The following is a guest post. The opinions are those of the author.

We people are surrounded by many relationships. But there is a relation which is more precious than anything in this world. Yes! We are talking about a “brother-sister relationship.” It’s the special bond which is inseparable and just can’t be described in a couple of words. Right? As Raksha Bandhan is approaching, so it’s the right time to appreciate the beauty of this relationship. Brother and sister, both are linked with buzzwords like love, duty and friendship. On this day, a sister ties a sacred thread of beautiful Rakhi on her brother’s wrist whereas a brother promises to protect her from the evils of life. Girls! God has bestowed the fantastic person in your life in the form of a brother who understands your every single feeling, keep your secrets safe and love you unconditionally. There is no one like him. Right? Celebrate your brother’s presence in your life on the special occasion of Raksha Bandhan. But how? In such case, nothing can beat the excellence of gifts. But the gift should be the one which matches his interests. So, if your brother loves to travel and discovering new places, then this article is for you. We have listed the best travel gift that your brother will like to receive. So, what are you waiting for?

Backpack

For a travel freak bro, a backpack is one of the basic essentials that will help him to keep his travel-related stuff, all at once place in an organized manner. A durable, sturdy and completely waterproof backpack will be the perfect companion on his every trip. Make the right pick to stun your brother! Bring a carry-on-backpack which is comfortable to wear so that he can enjoy his next tour to a new place in a fantastic way.

Bluetooth Headphone

Such a gadget is the most-picked travel gift option that will help you to come out of the silence and boring aura. It is an ideal gift option for the person with an active lifestyle. A Bluetooth headphone having the impeccable sound quality is the right way to make your brother feel special on the special occasion of Raksha Bandhan. This year, send Rakhi online with this fabulous present and we are sure that he will be going to love this.

Travel Shoes

This is what your brother needs! Make his travel experience more exciting with a pair of shoes. Buy travel shoes in a style that’s right for your brother. But, make sure that it should be comfortable as well as completely waterproof, which means water and dirt can easily roll off. A lightweight and flexible shoe will surely give him comfort and make his travel experience more exciting.

Travel Gift Cards

Bring a travel card from a trustworthy site and gift it to your brother on the beautiful occasion of Raksha Bandhan. If you really want to give your brother an unforgettable travel experience, then this gift is perfect for him. All you need to do to do is to buy a gift card offering the best services around the world. Gift cards are the answer to all travel-related surprises for a brother who loves to discover new places. Such a gift from your side will definitely make him feel wow.

A Travel T-Shirt

Let the world know; you are a sister of a travel freak brother. This Raksha Bandhan, don’t limit your celebration just tying a Rakhi. Gift your brother a travel t-shirt which can excite him at once and make him ready for another great travel experience. To add more sweetness to the occasion, you can also avail the cake delivery at his doorstep from an online cake store and bring a surprising twist to the day. When you pair this sweet delight with a cool travel t-shirt, then he will be super happy.

The above-listed travel gifts are amazing and sure to make your brother’s traveling experience, a fun loving. So, what are you waiting for? Garb such amazing presents to bring a cute smile on his face.

Next to earning customers in your retail business is to make them stay. That is where customer loyalty building becomes necessary. Unfortunately, according to a study, acquiring a new customer is six to seven times costlier than keeping an existing one. Hence, as a businessman, you have to try all means to retain your loyalty base.

Naturally in business, you have to give reasons for your customers to stay; once you give them what they really want, they will not think of leaving. One of the many convenient means to retain customers is through incentives in the form of gift cards – something you may often notice near a store’s cash registers. A study from US Prepaid has found out that more than half of the consumer population preferred gift cards over other incentive kinds like bonus bucks or coupons. That said, if business owners only study their customers by heart and provide what they really want, it is like giving them an exceptional experience, making room for a more strengthened customer loyalty base.

Here is how you can boost customer loyalty using gift cards:

1. Gift cards as gift to loyal customers on special occasions

It is mainly about how you take care and value your loyal customers. The good news is gift cards are a great tool that can help you with that while you work within your budget especially if your business is still building its brand. For instance, although you can sell gift cards too, you can also customize your customer loyalty program by giving gift cards to your loyal customers on special occasions like birthday, Christmas, etc. The number of customers in your loyalty program multiplied by the gift card value does not really hurt when compared to giving them regular gifts or fixed discount percentage that can actually cost more.

Even  if it is an online business you own, you can still incorporate gift cards into your loyalty program. All you have to do is make your gift cards access-ready through your website or mobile app. Your customers will surely be pleased knowing that all it takes are a few taps towards an incentive they deserve.

2. Gift cards in partnership with other companies

To increase customer loyalty, you can work together with other companies that offer complementary product or service to yours. For instance, if you have a jewelery store, you may want to partner with a restaurant and give or sell gift cards that can benefit both businesses. That way, customer loyalty may be doubled as the customer base expands resulting in a win-win for both of the businesses, i.e. increased sales and more discounts for the customers.

Take Merrell and Subaru for example. One day, Subaru presented to sponsor Merrell’s Down and Dirty National Mud and Obstacle Series, offering $100 gift card to every customer of Merrell who wants to take a test drive. It went out to be a successful partnership, driving traffic to both companies while introducing consumers from and to each other.

3. Gift cards as seasonal gifts

Studies have shown that because receivers are graced with the freedom to choose the item they really want, more and more people are now thrilled over gift cards than with regular gifts. And over the years, business owners have learned to take advantage of this. Oftentimes, gift cards are placed near cash registries as customers tend to simply pick cards up upon checkout.

Gift cards naturally have a personal touch especially when gifted with a handwritten note. This makes it a perfect present especially when one does last-minute gift shopping. Because of it, it is no surprise how more retailers are adding gift cards into their holiday marketing strategies as these naturally boost customer engagement and loyalty. A lot of businesses are even offering gift cards instead of discount coupons for purchases made during holidays or special occasions. If you look at it from afar, you will realize that opting for gift cards make great savings when compared to offering discount percentages as the latter can be pretty costly when a customer has large purchases.

4.  Gift cards to serve both as a gift and a discount coupon

Gifts in the form of gift cards are heart-warming in nature. What more if these include discount coupons? An extra 15-20% discount if the gift card is used perhaps? A customer who receives that will most likely find it hard to ignore such an offer. That is what many retailers apply nowadays. They make use of gift cards with discount coupons to lure customers to visit the physical store.

5. Gift cards to lessen tensions in complaints

Many business owners maintain customer loyalty by offering gift cards to disappointed customers – those who encountered issues on the product or the transaction itself. Gift cards make a great token for apology for the inconvenience the incident may have caused. But of course, make sure you still offer a resolution.

6. Gift cards to boost brand awareness

Marketing campaigns are generally aiming to increase brand awareness but did you know that it can improve customer loyalty base too? Take the company “Sweetgreen” for example. Sweetgreen made use of gift cards in their marketing stunt entitled “Random Acts of Sweetness”. It sent out gift cards to people who showed an act of kindness and even went the extra mile by doing good deeds, putting shower caps over bike seats and attaching a gift card underneath each seat.  

You can actually do the same by gifting gift cards to those who can send photos of themselves using or wearing your product or services.

Gift cards – a must try!

Although gift cards are targeted to sell best during last-minute gift shopping for birthdays, holidays, and special occasions in between, they are also great as occasional gifts too. With a lot of customers wanting excellent brand experience and customer service, making use of gift cards to value loyal customers aside from boosting brand awareness, is definitely a great move. Gift cards may be small in size but these small incentives do wonder in making customers to come back for more.