A loyal consumer is invaluable to brands which is why some companies reward customers for loyalty. This infographic published by Get Satisfaction shows what users expect out of company loyalty programs and new ways companies can offer incentives — including offering social rewards.

Supermarket loyalty programs, airline frequent flier clubs and credit card incentive programs are some of the most popular loyalty programs, but there are a number of reasons that users steer clear. Programs with too much junk mail and spam were rejected by 44 percent of users surveyed; programs with too many restrictions were rejected by 38 percent and 37 percent of users rejected rewards because they didn’t have much value.

Because the social media space is constantly expanding, social rewards are a growing option for many companies. Some of the most popular incentives are check-in based rewards on services like Foursquare and Gowalla. Aside from the discounts users can receive when checking in to participating venues, users can also earn badges as it adds a game element to their experience. User generated contests, like video contests for commercials that can be carried out through popular services like YouTube also encourage customer interaction. Finally, crowdsourcing ideas on platforms like Twitter and Facebook is an excellent way to find out what loyal customers actually want.

Check out the infographic below and click on the image to view the full size.