An Open Letter to Companies Regarding Social Media Free Point Promotions
There have been a rash of free point social media campaigns lately and many have come to an ugly or disgraceful end, so I feel it is my duty to write a letter to anyone who is considering a free points social media campaign.
Dear hotels, airlines and other companies who want to give out free points via Facebook, Twitter or any other social media outlet,
People love free stuff - especially points. If you offer free points, they will come ... in masses. Please don't be surprised! While you may want to only target a small population of loyal fans, doing so via Facebook or Twitter is inappropriate and delusional. If you want to target a small population, feel free to do so via a traditional mailing so you have complete control over who gets it. The entire point of social media is so people can share information. Please, please, please do not be surprised when people share your great promotion with their friends. And those people share with their friends and their friends share with bloggers. It's the way things work these days.
Secondly, when your promotion inevitably gets out of control, don't blame it on the people who responded. They acted how you wanted, so the only right thing to do is live up to your end of the bargain. It may be a hit on your bottom line, but your reputation is as risk. Bad things will spread about your brand just as quickly as word spread about your great promotion. People do not like their time to be wasted, so save yourself the hassle and frustration and pony up when you realize you made a boo-boo.
To sum it up, we want more free points and ways to interact with your brand via social media, however you need to become a little bit more strategic about execution. Don't learn the hard way like the Hampton Inn Boston Raynham who was a pioneer in the art of bungled social media campaigns!
With that said, we still await the next opportunity to show you a little social media love for some free points!
In utter anticipation,
The Points Guy
TPG featured card
at Bilt's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 1X | Choose to earn up to 1X points on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee |
| 2X | Earn 2X points + the option to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday purchases |
Pros
- Choice to earn up to 1 Bilt Point per dollar spent on rent and mortgage payments
- Elevated everyday earnings with both Bilt Points and the option to earn Bilt Cash
- $400 Bilt Travel Portal hotel credit per year (up to $200 biannually)
- $200 Bilt Cash annually
- Priority Pass membership
- No foreign transaction fees
Cons
- Moderate annual fee
- Designed primarily for members seeking a premium, all-in-one card
- Earn points on housing with no transaction fee
- Choose to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday spend. Use Bilt Cash to unlock point earnings on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee, up to 1X.
- 2X points on everyday spend
- $400 Bilt Travel Hotel credit. Applied twice a year, as $200 statement credits, for qualifying Bilt Travel Portal hotel bookings.
- $200 Bilt Cash (awarded annually). At the end of each calendar year, any Bilt Cash balance over $100 will expire.
- Welcome bonus (subject to approval): 50,000 Bilt Points + Gold Status after spending $4,000 on everyday purchases in the first 90 days + $300 of Bilt Cash.
- Priority Pass ($469/year value). See Guide to Benefits.
- Bilt Point redemptions include airlines, hotels, future rent and mortgage payments, Lyft rides, statement credits, student loan balances, a down payment on a home, and more.