8 crazy apps that you won’t believe exist

Posted on February 26, 2018 by Kick Writers

I love apps. I love them when they are silly and playful, and I love them when they actually help me get through my day, like when I have to navigate traffic or take notes during a meeting. I mean, to be honest, I love apps so much that sometimes they take up so much space on my phone that I have to sit down (with a glass of wine of course) and force myself to delete some.

There are a handful of apps, however, that I just can’t bear to get rid of. Some are just wacky ways to entertain myself, but others I just have to keep because they save me money—like those crazy retail coupon apps I use. There are so many apps that you won’t believe exist that I decided to put together a list of some of my all-time faves.

Purely Entertaining Apps That You Won’t Believe Exist

Sharknado: The Video Game

If you can’t believe they made a movie about a tornado full of sharks, then you probably really won’t believe they made a mobile game about it, too. The strangely popular franchise now lets you, from your smartphone, battle sharks, while riding a shark. With a chainsaw. Or beat them with bats, golf clubs, anything you grab as you surf through the flooded, besieged city.

The Brostache

No matter whether you’ve gone crazy with the trimmers, haven’t reached puberty yet, or just lack the chromosomes required to grow a good flavor saver, “The Brostache” offers hope. Hold your phone over your mouth and talk and the Brostache mimics your words, showing you how your mouth would look if it was sporting a glorious ’stache.

iSteam

You can’t take your phone in the shower, but this app is like having foggy shower glass on the inside of your phone that you can write on. Take any photo, steam up the screen, and write your message on it. Or, write an invisible message for someone on a steam-less screen, then ask someone to breathe on the phone. The message will magically appear.

Is It Dark Outside?

If you’re a gamer, or just a vampire, looking out the window can be hard, risky work. Now you can better avoid sunlight and the possibility of making eye-contact with other human beings using the “Is it dark outside?” app. Like a Siri for the living dead, all you have to do is ask the app if it’s dark outside and, using sunrise and sunset data from your area, the app will let you know if it’s safe to venture into the gloam.

Game for Cats

Is your favorite feline resentful about her lack of screentime? Of course. This game solves that, allowing your cat to chase a butterfly, laser, or mouse across the touch screen with its paw. It’s a great app for people who are too lazy to actually play with their cat, or for someone who doesn’t have a cat but loves chasing lasers.

Entertaining, Money Making Apps That You Won’t Believe Exist

Mobee

Ever wanted to be a mystery shopper? Who hasn’t? Well, Mobee makes that dream a reality! Sign into the app and it gives you secret missions at stores and restaurants in your area. Each mission usually last between 10 and 15 minutes, and they almost all require you to do something like take a picture of a display in a store or rate your shopping experience. Then, you get points for the missions you complete, which you can swap for Amazon cards.

Shopkick

This is one those apps that you won’t believe exist because, amazingly, it turns the drudgery of shopping into a game, like a scavenger hunt. And, it saves you money at the same time! The way that Shopkick works is that it gives you points—which you later redeem for gift cards to your favorite stores—just for the things you do during a normal shopping trip. Walk into certain store, and you get points. Scan barcodes of certain items, get more points. Take pictures of your receipt after you buy the week’s groceries (or toiletries, or even those super cute boots you’ve been longing for) and get even more points!

Viggle

What’s so crazy about this app is that it pays you to watch TV! Basically, you download the app and then turn it on, or check-in, while you’re watching TV or streaming your favorite shows. The longer you watch, the more points you rack up, which (like my favorite shopping app, Shopkick) you can then trade in for gift cards, meaning you can now get paid for binge watching The Bachelor.

So, whether you’re looking for pure entertainment or a way to boost your budget, those are a few of my favorite unbelievable apps. Now it’s time to pull up my brostache and go out secret shopping . . . I’m sure no one will recognize me.

Looking for the coolest shopping apps for iPhone and Android? Download Shopkick for free and join a community of Shopkickers who’ve love the rewards of shopping with us!

Or join us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and check in every day on your phone, no matter where you are, to learn about the hottest, newest deals.

Image courtesy scharfsinn86

The best retail apps for 2018 for tech-savvy shoppers

Posted on February 23, 2018 by Kick Writers

We recently got a new instructor in my spin class, which came as somewhat of a surprise given that our old instructor didn’t let us know she was leaving. If I’m being totally honest, at first I was a bit skeptical of the new teacher. My spin class ladies and I were familiar with our old one. She used to play the same music, always told us to push at the same times, and made the same jokes in every class. We liked her, and we knew what to expect. After just a few weeks with my new teacher, though, I was glad we made a change.

Nothing against our old instructor (I still love you, Lynette!), but the change started pushing us harder and challenging us more. It brought a new dimension to class that helped us engage and get even better results! The lesson here, of course, is that change is good and healthy, and to give new things a chance.

I bring this up because I think it’s especially true of one of my favorite things: retail shopping apps. There’s a wide variety of apps, and they can help shoppers at a range of different kinds of store find deals, learn more about products, and, most importantly, save money. Still, apps change quickly because the exciting world of tech never slows down. So, I’ve broken out the best retail apps for 2018 by category and included my fave of them all. Let’s take a look.

The Best Retail Apps 2018: Store Branded

Let’s start our list of best retail apps for 2018 with some of the biggest and most prominent: the branded variety. These are apps created directly by retailers. While some of the details may vary, they generally make your shopping experience more direct and comprehensive, whether that’s through letting you buy online via the app or by sending you push notifications about the latest deals and specials in their brick-and-mortar stores. Here are some of the ones I’m using the most in 2018:

Amazon:

Amazon is a huge deal, let’s face it. It has an enormous catalog of products, and the app is technologically advanced and user-friendly. The search function is so easy to use that—pro tip—you can even search for products using just an image. Not only can you easily shop the world’s biggest online retailer, with this app you can also scan credit cards and gift cards. Plus, when a package arrives on your doorstep, you can scan the barcode on the mailing label to verify what’s inside—an added bonus at holidays and gift-giving times. Of all the branded apps on our list, this is easily the one I use the most.

Apple Store:

I LOVE the Apple Store. In fact, I don’t know how many trips to the mall for clothes have been interrupted by my lingering over new devices. I also love how, whenever I have a problem with my tablet or computer, I can always get help from the Genius Bar. The Apple Store app makes that all the better by allowing me to make reservations right from my phone! I mean, I can use it to sign up for one-on-one help, workshops, and events. I also use it quite a bit to research and purchase the latest Apple products.

Nordstrom:

What elevates the Nordstrom in-store app among my best retail apps for 2018 is the way it does all of the shopping basics so well. You browse their offerings by department or brand, and the app has a fun section that features the company’s editorial and social media content. The app also does a great job of sending push notifications about big sales, which makes it so you don’t miss out. And, there’s a version for the company’s savings brand, Nordstrom Rack. Overall, this is a well-designed app, artsy and eye-catching, exactly the helper I need when out looking for a dress for my cousin’s wedding or shoes for a hot date with my man.

Best Buy:

For many years, one of the best ways to keep up with the latest tech trends has been through the Best Buy app, which lets you quickly and easily shop for thousands of electronics and accessories. This isn’t going to change in 2018. Like many of the other apps in this section, you can use it to order online for pickup at your local store. It’s also one of those super cool apps that lets you scan barcodes and get more info on products when you’re in the store. Keeping up with technology can be hard—even when you love it as much as I do—but apps like this make it easier.

Target:

Target’s app has many features that simplify your shopping trips, which, if you’re anything like me, tend to happen quite often. These include notifications about deals, a copy of the store’s weekly flyer, and even maps of where to find your favorite products once you’re physically inside the store. Target also recently integrated its old Cartwheel savings app into its main store app, making it really easy to earn rewards for shopping at Target—especially if you’re also using one of the multi-store rewards and savings shopping apps that you’ll find in the next section.

The Best Retail Apps 2018: Getting Rewards and Savings

The second category of best retail apps for 2018 is the rewards and savings variety. These are third-party apps designed to help you net savings at a TON of different stores, including at some that also offer their own branded apps. There are a couple of different ways rewards and savings apps tend to work, but the end goal of each is the same: to save you money on the products that you buy. I obviously have spin class on the brain today, but think of it this way: interval riding and endurance riding are two different classes. Intervals involve breaks and then intensity, while endurance is a steady pace, but the end goal of both is for you to burn calories and get fit! Rewards and savings apps do the same thing for your budget. Here are my favorites for 2018:

Shopkick:

If I had to pick one overall best retail app of 2018, it would definitely be Shopkick. Not only does it help me enhance the amount of savings I’m able to collect, it also makes shopping a lot more fun. How Shopkick works is that it gives you points, called kicks, for the things you already do while you’re out shopping: think walking into stores, scanning barcodes to get more info on products, and, of course, making purchases. And, it works on everything from tech to groceries. I’ve even gotten the other ladies from spin class using it—and the best part is that Shopkick has a really engaging Facebook page where I can connect with other shoppers! Oh, and another great thing is that you can use it in tandem with the branded apps mentioned here. For example, you can buy something online at one store, and then collect points for the purchase via Shopkick. So yes, while change is good, something as effective and versatile as Shopkick stays the best from year to year!

Checkout 51:

Checkout 51 can sometimes feel a bit limited compared to an uber versatile app like Shopkick because it focuses almost exclusively on helping you get paid for your grocery shopping. The cashback offers change weekly on Thursday mornings, so waking up to see what deals are available can easily become part of your shopping routine. Then, when you go grocery shopping, if you purchase any eligible items, just snap a quick picture of the receipt to accumulate money back. Once you reach $20 in savings, Checkout 51 will mail you a check.

SavingStar:

SavingStar is what’s known as a digital coupon app, and how it works is that it pays users to shop at grocery and drugstores, or really anywhere else you get all the vital things you put in your fridge, medicine cabinet, or pantry. More than 60,000 stores are part of SavingStar, and they represent more than 100 retail chains. It’s generally free to use but beware: If an account is inactive for 180 straight days, SavingStar charges a $3.99 fee. To take advantage of SavingStar, users either link their existing store loyalty cards to the app or submit receipts after a purchase. Savings add up until users can eventually cash out through PayPal, Upromise, or in the form of Starbucks, iTunes, or AMC Theater gift codes.

SnipSnap:

Like SavingStar, SnipSnap is a mobile coupon app, but this one lets users take pictures of printed coupons that it then transforms into digital, mobile-ready coupons. You can browse online directories and take advantage of coupons friends have “snipped” as well. This one doesn’t exactly pay, though. Instead, users save money as with a traditional coupon. The idea is that coupons can all be easily kept in one digital space, instead of having an overflowing little billfold stuffed with paper.

Pennyful:

As a shopper, I never shy away from a sale. Why would you? One of the simplest truths of shopping is that savings = a good thing! So, when a shopping rewards app tells me I have to accumulate a certain amount of money spent shopping online before I can cash my rewards out, for me that’s not really a problem—I know I’ll hit the mark eventually. But, not everyone shops as much as I do, and for those people, mobile apps like Pennyful let you cash your total out without meeting a minimum threshold. With this app, you just go shopping, make purchases at certain stores offering coupons for through the app, and then accumulate savings in an account that you can later cash in. And, they make it easy and fun to discover new products by dividing their offerings up into categories!

Cool grocery coupon apps for Android for shopping-averse dads

Posted on February 21, 2018 by Kick Writers

My dad is kind of one of those old-school dads who, these days, I think only is represented in the movies and on TV. When I was growing up he always had his favorite recliner, he never missed watching his favorite football team’s big game, and he used to get lost like a little kid whenever he had to do the grocery shopping for us.

He’s retired now, and we’ve had a few good laughs at how shopping-averse he used to be, and how he just couldn’t seem to ever find what we were looking for in those aisles, no matter how clearly labeled they were. Luckily, I think the dads in my generation are a bit more savvy about shopping, even if a few guys I know are just as shopping-averse. But they all agree that there’s nothing like finding the lowest prices. That’s why today I want to share some tips about grocery coupon apps for Android.

These are apps that bring some serious savings to the shopping process. Some of them are, surprisingly, a lot of fun to use, turning trips to the grocery store into a hunt for points you can redeem for savings and rewards. So, what’s the best grocery coupon app, Android aficionados? Let me tell you about some that are super valuable.

Grocery Coupon Apps for Android

Android apps that make you money while you shop are a relatively new development, so before we get into my favorites, let’s talk about how the best retail and grocery coupon apps for Android work.

Basically, the best grocery coupon app—Android or iPhone compatible—gives you points for the things you do when you’re out shopping already, like scanning barcodes to get more info, making purchases, and even walking into the actual brick-and-mortar stores. For the online crowd, some of these apps give you points for that kind of shopping, too. Here, however, you get points for visiting online stores, watching videos about certain products, and, of course, making purchases.

There are also grocery coupon apps for Android that function more like traditional coupons. These apps give you a certain dollar amount or percentage off at the register. Either way—whether you get points and rewards or use digital coupons—you really can’t go wrong. When you’re done with all that shopping that you’re averse to, you’ll still have accrued some serious savings, and that always feels good.

The Best Grocery Coupon App: Androids and iPhones Make Shopping Easier

To be totally honest, I don’t really love grocery shopping, so I’m the type of shopper who gets in and out of a store as fast as possible. Shopping feels like an obstacle between me and my priorities, although I can tell you that I like it a whole lot more now that I’ve discovered that I can make money shopping using free Android and iPhone apps.

There are actually three grocery coupon apps that I especially like:

Coupon Cactus: Coupon Cactus is a lot like those old paper coupons (which my dad never even tried to use): You get certain discounts on certain items at certain stores. The big difference is here you can do it online, too. Your savings sometimes adds up to a percentage of the total price—generally up to 30%—or to a set amount, like $2 off a featured product. Once you those savings reach $10 or more, you can cash out via PayPal, or get a check issued on a quarterly basis.
SavingStar: SavingStar is another digital coupon app that pays users to shop at grocery and drugstores. What’s really cool is that more than 60,000 stores are part of SavingStar, and overall they represent more than 100 retail chains. It’s generally free to use, but beware: If an account is inactive for 180 straight days, they will charge a fee of $3.99. To take advantage of SavingStar, users either link their existing store loyalty cards to the app or submit receipts after they make purchases. The savings add up until the user can eventually cash out through PayPal, Upromise, or in the form of Starbucks, iTunes, or AMC Theatre gift codes. Again, I’m a PayPal guy, but sometimes I’ll go with AMC Theatre if there’s a new Marvel movie coming out that I want to catch.
Shopkick: My favorite shopping rewards app is, hands down, Shopkick. It’s also the one I recommend to my dad friends who dislike shopping. This app gives users points—called kicks—for the kind of shopping they would be doing anyway, like making purchases, scanning barcodes of items, and even just walking into some favorite stores. How it works is incredibly simple, too, which you’d know is a good thing if you’d ever met my friends.

To put it simply, I’m a fan. Basically, Shopkick turns shopping into an actual game, like a scavenger hunt, and it’s really social. They keep a great community vibe on their social media, and users get awarded kicks when they refer friends who sign up. Users trade in kicks and get paid in gift cards to the stores they love to shop, or where they love to splurge—say on a quick cup of joe at Starbucks.

Those are, in my humble opinion, the best grocery coupon apps for Android. I should point out though that all of these work on iPhone, too. So, whether you’re a dad who doesn’t like going to the store (like mine), or one who actually enjoys shopping but would like to up your savings game, Shopkick is the app I would most strongly recommend. It has that perfect balance of great savings and fun, which turns shopping from a hassle into something you can actually look forward to, even if just a tiny bit.

Ready to get in on some of the best grocery coupon apps for iPhone and Android? Download Shopkick for free and join a community of loyal Shopkickers who’ve already discovered the rewards of shopping with us!

And, if you love using your smartphone to stay up on social media, join us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for daily shopping inspiration.

Image courtesy Jale Ibrak

Mobile app marketing: strategies to generate the highest ROI

Posted on February 16, 2018 by Kick Writers

Mobile app marketing is a growing way for companies to reach out to consumers at the right time. Consumers spend about five hours a day on mobile devices, which makes mobile a prime place to share information about your products or services. However, mobile app-based marketing does have its limitations. A major part of mobile app marketing success is driven by adoption. People have to use, and like, your app in order for it to provide a significant ROI.

That use is probably the biggest barrier to unlocking the full potential of your app. You need to think of mobile app marketing as a marathon, not a sprint. If you expect to eventually usher users through the sales funnel, you must be prepared to continuously engage with them. Generating the highest ROI in mobile app marketing requires gaining the user’s trust with a feature-driven app so that they’ll come to your business when they’re ready to make a purchase.

Encouraging Regular Use of Your Mobile App

While a high adoption number is good, it’s only useful if your average daily user figure is equally high. It doesn’t matter if you have 10,000 downloads if only one person uses the app on a regular basis. That’s why one-off app campaigns—where you offer a coupon or discount for downloading your app—don’t work. The user simply downloads the app long enough to get the deal and then never opens it again. Give the user a reason to keep engaging with your app on their mobile device.

Sephora’s app is a good example of how to take an experience-first approach rather than focus solely on the mobile commerce part of the sale. mCommerce is part of the app—not the entire app in and of itself. That means that individuals who may never have considered buying anything at Sephora—like someone who has never used its makeup—can become familiar with the company. They come to rely on it for makeup advice. When it comes time to buy, those individuals are far more likely to go to Sephora to make their purchase.

The utility-first approach to mobile app marketing can increase brand awareness and credibility among new audiences. It also helps retailers and brands stand out over those that use their apps solely as an mCommerce platform. Of course, as mCommerce becomes increasingly desirable to customers, brands and retailers also need to make sure their mobile purchasing experience is optimized., One way to gain the best of both worlds—pleasing existing customers and gaining new ones—is to work with a third-party app provider to reach out to a new market segment.

Reach new market segments:

When a retailer partners with a third-party shopping app, they are more likely to reach market segments they haven’t reached before. Think of it this way: Someone who has the “Mike’s Grocery Store” app on their phone is already an existing Mike’s Grocery Store customer. They’ve heard of Mike’s and are already familiar with its offerings. However, someone on a shopping app may not have heard of Mike’s Grocery Store—until they see an offer from Mike’s within the shopping app they already use. Suddenly, their curiosity about the retailer is piqued.

Free smartphone coupon apps for fast food connoisseurs

Posted on February 16, 2018 by Kick Writers

There is one love that’s been with me my entire life: fast food. Whether I’m at the airport or just grabbing a quick bite on the go, fast food for me is comfort food, and it’s convenient and, well, I could go on and on.

Now, over the years my fast food palate has gotten a bit more refined (I realize how that sounds.) When I was a kid I was all about the burgers and fries, but these days I’m pretty open to new things, from burrito bowls to grab-and-go sushi from high-end supermarkets. The only thing is, at a certain point, the fancier stuff starts to add up. Don’t worry, though! There’s a way to keep this from hurting your wallet, and you can easily download it with your smartphone. I am talking, of course, about using a coupon app for fast food.

I’ve talked in the past about how retail shopping apps save money, but today I want to shift gears and apply the same lens to tech that helps you get savings when you purchase fast food. I know I’m not the only one out there who loves to grab a quick bite on the go, just like I know I’m not the only one who would enjoy saving money when I do! So, with all that in mind, let’s take a look at the best free smartphone coupon apps for fast food connoisseurs!

The Basics: Using Coupon Apps for Fast Food

In case you aren’t familiar, coupon apps for fast food are, obviously, apps you download to a mobile device—generally a tablet or a phone because, let’s face it, you’re not going to be hauling your computer out at the drive-thru. The point of fast food is the speed and convenience, and, I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty much always in a hurry when I eat it.

Anyway, once you have the app, the easiest way for me to explain how to use it is by comparing it to the many apps out there that make it easier to get cash back on groceries or other purchases like electronics or clothing. These apps, the ones I use anyway, are all basically split into two groups: couponing apps and shopping rewards apps.

Coupon Apps for Fast Food Discounts

Apps like Coupon Sherpa, Valpak, or GeoQpons offer discounted prices meant to entice you to go to certain restaurants. The way they distribute these deals may work differently from app to app. Coupon Sherpa, for example, has a list of promo codes or print out coupons for you to browse, while GeoQpons sends you alerts about deals based on your location. Regardless, the basics are the same: these are apps that let you pay lower prices at time of checkout, saving you money on fast food that way.

Rewards-based Apps for Fast Food Discounts

These are apps that generally award you points for doing the things you normally do at a fast food restaurant, like making purchases. Some of them even give you points for walking through the door! Then, when you save up enough points, you can trade them in for gift cards to your favorite restaurants, or even to your favorite retail and electronic stores. What’s really cool about these apps is that you can generally use them in tandem with the couponing apps. You don’t have to know anything about tech to figure out that using multiple apps will net you more savings than using just one.

Making the Most of Your Coupon App for Fast Food

The best way to make the most of your coupon app for fast food is to pair it with one of my favorite rewards apps: Shopkick. Shopkick is one of those apps that I mentioned above that starts giving you points as soon as you step inside a restaurant, or, in the case of some stores, pull up to the drive-thru. How it works is that you get points for doing these things, and then you can trade those points in for gift cards.

The best way to make the most of your coupon app for fast food is to pair it with one of my favorite rewards apps: Shopkick.

This is actually ideal for someone like me, who always feels like he’s somehow cheating or splurging when he buys fast food. To be honest, paying for it with a gift card takes a lot of the sting off. Hey, I’m not saying it makes sense, just that it makes me feel way less guilty, and that’s a good thing! I also like how using Shopkick is like a game. I’m personally a big Xbox and fantasy football guy, so Shopkick’s system of awarding points really helps me to stay engaged. The other coupon apps for fast food are great and all, but a lot of times I’m liable to just forget they exist. Not with Shopkick.

So, there you have it, an informational look at the best coupon apps for fast food, plus a little bit about my personal favorite. Whether you eat fast food often, find it a guilty pleasure, or indulge because you’re in a hurry or it’s the closest options, these coupon apps make fast food even cheaper. Ultimately, that’s money you can turn around on your gym membership, so you can sweat your burrito off!

Get to know one of the best apps for fast food discounts—and for tons of other products, too. Download Shopkick’s free app today and join a community of loyal Shopkickers who’ve already discovered how much you can earn with the help of a free shopping sidekick.

And, if you’re on social media catching up with friends, be sure to also join Shopkick on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for a little daily fun and inspiration.

Photo courtesy Ruslan Sitarchuk.

The top apps for making cash to bolster your budget

Posted on February 14, 2018 by Kick Writers

There are some things in the world that are mighty and bottomless. Okay, okay, mostly I’m referring to the stomachs of the three growing boys at home. I swear, as soon as I get home with groceries, they pounce and before I know it, half of what I’ve just bought is gone!

Yes, it really is a never-ending battle to keep these awesome little guys fed, whether it be with cereal or sandwiches or even ice cream! This means my need to find ways to save on groceries is also mighty and bottomless, which is why I think I’ve become such an expert on the top apps for making cash to bolster your budget—including some of my all-time faves, like those that pay you to grocery shop.

If I were to graph it, you’d probably see that my knowledge of these apps is directly proportional to my boys’ heights. Too funny! Anyway, thanks to all this research and knowledge, I’ve been saving quite a bit of money on grocery shopping, shopping at other stores, and even on workouts! Today, I’d like to share this knowledge with you. After all, I know I’m not the only one with growing kids at home.

Top Apps for Making Cash No. 1: Pact

To properly make a weekly grocery run that can feed growing kids, you need to be in shape. You need to be able to bend down and get the cereal from the lowest shelves, to carry a near-infinite stack of canned goods, and to haul bag after bag of groceries in from the car. You know, if the guys are really into a video game, they aren’t going to come out and help!

This is part of the reason Pact easily makes my list of top apps for making cash. Pact works by giving you cash for achieving your fitness goals. You just download the app on your device, make a pact with it to exercise more or eat healthily, and then you use the app to track your goals, earning on average between $0.30 and $5.00 every week for achieving your goals. The app also keeps you honest by making you verify your activities through GPS, photos, and other services. It’s really great!

Top Apps for Making Cash No. 2: AppTrailers

A proper grocery trip that brings home enough food to (briefly) satisfy the stomachs of a trio of growing boys tends to take a long time. I, however, have found a way to maximize my efficiency by using one of the top apps for making cash when I’m out in the aisles.

The one I’m talking about now is called AppTrailers, and what it does is pay you to watch trailers about new apps. Each of those trailers takes about 30 seconds. I usually set my phone on my cart next to grocery my list and watch these as I navigate the aisles. I’m also a big fan of watching when I’m at my gym on the treadmill. For each trailer I watch, I get 500 points, which is equivalent to $0.50. I can then redeem points for gift cards or cash via PayPal. We’ve talked about this in the past but using multiple apps really is the best way to up your shopping game!

Top Apps for Making Cash No. 3: Shopkick

The third and final app on my list today also happens to be the most effective—and my all-time favorite among the top apps for making cash. It’s an app called Shopkick and, to be frank, I just absolutely love it! How it works is pretty simple: Shopkick gives you points for your normal everyday shopping activities, including walking into stores, scanning the barcodes on certain items for more information, and, of course, making purchases. If you’re shopping online, it also gives you points for visiting certain online stores, watching videos about certain products, and, once again, making purchases.

You can trade these points in for gift cards to all your favorite stores, including places like Target and Walmart, which are both great spots to get your boys food and the school supplies they’re always waiting until the last minute to let you know that they need. I’ve been using Shopkick for a while now, and it’s honestly saved me more than I can even count! Especially given the amount of food it takes to feed my guys.

I’ve been using Shopkick for a while now, and it’s honestly saved me more than I can even count!

Even before I had my kids, I was always looking for ways to squeeze some more bucks out of my budget. Years ago, I did this through things like paper coupons and savings club cards. Nowadays, I can do it just by pressing a few buttons on my phone. So, whether or not you have three boys at home, all of these top apps for making cash are great options for saving money.

The only real challenge, to be perfectly honest, is remembering to use these apps, and sticking with them. This isn’t really a problem when it comes to Shopkick because it turns every trip online or down the aisles into a fun little hunt for points—not unlike the ways my boys scavenge in my cabinets for food. Just kidding … sorta!

Learn how you too can get paid to grocery shop with one of the top apps for making cash. Download Shopkick’s free app and get ready to be wowed. Welcome to the fun, Shopkicker!

If you’re as social media savvy as you are shopping savvy, join us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for daily shopping fun.

Image courtesy Wavebreak Media Ltd

Counting Cupids: Shopkick Valentine’s Day Stats!

Posted on February 13, 2018 by Kick Writers

We polled over 11,000 of our Shopkick users to find out what they had in the works for the big Day of Love this year. See what we found out below!

Men Know Their Expectations This Year

40% of Men, compared to only 31% of Women, believe it’s “very important” to give a gift this Valentine’s Day. What’s more, they plan on outspending women 2:1. Men have an average of $207.60 earmarked for their significant other, while women are only looking at spending an average of $89.54 on their loved ones. But ladies, you’re off the hook, as over half of men (55%) don’t find it important at all to receive a gift this year.

Moms Still Wanna Have Fun

Over half of respondents (55%) said they are even more excited about Valentine’s Day since becoming a parent. Whether it’s candy, arts & crafts, or valentines for the whole classroom, parents will be rolling their sleeves up, and spending an average of $44.39 to spoil their kids this season.

Hopelessly in Love With You

Overall, over 75% of respondents (including three-quarters of men!) consider themselves “romantic.” While 44% of these self-proclaimed romantics start planning Valentine’s Day a full month out, the remaining 25% of Valentine’s Day scrooges cut it close, with over 50% waiting until the day before or the day-of to start their planning!

Need Some V-Day Inspiration?

Check Shopkick for a roundup of our favorite Valentine’s Day gifts you can get kicks for. Whoever said you don’t get when you give? Don’t have the app? Download here to start earning free gift cards for your shopping today!

How will you be celebrating Valentine’s this year Shopkickers?

Game-like shopping apps for Android you can share with friends

Posted on February 7, 2018 by Kick Writers

I was at the grocery store recently and happened to run into an old girlfriend I hadn’t seen since, gosh, it must have been high school! We got to talking about what’s going on with us, and pretty soon that turned into talking about old times. It was kind of late at night, and both of us were just barely getting some shopping in, which reminded us of how we used to stay up late cramming for finals. In fact, the only way we got through some of our tougher exams was by studying together, making flash cards, and turning our sessions into a little game.

“Wouldn’t it be fun,” my friend said, “if we could do our shopping that way, too? If we could just turn it into a little game?” I told her that yes it would and that in fact, with some of the new game-like shopping apps for Android, we could make our trips to the store into games!

My friend hadn’t heard of shopping apps for Android which, to be totally honest, took me a bit by surprise. She asked me to explain, which was easy because these apps are just so much more fun with friends. That’s why today I’d like to share the concept with all of you! Before we know it, we can all be out there having fun and saving money together.

How Game-Like Shopping Apps for Android Work

The first thing you need to know about shopping apps for Android is how they work. All my favorites have a pretty simple step-by-step process:

Walk into certain stores, and get points.
Scan the barcodes of select products to get information, and get more points.
Purchase certain items with a linked card, or purchase certain items and use the app to take a picture of your receipt, and get even more points!
Trade those points in for gift cards to your favorite stores.
Savor the savings!

Also—and this is crucial nowadays—many of these shopping apps for Android also let you earn rewards while shopping online. The differences between how these apps work for online shopping versus in-person shopping is minute. Here’s how using a shopping app online works:

Visit certain online stores, and get points.
View select products, and get more points.
Make mobile purchases, and get even more points!
Watch certain videos and score points yet again.
Trade those points in for gift cards to all your favorite stores.
Really savor the savings!

See? Super easy! And, because you can use shopping apps for Android online as well as in-person, it’s easier than ever to get paid to shop.

Having Fun with Shopping Apps for Android

One of the things I stressed to my friend is that in order to get the most money back with these apps, you have to make sure you use them regularly. In my humble opinion, the best way to do this is to make sure you pick a shopping app for Android that is genuinely fun. That way you won’t have to make yourself to use it because you’ll be excited to bust it out each and every time you hit the store.

The ideal app should be one that turns shopping into a scavenger hunt for points by giving you a ton of different ways to score points. Another thing that’s really important is that the app has a vibrant and fun social media community, like a Facebook feed where you can also have a good time chatting with other folks who enjoy using the app too, swapping tips on how to get more points, or even just trading funny memes and jokes about life.

Here’s a list of game-like shopping apps you can share with friends, including ones that work like the savings apps I described above, plus some ideas to broaden your selection:

Shopkick: This one is great because it turns every trip to the store into a scavenger hunt for points that you can then trade in for gift cards. Share it with your friends so you can get together later to swap tips and advice! This app really is a blast to use as it provides so many cool opportunities to score points.

eBay: As far as I’m concerned, eBay is the original game-like shopping app. With its simple bid system, every purchase can be like a competition! And yeah, it’s no fun to miss out on something you really want, but it’s a ton of fun to win an auction.

The RealReal: This one is sort of like a game because it’s an aggregate site for pre-owned luxury items, meaning you can get really fancy stuff at a discount. But if you’re too slow, you’ll miss out! My friends and I sometimes like to just browse through The RealReal together and check out all the pre-owned luxury items people are looking to sell.
Giftagram: This app is perfect for holiday gift giving games like White Elephant or Secret Santa, especially if you want to play long distance! You can use Giftagram to pick out a present, then you simply enter the recipient’s email and phone number, and the service sends it to them! Plus, you can use it to send gifts from the U.S. to Canada and vice versa, which is very cool.

Of all of these, my personal favorite is Shopkick. That’s because it has more ways to score points than most of the other apps I’ve tried, and it has the most fun social media channels. In fact, I have so much fun looking at Shopkick’s goofy Facebook posts. Oh, and I should note that Shopkick is available for iPhone too, so you can get even more friends in on the fun.

Really though, the main point is that Shopkick is one of the best shopping apps for Android because it turns so much of your shopping time—both online and in person—into a fun game you can share with your friends. As I said above, with an app like Shopkick, you don’t have to remember to use it because you’ll find yourself actually looking forward to breaking it out at the store.

My friend and I actually made tentative plans to get together and do some shopping next week, or at least to get together for a coffee and talk about the deals we’ve been finding with our apps. What a great way to also stay in touch!

Start having more fun with shopping apps for your Android or iPhone by using Shopkick. Download the free shopping rewards app and join a community of loyal Shopkickers who’ve already discovered the fun of shopping with us!

And, if you love social media as much as you love your smartphone, join us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Image courtesy Daniel Ernst.

5 Video Advertising Statistics for 2018 Shaping Mobile Marketing

Posted on February 2, 2018 by Kick Writers

The video advertising statistics of 2018 show us that video is in high demand, both by consumers and by marketers. A lot of marketers swear by video, with 87% of online marketers reporting using video in their campaigns. This doesn’t mean video is a slam dunk for marketers. While video tends to have a bigger impact on brand awareness and market share, those numbers really only take into account well-developed video campaigns. A poorly performing video campaign can’t hope to truly capitalize on the powerful conversion potential of video marketing. The video advertising statistics of 2018 don’t just tell us what other marketers are doing, but they’re telling us what consumers want, which helps marketers create a truly impactful video campaign.

What consumers want is mobile video. More than half of all video viewing now occurs on mobile devices, and that number is steadily rising. Of course, much of that mobile viewing is entertainment-based content, rather than advertising. That’s one of the challenging parts of undertaking a mobile video campaign, in that you’re trying to get consumers to watch your ads when they’d rather be watching their favorite television programs or movies. Making the most of mobile video advertising requires a few adjustments to your strategy, so you can get consumers to view the content for your product, and more importantly, take action afterward.

Video Advertising Statistic #2: Personalization Makes Viral Videos Possible

Video is shared 1,200% more frequently than text and image posts. That’s good news for marketers who are trying to create a viral campaign. Of course, the key is the enjoyability of the ad. Making an ad amusing or interesting is a good way to gain attention. So is turning that ad into a personalized experience, which is more possible on mobile.

Malibu Rum followed this strategy with its Video Ticker and Video Toggle mobile video campaigns. The company used these platforms to target specific consumers in the UK aged 18 to 34. The personalization came as a result of time and location data from mobile. Dubbed the “Best Summer Ever” campaign, the ad gave users the option to choose between several different campaign videos based on where they were and when they visited the sites. The campaign was considered highly successful and was nominated for one of Mobile Marketing Magazine’s Effective Mobile Marketing Awards of 2014, under the category for Most Effective Use Of Video. Malibu made a number of smart moves in this campaign, including:

Video Advertising Statistic #3: Incentivizing Users with Rewarded Video

If you want to get a consumer to watch a video, one of the best ways to do it is to incentivize it. Rewarded video—modified video ads designed around an in-app economy, which grants users premium content such as coins or credits in return for viewing a short video clip—is among the most popular forms of advertising with consumers. 46% of consumers identified rewarded video as their preferred method of mobile video advertising. Here are a few examples of rewarded video in action.

Video Advertising Statistic #4: Interactive Mobile Video Content

Interactive mobile video ads are an extremely new form of advertising that is just starting to catch on. In them, the user might be allowed to interact with the advertiser’s story, making choices and potentially changing the outcome of the ad based on those choices.

Buffalo Wild Wings did something like this in their interactive video campaign featuring the chain’s “Foodoo” doll. During the advertisement, the Foodoo doll would pop up, and users tried to catch it by tapping on their screens. Once they caught the doll, they could either find local restaurants or join the restaurant’s loyalty program. Following the campaign, the company reported 46 million interactions with a 93.4% video completion rate. The brand’s interactive campaign used video effectively by:

Video Advertising Statistic #5: Mobile Makes the Difference in Conversion

Mobile video advertising is, above all, about the user experience. Providing content that’s useful, engaging, and enjoyable will allow you to harness the power of video. Marketers who use video are estimated to grow revenue for their brands 49% faster than their non-video counterparts. Mobile is a powerful medium, with the majority of watchers choosing this as the place to view those videos. There’s a number of reasons why mobile video is a more powerful converter than other mediums. Some to consider are:

Passive and active opportunities:

While your preference should always be to have an active viewer, individuals can still retain things on a subliminal level when passively viewing video. The same can’t be said for images and text—unless that viewer passively sees those same images and texts hundreds of times, as in the case of logos or slogans. A consumer can watch a video without paying attention to it and still retain some of the information from it, making it useful even when the consumer isn’t fully engaged with your message. Videos essentially do, in one shot, what it takes texts and pictures thousands of opportunities to accomplish.

Emotional connections:

Tone can tell us a lot about how we’re supposed to feel about a video. The attitude of the presenter or announcer, combined with the moving images, can be used to express emotions without words. Text- and image-based advertisements lack a powerful emotional connection, as it’s not possible to set the tone through a static image. Instead, viewers will attribute their own tone to the advertisement, which won’t always work the way you hope, especially when using humor or sarcasm in an ad.

The video advertising statistics of 2018 give us valuable insight on what consumers want. They want mobile content that’s interactive, engaging, and even incentivized. While the length of video is important, what’s more important is how well consumers connect with your message. By giving something in return for watching that video—whether it’s rewards points or even just information—those consumers are better able to connect with your brand. They’re engaged and more willing to share your message with their friends and families. Mobile video is a way to create both a physical and emotional connection with your brand’s audience.

Popular stores with customer loyalty programs you didn’t know about

Posted on January 31, 2018 by Kick Writers

I’ve never enjoyed working out. At least not going to the gym or using a treadmill or lifting weights. I do, however, like fitness classes. That’s why my two favorite types of exercise classes are definitely yoga and spin, and I love how different they are. Yoga is all about slowing down, focusing on breathing, and balance, while spin is super intense. It’s just go, go, go!

Shopping can be this way, too. There’s your hurried shopping when you just need to get in, get out, and get home. Then, there’s the kind of shopping where you slow down, relax and enjoy the hunt. While I could never pick a favorite between yoga and spin class, I can easily say my favorite shopping is the slower variety, especially when it means I get to make the most of it at stores with customer loyalty programs. For years, I was power shopping—and trying to find discounts and sales in a hurry—and in the process missing out on the real savings built-in to customer loyalty programs. That’s why today I’m here to help you slow down, breathe like you’re doing yoga, and learn more about some popular stores with customer loyalty programs (that you’ve likely been shopping at for years) and how they can save you money.

Grocery Stores with Customer Loyalty Programs

Of all the stores I’ve power shopped over the years, grocery stores are where I rush the most. In fact, I’ve even found myself heading home from yoga, feeling super at peace and relaxed, and still rushing through the grocery aisles.

That can be a problem, though, because there are tons and tons of grocery stores with customer loyalty programs. Most feature a grocery store rewards cards which you swipe at checkout and lowers your bill. If you’re not using these, you’re leaving money on the table.

There are also some larger chain grocery stores that have loyalty programs that are a bit less well known, especially if you’re always rushing through the aisles. The Walmart Savings Catcher, for example, helps loyal Walmart shoppers ensure they’re always getting the lowest possible price. With this program, you just scan your Walmart receipt after a visit, and it compares what you paid to the prices at top competitors in the area. If there’s a difference, the program rewards it back to you.

That’s just one example, though. Target, as well as regional grocery stores such as Safeway and H-E-B, also offer similar loyalty rewards. It’s just up to you to take the time to slow down and ask. Oh, and there are also ways to use third-party shopping apps to get paid to grocery shop, but more on that later!

Department Stores with Customer Loyalty Programs

It’s way easier for me to take it slow with my shopping at department stores, kind of like how it’s way easier to relax with the yoga instructor at my studio that doesn’t make us do as many of the one-legged flying poses! The wide selection and the great deals at stores like Nordstrom and Macy’s just lend themselves to a nice, leisurely stroll through the racks.

While the details vary by store, all the most common department stores, including Sears, J.C. Penney, Kohl’s, Nordstrom, Macy’s, and Saks have their own variation of a customer loyalty program. Macy’s, for example, has a program that basically ensures you get a discount on everything you buy there, while Nordstrom and Nordstrom Rack have one that gives you a gift card after you spend a certain amount. That one is also nice because it entitles you to free tailoring!

They, of course, don’t publicize them as well as the grocery stores do, but that’s okay. Because if you’ve learned anything from me today, it’s that the next time you’re out shopping, you’re going to take your time, breath like you’re in yoga, and ask the clerks at the stores about customer loyalty programs so you don’t miss out!

DIY Customer Loyalty Programs

These programs at department stores and grocery stores are all well and good, and you should definitely be using them to get deals and save money, but there’s one method I think is a cut above all the rest: making your own customer loyalty program.

It sounds impossible, I know, but you can actually do it by using an app that makes you money while you shop. There are many of these types of apps to choose from, believe it or not, and they tend to work at most (if not all) of my favorite stores. How they work is simple: they give you points for shopping activities you do anyway (think scanning barcodes for more info or buying certain products) which you trade for gift cards you can use on your next visit.

One of the best parts is that you can actually combine these apps with the other store loyalty programs

There’s seriously no better loyalty program than that. One of the best parts is that you can actually combine these apps with the other store loyalty programs I just told you about. My personal favorite is an app called Shopkick, which I like because it gives you the most opportunities to win points. In fact, with Shopkick, you get points just for walking into the store! Plus, it has a really fun social media community if you’re into Instagram of Facebook (and, these days, who isn’t?).

So, there you have it, a great list of stores with customer loyalty programs, plus a great way to augment those programs by also using one of my very favorite shopping apps. That combination approach really is key, much like the focus of my exercise routine is doing both spin class and yoga. Sure, I could stick to just one, but the benefits are even greater when I do both!

Learn how you can start getting paid to grocery shop before your next trip down the aisle. Download Shopkick’s free app and get ready to be wowed. Welcome to the fun, Shopkicker!

If you’re as social media savvy as you are shopping savvy, join us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for daily shopping fun.

Image courtesy pressmaster

The best retail coupon apps for shoppers in 2018

Posted on January 26, 2018 by Kick Writers

I can still remember the day, or maybe it was a night, that I swore off paper coupons. It was Thanksgiving a few years back, and I had the usual mound of flyers full of crazy Black Friday deals that my family was about to go chase spread all over my kitchen table. I had just wiped everything down and cleaned up following another exhausting Thanksgiving dinner marathon.

I was sitting out there with a cup of chamomile tea, clipping out coupon after coupon and stacking them up, when tragedy struck: my boys came running through and the wind from their chase blew my stack of thin paper coupons all over the floor. Right then and there I decided I’d had enough. And you know what? I’ve never looked back.

It’s not that I quit using coupons all together, it’s just that I started using the best retail coupon apps instead. These are, of course, operated entirely from my phone or other devices, which means even my boys can’t create enough chaos to disrupt them! I absolutely love using these apps, but more than that, I love the money they save me. Honestly, the best retail coupon apps these days save me even more money than my old paper coupons ever did.

Now, if you’re not familiar with the concept, let me explain how shopping apps work. Then I’ll give you a list of the best retail coupon apps and their top qualities—plus some examples you can download and use. How it works is simple, and even a little familiar for old coupon clippers like me. With the best retail coupon apps, you go to certain stores…and you earn points. You scan the barcodes of certain products…and you earn points. You buy certain products and snap a picture of your receipt…and—that’s right—you earn points! And then you trade those points in for cash or gift cards to your favorite stores.

See? Easy. There you have it, now you’re an expert. Now, without further delay, let’s look at the features of the best retail coupon apps.

Offers Opportunities to Earn Points in Many Ways:

Shopping is about more than just buying objects; it’s about going into the store, browsing the aisles, and learning about the items on your list so that you can make an educated decision at checkout. That’s why I firmly believe that the best retail coupon apps should give you points for more than just buying things. My favorite apps also give you points for scanning the barcodes of certain items, too. And, the absolute best apps even reward you just for walking into a store. It doesn’t get much better than that!

Rewards Points for Shopping Online:

Let’s face it, shopping has changed. It used to be that in order to buy the things you needed—clothes, laptops, music, food, and toiletries—you had to get up and leave your house. Well, as I think we all know, those days have ended. Now, you can buy practically anything online and have it dropped off at your door, sometimes that very same day! If you don’t find a coupon app that lets you easily earn money shopping online, you’re cheating yourself. The best retail coupon apps also reward you for online shopping, giving points for things such as visiting online stores, viewing select products, watching certain videos and, of course, making purchases. Make sure you get one of those.

Features a Vibrant Social Media Community:

Shopping isn’t the only thing that has migrated online in recent years. If you’re anything like me, you like to do a good deal of your socializing online. That time you spend on Instagram or Facebook can be put to good use thanks to my favorite retail coupon apps, because the best of the bunch offers a fun and vibrant online community where you can swap tips about how to use the app better to collect even more points. What do points add up to? Savings! Really, these feeds should feel like a party, where you’re not only sharing tips but also dishing about jokes and other details of your life. That way you’ll come back again and again!

Is Tons of Fun:

This last item might seem superfluous, but in my opinion, it’s actually the most important. Yes, the best retail coupon apps are all fun. Why is that so vital? Because when an app is fun to use, you’re actually going to want to use it, and the more you use a retail coupon app, the more points you get, and the better it ultimately is for your budget. Ideally, a coupon app will turn every trip to the store into a fun scavenger hunt for points. It’ll push you to top your previous scores and to find and choose those products that will boost your point total. You won’t have to remember to use it at the store. No, you’ll find yourself looking forward to it!

Ebates:

Ebates is free and it has a user-friendly design. The way this app works is that it gives you a certain amount of money back on the purchases that you make online, like 6% cash back at Macy’s or 3% cash back for certain categories on Amazon (warning: you might have to do some math!). One of my favorite things about Ebates is how fast you get your earnings. In fact, Ebates uses PayPal to give you money back within 48 hours. I know, super fast! Or, you can get your earnings back each quarter in the form of a paper check. It’s your choice with Ebates. One other thing that helps Ebates stand out is its seasonal pages, which list the best deals for two of my favorite days of the year: Black Friday and Cyber Monday. These pages are great sources for some of the best shopping deals offered online!

SavingStar:

SavingStar is a digital coupon app that pays users to shop at grocery and drugstores. More than 60,000 stores are part of SavingStar; they represent more than 100 retail chains. It’s generally free to use but beware: If an account is inactive for 180 straight days, they will charge a fee of $3.99. So, while it’s generally in line with our don’t-pay-for-an-app rule, the potential for it to cost you does exist. To take advantage of SavingStar, users either link their existing store loyalty cards to the app or submit receipts after they make purchases. The savings add up until users can eventually cash out through PayPal, Upromise, or in the form of Starbucks, iTunes, or AMC Theater gift codes. It is available for both Android and iPhone, but it doesn’t offer as many chances to win points as some of the other entries on our list.

SnipSnap:

This is another mobile coupon app, like SavingStar, but here users take pictures of printed coupons, which are then transformed into digital, mobile-ready coupons. That’s pretty fun. Users can also browse online directories and take advantage of coupons their friends have “snipped” as well. This one doesn’t exactly pay, although it is entirely free to use (nice!). Instead, users save money like a traditional coupon. The idea is that coupons can all be kept in one digital space, instead of some overflowing billfold. So, instead of accruing savings or earning points to trade in later, SnipSnap helps you save at the register.

Shopkick:

Shopkick is my favorite shopping rewards app—and it’s the only one on our list that embodies all six of the qualities we’re looking for in an app. It’s free, available for both iPhone and Android, filled with opportunities to earn points, and is eligible to be used online. It also has a social media network that I am 100 percent absolutely addicted to, and it’s so much fun that even my kids and husband have downloaded it! The app gives users points, called kicks, for doing things they’d be doing anyway, like making purchases, scanning barcodes, and even just walking into their favorite stores. How it works is incredibly simple and fun, too. Basically, it turns shopping into an actual game, like a scavenger hunt. And it’s really social. They keep a great community vibe on their social media, and users get awarded kicks when friends they refer sign up. Users trade in kicks to get paid in gift cards to stores they love to shop at—or for splurges, like a Starbucks treat. Shopkick is great for any and all budget-minded shoppers, whether they are looking for ways to spice up their time cruising the aisles or replace that outdated coupon habit.

So there you have it, my definitive list of retail shopping apps for iPhone and Android to bring in the savings.

But before I go, I do have one last piece of advice: hold on to that memory of the last time you were up late clipping coupons or had to dig through your purse for a coupon at checkout, or lost one you’d been saving forever. With these new apps, you won’t be experiencing any of that anymore. The new normal, in terms of the best retail coupon apps that pay you money, is that they work through your phone, which I’m sure you have with you when you go shopping anyway. The savings are bigger, the trips to the store are a lot of fun, and, maybe most importantly, it is just so much easier to stay organized!

The rewards program best practices that inspire customer engagement

Posted on January 25, 2018 by Kick Writers

There is no shortage of rewards programs available to customers in 2018; nearly every major retailer and brand has a rewards program in one form or another. However, the effectiveness of individual rewards programs varies when it comes to generating customer engagement.

While the vast majority of consumers, up to 75%, are more willing to shop with a brand that has a loyalty program, most of those consumers actively participate in very few of them on a consistent basis. While rewards may help incentivize a one-time buy, regular and recurring spending attributable to a rewards program is significantly harder to achieve. The brands that succeed at this marketing strategy are the ones that develop and follow a set of engaging rewards program best practices.

Best practices in a rewards program should attract consumers who will engage with your company or your brand; reward programs should not be used as one-time purchase drivers. Engaged and loyal consumers spend more money and spend more frequently. It’s no surprise, then, that about one-third of marketers use these programs specifically to drive engagement. If driving engagement is your primary goal, these five rewards program best practices must be included in your strategy as well.

Rewards Program Best Practice #2: Make it Free, Ditch the Fee

A free vs. fee-based rewards program is often a major consideration for companies launching a new customer rewards program. While free might drive high adoption rates, fee-based programs may be more likely to attract consumers who are truly dedicated to the brand or retailer. Additionally, a fee-based program can act as a revenue stream. Despite those on-paper benefits to the retailer or brand, however, free is best if your goal is customer engagement. We can explore why via this brief study of the most popular app-based rewards program in the US, My Starbucks Rewards.

Starbucks initially launched their rewards program in 2001 in the form of Starbucks Gold. For $25 a year, customers received 10% off each coffee order. This program never really caught on, however, and the company eventually decided to shutter it. In 2012, they launched a new free, phone-based program called My Starbucks Rewards. In the first year alone, the number of rewards members doubled compared to the previous program. That momentum has continued and the program is now one of the most downloaded brand-based apps in the world.

The company would not have seen this kind of wide-spread engagement had they continued with their fee-based version of the program. They were able to revive a failing rewards program model by:

Rewards Program Best Practice #4: Differentiate Discounts from Points

When designing your rewards program, avoid creating a transactional relationship with consumers. A transactional relationship is one where the customer is focused solely on an immediate, typically monetary-based, benefit driven by discounts; engaging them will be nearly impossible unless you consistently offer a lower price than your competitors.

It is important to recognize that discounts and deals are powerful motivators in gaining the attention of consumers; however, consider sectioning off discounts and special offers into their own unique space within the rewards program app.

Nike is a company that uses this strategy very well. The brand offers a rewards points program that includes a specific section for listing current deals and events. By dividing their app into two sections, rewards and discounts, they’re able to cater to multiple groups of consumers without having to create several campaigns on separate platforms.

Rewards Program Best Practice #5: Host Exclusive Benefit Events

One way to get a surge in adoption to your rewards program is to host an exclusive benefit event that encourages individuals to sign up for and engage with your program. Some options include offering higher point values or more opportunities to earn for a brief period of time. This leverages the idea of scarcity as once the extra benefit period is closed, it will be a lost opportunity.

Amazon capitalized on this exceptionally well with its Prime Day event, which it started three years ago. For one day a year, members of Amazon Prime were given access to exclusive offers and rewards. The company reported that they saw a 60% surge in sales during the most recent Prime Day event, which surpassed their sales from Black Friday and Cyber Monday in the previous year. The company also reported that more individuals joined Amazon Prime that day than on any other day in the history of the program. The company was able to achieve this level of engagement because they:

Follow Best Practices for Rewards Programs by Partnering with Third-Party Shopping Apps

Shopping apps improve customer engagement as they combine all the best practices while also exposing your brand or company to a new target audience. As these apps are designed to be used while a consumer is in the seemingly endless shopping aisle, you can gain greater engagement by communicating with the consumer as they’re shopping.

Partnering with a third-party app gives you the ability to leverage a mobile platform, focus on rewards over discounts, and offer multiple ways to earn and engage. They also allow you to bypass the process of adoption as they come with a built-in user base; you don’t have to spend your marketing budget developing your own proprietary app. If you’re looking for a way to easily implement the rewards program best practices outlined above, a third-party shopping app may be the best—and simplest—solution for both your company and your customers.

Purely Entertaining Apps That You Won’t Believe Exist

Sharknado: The Video Game

The Brostache

iSteam

Is It Dark Outside?

Game for Cats

Entertaining, Money Making Apps That You Won’t Believe Exist

Mobee

Shopkick

Viggle

The best retail apps for 2018 for tech-savvy shoppers

The Best Retail Apps 2018: Store Branded

Amazon:

Apple Store:

Nordstrom:

Best Buy:

Target:

The Best Retail Apps 2018: Getting Rewards and Savings

Shopkick:

Checkout 51:

SavingStar:

SnipSnap:

Pennyful:

Grocery Coupon Apps for Android

The Best Grocery Coupon App: Androids and iPhones Make Shopping Easier

Mobile app marketing: strategies to generate the highest ROI

Increasing Opting-In by Offering Better Apps

Targeted:

Useful:

Technologically sound:

Encouraging Regular Use of Your Mobile App

Use strategically timed reminders:

Make it fun:

Offer a challenge:

Don’t be disruptive:

Engaging Existing Users for Growth

Offer referral bonuses:

Create social media events:

Recognize your most influential users:

Taking a Feature-First Approach to Mobile App Marketing

Offering a Third-Party App to Your Customers

Reach new market segments:

Increased value from existing customers:

Reduce reliance on discounts:

Use multiple marketing methods:

Encourage extended use with variety:

Leverage timely notifications:

Adapt for offline and online shopping:

Cater to regular shoppers:

The Basics: Using Coupon Apps for Fast Food

Coupon Apps for Fast Food Discounts

Rewards-based Apps for Fast Food Discounts

Making the Most of Your Coupon App for Fast Food

Top Apps for Making Cash No. 1: Pact

Top Apps for Making Cash No. 2: AppTrailers

Top Apps for Making Cash No. 3: Shopkick

Men Know Their Expectations This Year

Moms Still Wanna Have Fun

Hopelessly in Love With You

Need Some V-Day Inspiration?

How Game-Like Shopping Apps for Android Work

Having Fun with Shopping Apps for Android

5 video advertising statistics for 2018 shaping mobile marketing

Video Advertising Statistic #1: Long is Good, Just Not for Everyone

The viewing platform:

Competition:

Content type:

Video Advertising Statistic #2: Personalization Makes Viral Videos Possible

A multifaceted video approach:

Provided interesting content:

Offered value:

Video Advertising Statistic #3: Incentivizing Users with Rewarded Video

Paywall bypasses:

Shopping app rewards:

In-game advertisements:

Video Advertising Statistic #4: Interactive Mobile Video Content

Encouraging active viewing:

Building on a multimedia platform:

Focused ad targeting:

Video Advertising Statistic #5: Mobile Makes the Difference in Conversion