into the player’s consideration.

Timing Can Be Just as Important as the Offer

A great offer delivered at the wrong moment can be ignored.

A simple offer delivered when a player is deciding what to do tonight may be much more powerful.

That’s why increasing visit frequency isn’t only about creating bigger promotions.

It’s also about better timing.

Recognize the opportunity.

Give the player a reason to act.

Make it easy to participate.

Then let automation help keep that process working across your player database.

Don’t Wait Until They’re Gone

The best time to win back a player may be before you actually lose them.

When visit patterns begin to change, that’s an opportunity to strengthen the relationship.

Use Bonus Point Calendars to create timely incentives.

Use Mobile App and Geolocation PIN check-ins to connect loyalty with the physical visit.

Use targeted rewards to give different players relevant reasons to return.

And use automation to help keep your locations top of mind between visits.

More Visits Start With Better Timing

Don’t wait until an active player becomes an inactive player. Create the next reason to visit while the relationship is still active.

Learn how to Turn Every Visit Into a Reason to Come Back next.