To say things are uncertain right now would be an understatement. More than anything, we hope you, your loved ones and your communities are staying safe and healthy.
While we don’t have a magic crystal ball to show the future (we wish we did), we can predict that consumers, now more than ever, will be leaning into their favorite products and brands, especially those where they feel a sense of community. With this in mind, customer acquisition can’t be your brand’s only bread and butter—if you’re not putting time and effort into customer retention, you’re leaving revenue on the table.
We’re guessing you may have some extra time on your hands, and now is the perfect opportunity to buckle down on your customer retention strategies. Here are some ideas to get your wheels turning on how you can lead your current customers to buy again (and again).
Immediately after their first purchase:
Once the customer’s first purchase has arrived at their doorstep, send them an email with tips on how to begin using the product, how to care for the product, or other applicable advice. Aim to provide value here rather than sell—you’ll focus more on that soon.
Once a week or two has passed (or however long it takes to “break in” the product) follow up with another email that asks how they’re liking their purchase. Offer them a customer service contact should they have any questions, and prompt them to share a review or follow you on social media. Then highlight other products from your inventory that may pair well with the product they’ve purchased (i.e: “You’re loving our pumpkin pie candle? Create the perfect ambience by adding our gingerbread candles.”) It’s a win-win-win--you’ve gained a review, follow, cross-sell, or ideally a combination of all three.
When they’re ready to restock:
If your product is restockable (such as food, personal care items, etc.) follow up with the consumer when they’ve likely run out. Catch their attention with something like “Uh-oh—have you run out of [awesome product]? Looks like it’s time to restock…” Here’s another opportunity to up-sell them on other products too. “You loved our chocolate smoothie mix, now try out our strawberry flavor…”
Now’s also a great time to advertise an auto-delivery service if one exists for your site.
Bonus: If you sell items that are frequently gifted, such as champagne or jewelry, follow up with purchasers on a one-year cadence to remind them to buy the same gift again or a complimentary gift. It’s a smart way to reactivate those who shop yearly for an anniversary, birthday, etc.
Any time after their first purchase:
Here’s your moment to leverage those awesome recipe or content videos you’ve created. Plug these into YouTube and Facebook ads and target past purchasers. Focus more on value than on selling here, and excite your audience into buying your product again so they can try out all these ideas you’ve given them.
If you have purchasers who buy the same product or type of product frequently, surprise them with an email promo code offering them a discount or a BOGO deal for the next time they buy. This also works to re-engage someone who used to purchase with you but hasn’t in a while.
If you know your customers’ birthdays, send them an exclusive offer or promo code during the week of their birthday.
Keeping frequent customers loyal:
Once you’ve activated your current customers to purchase again and become stronger loyalists to your brand, it’s time to show them how much you appreciate them. Besides sending them birthday offers and surprise email promos for the items they love, another unique and memorable way to inspire loyalty is to give them a surprise gift with their next order. If you’re selling art supplies and a customer consistently stocks up on watercolor paint sets, place a new brush set into their shipment with a note thanking them for being a part of your brand family. A bonus benefit of a tactic like this is that a pleased customer is likely to post about the experience on social media, which will inspire other folks in your customer roster to purchase more frequently in hopes that they’ll get a surprise gift, too. This works especially well if you have a strong community centered around your brand—think merchandise for a sports team or band.
And there you have it—put these strategies into place and you’ll have a retention journey that provides value to your consumer, encourages them to shop with you again and ultimately turns them into brand loyalists. (Psst: now is also a great time to ask them for a video testimonial that you can use in your acquisition funnel!)
Show that you care for your buyer and recognize their unique needs, and you’ll create a strong community—something that’s needed now more than ever.
With folks around the world staying indoors and choosing online shopping over brick-and-mortars, now is the time to double down on your digital marketing strategies. We’re seeing paid media stay strong with our clients, and are happy to talk more strategies to support your brand during these uncertain times. Schedule a complimentary, sales-pitch-free, 30-minute strategy session with us:
