Kick Writers

This rewards app for students is perfect when shopping for the essentials

Posted on January 23, 2020 by Kick Writers

As I’m sure you know or remember, it can be really hard to maintain a budget for all the things you need when you’re in college. Classes take up a ton of time—as they should—but the truth is, there’s not always enough hours in the day to fit in a part-time job when you also need to study. And let’s be honest, the whole “education is your job” thing, doesn’t quite cut it when there are so many things you need like food, clothes, and supplies for class. Thankfully, I’ve found a way to save money on all the essentials by using a rewards app for students.

One thing I’ve learned in college is that things are better when you do them together—from projects to study groups—and so today I want to share what I’ve learned about rewards app for students so that we can earn and save together!

What Is a Rewards App for Students?

The Concept

A rewards app for students is a pretty simple concept. Students can use a particular app when shopping for their essentials, whether it’s for groceries, clothes, electronics, or school supplies. This app will give you rewards for shopping. That’s right! With a rewards app, you can earn perks for the shopping you already do.

How It Works

So, the next natural question is how would a rewards app for students actually work? First, you want to find an app that rewards you for the things you already do so that you aren’t worried about trying to fit it into your busy schedule. Once you find it, download it to your smartphone and start earning!

One thing to consider, you’ll want to make sure the app you choose works both online and in-store. While it’s convenient to order things you need online, you might find yourself popping into a store and you want to still be able to earn rewards.

Which App Is the Best?

There are a few different rewards apps for students to pick from, but my favorite is Shopkick. Shopkick works just as I described above. You go shopping—either online or in a physical store—and you get points for doing all the things you do when you’re out shopping already such as walking into stores, scanning barcodes, and making purchases. Shopkick turns an ordinary trip to the stores into a fun scavenger hunt for rewards points or “kicks” as they’re called in the app. You can trade in your kicks for gift cards to stores like Bed Bath & Beyond, Starbucks, Target, Walmart, and a ton of other places that sell essentials for college students.

If you’re a college student like me, struggling to manage enough time and money for the essentials, I highly recommend you give Shopkick a try. It rewards you for making everyday purchases and it doesn’t require you to take a substantial amount of time out of your already busy schedule. It’s also great for anyone looking for a side hustle; you earn points towards gift cards that are just as good as cash for the shopping you already do!

Try the best rewards app for students! Shopkick makes shopping for school supplies and whatever else you need a rewarding experience. Download the app today and start earning kicks!

Image courtesy of Jacob Lund

Why incentivized advertising is the best approach for driving product awareness

Posted on January 22, 2020 by Kick Writers

Advertisers are always looking for effective ways to engage consumers, communicate their messages, and drive conversions. Continue reading “Why incentivized advertising is the best approach for driving product awareness”

Use a shopping app to save money on your everyday purchases

Posted on January 21, 2020 by Kick Writers

I like to think of myself as a budget-stretching expert. Though, I must admit it took me a while to actually get good at finding the best and most efficient ways to save money. When I first began stretching my budget, I found myself doing things like clipping coupons or signing up for programs that didn’t have enough of a savings-to-time-and-energy-required ratio.

I remember thinking it would be great if I could find new ways to save money on things I already do. That way, I wouldn’t have to invest any extra time into saving money. Thankfully, I’ve learned that I can use a shopping app to save money on my everyday purchases and it’s such a wonderful thing!

So that you all don’t have to go through what I did at the beginning of my budget-stretching adventures, I’d like to share what I’ve learned.

How to Use a Shopping App to Save Money

Find a Shopping App You Like

The first step to using a shopping app to save money on your everyday purchases is to find one that you really like. The goal is to find new ways to save money on everyday purchases and you’re not going to be able to do that unless you find an app that you enjoy using every day.

Finding an app that has a fun concept is key. There are apps designed to help you save money while you perform an interesting task or make a purchase. The ideal shopping app to use to save money on your everyday purchases should be one that’s fun, works at the stores you like to shop at, and saves you money on the purchases you regularly make.

Make Sure Your App Also Works When Shopping Online

Over the years more and more of my shopping has moved online. At first, online shopping felt like a novelty. It was a fun thing I did when I was looking for a rare item or something new I hadn’t tried before. Now, it’s a key part of my daily shopping routine. In fact, I think my so-called everyday purchases are probably split evenly between online and in-store shopping!

If you’re like me, you’ll absolutely want to find a shopping app to save money that works with all of the purchases you make. Some shopping apps out there are online-only and others are better suited for helping you rack up savings in-store. In order to maximize your savings, you’re going to want to find an app that can work for all types of shopping. You’re also want to find an app that’s convenient—one that works alongside other rewards app—so that all of your rewards are in one easy-to-redeem location.

What Is the Best Shopping App to Save Money?

My personal favorite shopping app to save money on everyday purchases is called Shopkick; it has absolutely changed the way I look at my everyday shopping. The way Shopkick works is that it gives you kicks for your everyday shopping. You can get your kicks by doing the stuff you already do when you shop online or in the store. This includes walking into stores, scanning barcodes of participating products, watching online videos, and, of course, actually making purchases. Then, you can trade your kicks in for free gift cards! It really is that simple, and you can use Shopkick both online and in-store.

What I also like about Shopkick is the way the app makes me actually look forward to doing my shopping. Shopping when you’re very busy can sometimes feel like a chore, but with Shopkick’s incentives, it feels much more like I’m going out on a fun scavenger hunt for points and savings. It’s like a game to see just how many kicks I can earn and my prize is saving money by using the free gift cards.

Shopping when you’re very busy can sometimes feel like a chore, but with Shopkick’s incentives, it feels much more like I’m going out on a fun scavenger hunt for points and savings.

I’m so grateful that I discovered Shopkick. With all the errands I have to run, I don’t have much time for savings programs that require extra activities outside of my normal routine. The beauty of Shopkick is that it lets me save money for the everyday shopping that I already do and it works in conjunction with some of my favorite rewards app such as the Target rewards app; I can’t recommend it enough.

It’s time to get your kicks! Shopkick is simply the best shopping app to save money on your everyday purchases, both online and in-store Download the app today start earning kicks!

Image courtesy of STEKLO

Why in store customer engagement is crucial to landing a sale

Posted on January 17, 2020 by Kick Writers

By the end of 2020, 81% of retailers hope to have unified commerce platforms to enhance their omnichannel experiences. Continue reading “Why in store customer engagement is crucial to landing a sale”

How to drive brand awareness when it matters most

Posted on January 16, 2020 by Kick Writers

Branding—it’s your company’s first impression, that initial moment of attention, the way you gain a consumer’s purchase consideration. Continue reading “How to drive brand awareness when it matters most”

The 7 best cash back apps for shopping any store in 2020

Posted on January 14, 2020 by Kick Writers

Now that the year 2020 is actually here, I’m kind of amazed that we don’t all have jetpacks or flying cars. But, there is some pretty cool technology that we do have access to. I absolutely love being able to watch whatever I want at any given time thanks to streaming services. I also love having a smart coffeemaker that has my favorite cup percolating in the morning the minute I get up. We have access to so much technology that we didn’t have a decade ago—one of those being the number of mobile apps. I mean, how cool is it that we have apps out there that can simplify our everyday lives?

That’s why today I want to take a closer look at all of the best cash back apps for 2020—these lucky seven apps will surely make your life easier this year.

Best Cash Back Apps 2020

Before we get to the best cash back apps for 2020, there are a few things to note: most of these apps are for shopping at any store while others strictly for online use or use at certain types of stores. But no need to worry, all of them are designed to make shopping a little easier! Let’s take a look at some of my favorites.

Rakuten

Some of you may remember when this app was called Ebates but now it’s called Rakuten. It’s an app you can use to get cash back on purchases at any store, as long as that store is online. It’s pretty simple. You download and then simply do your online shopping through the app.

In true futuristic fashion, you can even add a Google Chrome extension to your web browser that just adds a Rakuten cash back button whenever you’re on a site that has a deal. Rakuten also has a feature called Coupon Magic, which automatically applies coupons as users shop, getting them even more cash back in the checkout process. I recommend this app for anyone who prefers to shop online.

Instacart

What if I told you that in the future, you could push a few buttons on your smartphone, and then before you know it, all of the groceries that you need for the week will be delivered right to your door? The future is closer than you think! This has been a reality for some time with Instacart and you don’t have to just use it to shop for yourself. You can also use it to get paid to shop for others, too. When used on its own, Instacart isn’t a cash back app, but when used in conjunction with the next app on the list, you’re well on your way to getting funds back for shopping!

Shopkick

Shopkick is a great way to earn cash back both online and in stores! When you use this app, you’ll earn “kicks” (aka, cash!) for doing things like walking into stores, scanning participating products, and of course, making purchases.You can then trade in your kicks in for FREE gift cards that are just as valuable as cash. Shopkick turns every trip to the store into a fun scavenger hunt for points. Instead of just buying things, you get to look for items and other features that will reward you the most kicks. It’s a blast, and I absolutely love that it can be used alongside many of the other apps on this list.

Survey Junkie

I prefer to use Survey Junkie when I have a little downtime. Once you download the app you can start earning cash to take surveys. Like any research company, it’s free for you to sign up and participate. The more surveys you take, the more points you get, and you can later trade those points in for cash. I’ve been told that the surveys pay anywhere from $2 to $75. If I’m out shopping and there’s a long line, I will log on to Survey Junkie and take a few surveys—it’s a quick and convenient way to earn cash back!

Paribus

Remember years ago when stores would advertise that they would match a price at a competing store? Basically, if you bought something at one price and then found it somewhere else cheaper, you could get some of your money back for it. Well, Paribus has modernized that concept.

Let’s say you buy something and then you see it somewhere else at a lower price point—Paribus gives you the cash back for the difference. It really is that easy! While you can’t use this app as consistently as some of the others on our list, it will definitely provide some peace of mind!

Acorns

Acorns makes it easy to invest the spare change you’re left with after making everyday purchases. Let’s say you buy something for $2.75, Acorns will round that purchase up to $3, and then take the $0.25 differential and invest it into the stock market for you, which in ideal circumstances will ultimately yield cash back for you at some point in the future.

Twenty-five cents might not seem like all that much, but if your purchase differentials total $5 a day… that will add up to more than $1,800 throughout the course of the year. With Acorns, you can transfer the money at any time, and the only caveat is that you have to invest a minimum of $1 a month, which I sometimes accomplish after just two purchases. If you refer a friend, you also get a $5 credit that you can withdraw at any time.

Retailers + Visa Decision Sciences

Posted on January 12, 2020 by Kick Writers

Driving incremental sales, new customer acquisition and increased loyalty for retailers

Campaign Goals

Shopkick’s retail partners wanted to measure the incrementality of the Shopkick program. They wanted to know of the sales, transactions and customers that Shopkick was driving, how many would NOT have occurred without the Shopkick program. Visa Decision Sciences measured program incrementality for individual retailers, as well as incrementality for the Shopkick platform as a whole, both across all merchants and specifically within verticals such as department stores, specialty stores, and electronics/big box.

Shopkick Solution

Users enrolled in Visa’s card-linked offers program, whereby they earned kicks for purchases made with a linked credit card at participating merchants. Visa was then able to measure incrementality based on spend behavior through a highly sophisticated twinning methodology. Visa looks at user spend in the prior 12 months to signing up for Shopkick, finds that person’s ”twin” based on over 250 variables, and then looks at spend for the user and their twin after the user has enrolled in the card linked offers program through Shopkick.

Results

The findings are that Shopkick is a highly incremental program for Shopkick retail partners as a whole and these results stand true across different retail verticals. 57% of all sales driven by Shopkick are incremental. That incremental spend is driven by new customer acquisition as well as increased loyalty of existing customers. 55% of department store sales are incremental, 49% of electronics/big box stores sales are incremental and 67% of specialty store sales driven by Shopkick are incremental.

57%

Sales driven by Shopkick are incremental

73%

of incremental sales are NEW customers

27%

of incremental sales are increased LOYALTY of existing customers

Details

Goals

Drive Incremental Sales

Drive Customer Acquisition

Drive Increased Loyalty of Existing Customers

Retailer Distribution

Department Stores Specialty Stores

Electronics/Big Box

Products Used

Kicks for Purchases

Interactive mobile marketing: 3 tactics to turn browsers into buyers

Posted on January 10, 2020 by Kick Writers

Although online shopping and the BOPIS model remain strong, browsing in-store is far from a lost pastime. As a matter of fact, a survey conducted at the end of 2018 showed that a majority of retailers (63%) are seeing in-store shopping make a comeback. Another report that used data collected around the same time found that 60% percent of consumers still make in-store purchases weekly, and 90% do so monthly. The desire to see and try products before buying them was cited as the shoppers’ main motivation.

Thanks to online retailing, shoppers in brick-and-mortar stores are better informed and more demanding than ever. They may love the in-store shopping experience, but it can be enhanced by interactive mobile marketing to create greater engagement. There are several tactics that can help your store engage and convert those browsers.

How to Engage Consumers With Interactive Mobile Marketing

Personalization

Individual attention creates emotional attachment, even when it is delivered automatically. Personalization leads to customer retention and, according to research conducted by PwC, around a quarter of shoppers are willing to pay more—up to 16% in some cases—for a product specifically in response to personalization. PwC also found that, while 43% of U.S. consumers say they would not allow companies to collect their personal data, which is a necessary step for personalization, 63% say they would share data for the sake of a service they value.

Purchasing history, personal information provided by the customer and recorded browsing patterns are among the information sources for personalization. Human service is essential for a positive retail experience as well, but the human and the digital can work in tandem to create a fast and targeted experience. According to a Salesforce report issued in 2019, the use of AI for personalization in retail and consumer goods marketing is expected to grow to 70% over the next two years—a 176% increase.

Personalization uses a combination of familiar tactics and the latest technology to engage consumers.

Targeting. As customers walk in the door with a shopping app turned on, they can be greeted by name and view product suggestions based on previous buying patterns.
Mapping. In large stores, customers can even be guided through the aisles to locate items of potential interest to them.
Events. Customers can receive invitations to special sales, product premiers, and appreciation events based on their shopping patterns.
Feedback. Giving customers an opportunity to leave feedback on items they purchase or read the feedback of others before making a purchase can enhance the shopping experience.
Chatbots. Using natural language, AI chatbots can engage customers on messaging services by providing product suggestions and information, customer service, and branded entertainment in a conversational format. Chatbots are available around the clock and can generally respond faster than human assistance. They can also be used to gather information about customers, simply by asking for it.

Augmented Reality

Augmented reality (AR) is fun, informative, and easy to deliver—it is technically simpler to produce than virtual reality, and it requires no user headset. Consumers can use their smartphones to enrich the shopping experience. Augmented reality technology is still relatively new, making it enticing and exciting to most consumers. Many of them may be familiar with apps like Ikea’s that superimpose the seller’s furniture onto a view of their living rooms, or ones that find ATMs, stores and restaurants on the street.

These are some of the most widespread and popular tactics found in retail marketing.

Loyalty Rewards Programs. Many loyalty programs are available via a mobile app. In Shopkick’s case, shoppers can earn rewards for using the app when visiting a store and interacting with products at-shelf.
Proximity marketing. Beacon technology can be combined with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth to guide shoppers to sale items. According to Beaconstat, 75% of U.S. retailers already use it, and its popularity is still growing. Shopkick worked with early adopters T.J. Maxx and Best Buy.

Interactive mobile marketing combines familiar tactics like rewards points and events with the latest digital technology to generate excitement and help shoppers make purchasing decisions. It presents ample opportunities to increase engagement among shoppers in your store and turn browsers into buyers. Using these tactics will create a satisfying shopping experience that is met with appreciation and positive response from your customers.

The best shopping app for groceries when you’re on a budget

Posted on January 10, 2020 by Kick Writers

With three growing boys at home, I find myself spending a lot of time at the grocery store near my house. In fact, I spend so much time there that I have a favorite cashier, and her name is Andrea. That’s right, we’re even on a first-name basis. During each of my many trips to the grocery store, I always make it a point to hop into Andrea’s line. She’s fast and always makes sure I get the right prices on my items. It always surprises her when I find such great deals on items.

As she rings me up, we also talk about trending topics and the latest shows. I also tell her about all the cool ways I find to make things work on my budget. Even though she works at the grocery store, I was surprised to find out that she didn’t know the best shopping app for groceries when you’re on a budget. It made me wonder how many others out there who are on a budget would benefit from hearing about the best shopping app for groceries, which is why today I’d like to share with all of you what I told my friend Andrea.

Shopping App for Groceries

What is a shopping app for groceries?

I couldn’t believe Andrea had never heard of a shopping app for groceries. So, before I could get to the business of telling her about my favorite, I had to explain to her what it is and how it works. The way a shopping app for groceries works is actually really simple, once you become familiar with it.

Any shopping app for groceries that is worth having is free to download. It should also work with either an Apple or an Android smartphone, so technology problems really aren’t a barrier. There are different types of shopping apps out there. Some of them are limited to only being used at certain stores, while others can be used practically anywhere—even online.

What are the benefits of a shopping app for groceries?

My favorite types of grocery shopping apps are those that give you rewards you can trade in later for cash or gift cards. The main benefit of these apps is that you save money. There are different ways these apps work, but the best of the bunch gives you rewards for the shopping you already do. You can then trade those awards in for savings. The best shopping apps for groceries change the shopping experience altogether by adding a new layer of fun that actually makes you look forward to going to the store, as crazy as that sounds.

What is the best shopping app for groceries?

I think at this point in our conversation Andrea was hooked. She just wanted to know which shopping app for groceries I recommend she download. And you know what? I was more than happy to tell her about my favorite: Shopkick.

Shopkick gives me points for the things I do when I’m out shopping already, including walking into the store, interacting with products, and making purchases. These points are called “kicks” and you can trade them in for gift cards to use at your favorite stores. This helps me save money which is big for me for obvious reasons. More than that, though, Shopkick has changed the way I think about going to the store. I used to hate going grocery shopping. But with Shopkick, I have really started to look forward to going to the store, even if it’s my third trip for groceries that week.

For those who might not enjoy going to the store as much as I do, Shopkick also caters to you!

For those who might not enjoy going to the store as much as I do, Shopkick also caters to you! You can discover products, recipes, and shop within the app via Walmart Grocery online if you can’t make it to the store.

I hope you enjoyed hearing all that I have to say about the best shopping app for groceries, Shopkick. With three growing boys at home—and a budget that isn’t all that flexible—anything that helps me save money and have more fun doing errands is near and dear to my heart.

I really hope you all give Shopkick a chance. I’m almost certain you’ll love it as much as I do. There’s just no better way to save money while also having a good time shopping for groceries!

It’s time to get your kicks! Shopkick is hands down the best shopping app for groceries when you’re on a budget. Download the app today and start getting your kicks now!

Image courtesy of Dmitry Kalinovsky

Leading Children’s Apparel Retailer

Posted on January 10, 2020 by Kick Writers

A leading children's apparel retailer partnered with Shopkick to drive incremental foot traffic and sales

Campaign Goals

A leading children’s apparel retailer was looking for an innovative way to bridge the gap between their digital and physical shopping channels, drive repeat visits and purchases amongst existing customers, and reach a new audience of shoppers.

Shopkick Solution

Shopkick kept the retailer top of mind with shoppers at-home through contextually relevant branded lookbook content, high-impact promo units, and videos in the Discover Tab. Shopkick’s location-based messaging and push notifications helped the retailer reach shoppers on-the-go, drive shopping intent, and encourage store visits. Shopkick drove incremental foot traffic, sales, and customer acquisition by awarding kicks for visiting, scanning products, and making in-store purchases. Shopkick’s proprietary data shows what goes on in-store, in real time, helping retailers identify who their customers are and fill gaps in the customer shopping journey.

Results

2 million store trips driven (289K incremental)
$15.1M sales-driven (over 27% YoY)
16.5:1 ROI (*$27.5K returned in gift cards)
242M content impressions delivered as added value

Visa Incrementality Study

*July ’18 – Jan ’19

84% share of total spend was incremental
43% lift in spend over control group
15% share of incremental spend for existing customers
85% share of incremental spend for new customers

16.5:1

ROI

$15.1M

sales driven

85%

of total spend was from new customers