So, you’ve decided to start an incentive program.
You’ve determined your goals, met with an expert to plan the program, and all that’s left to do is announce it, sit back, and wait until it’s time to choose a winner, right? Wrong!
Designing a strategic program is only the half the battle of making your incentives effective. The other half is getting the word out about how it works and why it’s worthwhile.
These are the steps you need to take to effectively market your incentive program for the best ROI:
1) Identify your target audience.
There’s no sense in wasting time or resources marketing to customers or employees who can’t or won’t participate in your program. The first step to creating your marketing strategy is to determine your audience, so you can customize your messaging to reach and engage with them. Ask yourself a few questions to get started:
- Who can achieve the goals of my program? Which individuals? Teams?
- What motivates my audience?
- How engaged are my target participants currently?
Your marketing needs to be unique to both your audience and your program.
2) Focus on one core message.
Your communication efforts should highlight one call-to-action, with a few supporting points to pique the interest of your audience. Give them enough information to get motivated and clearly understand the goals of the program, but not so much that they have no reason to be engaged. The goal is not just to capture their attention, but to keep it too.
3) Stay engaged with participants throughout the entire process.
Develop an ongoing communication strategy to keep your audience updated, excited, and motivated about your program. Email, social media, direct mail, and even word of mouth are a few great places to start. You might even consider offering a smaller reward for employees or customers who recruit other participants. Continuing to spread awareness after your launch is key for the long-term growth of your incentive program.
4) Make a big deal of the award presentation.
Announcing your winner is a powerful communication opportunity you can use to build your legacy through the program. Make people want to earn the rewards you offer, motivating them to work harder next time and invigorating their dedication to your company. Have a ceremony when you present your award, livestream and share it on social media, and continue to share photos and updates of your winners enjoying their reward.
In order to make your incentives work for you, you need to create a program worth marketing.
The incentive travel programs we design at HPM Associates focus on helping you achieve your company’s goals by inspiring your audience to work hard for a one-of-a-kind opportunity. Our years of experience in the industry also put us in a unique position to get you the best deals possible for all aspects of your trip.
Contact our team today at 305-274-0030 to learn more about what we can do to help your program succeed!