I’m above average. I just counted up 18 loyalty program cards and apps—four more than most Americans. (And if it’s true that at least half of people’s memberships are inactive, I’m above average there, too.)

It’s become accepted as knowledge that loyalty programs increase sales and customer retention—nearly 80% of shoppers say they’re more likely to buy from a company with a program. Like any tactic, though, loyalty programs need to be strategically designed and thoughtfully enacted if they’re going to be recognized as valuable by your customers and generate a return for you.

If you award points for purchases, can you give them away for Instagram posts, recruiting a friend, sharing an offer, leaving a review or filling out a survey? Think about what’s meaningful for your business and assign a value to it.

Interestingly, analysis by Harvard Business Review found that loyalty programs don’t necessarily encourage big spenders—or even most spenders—to spend more. In fact, they just offer discounts to people who would buy anyway. Instead, the greatest revenue bumps came from:

• Consolidation of purchases by people who previously bought items from multiple competitors
• Upgrades to more expensive versions of products members had bought before

Leveraging insights like these requires knowing more about a consumer than their purchase history.

Open your arms to zero-party data

Privacy concerns and regulations are fueling a drive toward zero-party data—information you collect directly. After all, anything consumers disclose is free, accurate and 100% compliant. A loyalty program is the ideal platform for gathering personal information. Consumers are happy to populate sign-up and checkout surveys, email preference centers, quizzes and games, and social media polls for the promise of a more personalized experience or something in return.

Combined with first-party email, web and shopping behavior data, zero-party info can give you a pretty good picture of what a customer wants. But you have to deliver. For example, in addition to my actual purchase, Sephora Beauty Insider lets me shop free samples so they have first-party visibility into what I might try next. That’s something. Once they add the birthday, skin type and deepest, darkest concerns I’ve revealed in my profile, it’s pretty easy to figure out I’ll jump at a deal on well-reviewed retinol.

Look beyond purchase history and dollar signs

Certainly, increasing purchase value and frequency and keeping customers from turning to the competition are the primary reasons for creating any program. But there are other ways loyalty strategies can add value, such as bringing in new customers or generating community buzz. And, while its impact is harder to measure, member data can underpin overall sales and marketing optimization efforts.

As you craft your program, think about how you can reward members for behaviors that support your brand. If, for example, you award points for purchases, can you give them away for Instagram posts, recruiting a friend, sharing an offer, leaving a review or filling out a survey? Think about what’s meaningful for your business and assign a value to it.

If you ask for data, use it

Look at what you know (or what you’d like to know) and think about how you can use it.

• Preferences = Exclusive products, presales, virtual events, private communities
• Birthday = One-week-only discount
• Purchase history = Offers on higher-value versions or go-withs for past purchases
• Survey completion, referrals or social engagement = Points toward purchases or membership tiers

Just remember to think like a customer. If they need to spend a ton of cash to get a miniscule perk, they’ll see through it. (You may hold onto a punch card to get your 11th smoothie free, but not the 51st.) On the other hand, using data to offer clear, attainable, relevant rewards will take your brand—and consumers’ trust in it—much further.