Showing your appreciation and love to customers is important, no matter what time of the year. A small gesture or recognition can build long-term customer loyalty. Here are 6 ways that you can express your gratitude to customers and make them feel valued.
1. Send Custom Designed and Printed Thank You Cards
Who doesn’t love receiving a card in the mail? Design and send custom thank you cards to your customers to go the extra mile. Make it easy on you and your staff by designing and printing branded thank you cards in bulk that you can personalize on the inside with a short, handwritten note. Make sure to include their name or the name of their business to show they are unique, and talk about how they made an impact on your day and your business. As an added bonus and thank you, include a discount for their next transaction!
2. Give Branded Promo Gifts
If you want to be remembered for giving your customer something special, send them branded promotional products! This way, every time they see or use your gift, they will remember the kind gesture. A few popular promotional items you can gift are:
- Tumblers
- Mugs
- Calendars
- Reusable bags
- Note pads
Pro tip: Combine multiple promo products into a bundle for an added “wow” factor to your gift.
3. Highlight Customers in Marketing Materials
Highlighting your customers within marketing materials shows that you value their business and are willing to showcase them to others. Here are a few personalized ways you can spotlight customers:
- Place a photo of your customer with a positive testimonial or review on your website or blog. You can go a step further by dedicating a whole blog post to telling a story about the great business partnership you had with a customer and what it took to do business together.
- If you have a catalog that highlights your products or services, add the work you’ve completed for them in the catalog along with their business logo and contact information (website, phone number, social media pages).
- Highlight top customers and their business success in your email newsletters. When writing about your top customers, focus on telling a story that will be interesting and inspiring to your readers. Include details about their business, how they use your products or services, and any challenges they faced and how they overcame them.
Remember: Make sure you get permission from the customer you would like to highlight before putting them or their business in any marketing materials. You want to make sure they are comfortable and approve any messaging and imagery that you create.
4. Recognize Customers on Social Media
Recognizing a customer on your social media platforms gives them and their business more exposure. This could get people interested in checking out their website or social media channels. Here are a few ways to show some appreciation on social media:
- Share customer reviews or testimonials. Sharing customer reviews or testimonials on social media shows that you value the opinions of your customers.
- Share customer photos. If a customer has shared a photo of themselves using your product or at your business, ask their permission to share the photo on your social media channels.
- Tag customers in posts. If you are mentioning a customer or featuring them in a post, be sure to tag them so that they can see it and easily cross-promote it on their social channels. This can help to create a sense of community and show that you value your customers.
- Share customer stories. Consider featuring a customer in a spotlight or story on your social media channels. Make this fun and engaging by adding in some fun facts or recording a short video with them to express the value of your partnership.
Remember: Ask your customer for permission before sharing any content on social media out of respect for their privacy.
5. Create a Loyalty Program
Loyalty programs are designed to reward and retain customers by offering incentives for their continued business. Reward your customers for continuing to invest in your brand and increase your customer loyalty by implementing these programs:
- Points-based program. In a points-based loyalty program, customers earn points for making purchases or engaging with the business. These points can then be redeemed for rewards such as discounts, free products, or special experiences.
- Tier-based program. In a tier-based loyalty program, customers are placed into different tiers based on their level of purchases or engagement with your business. The higher the tier, the more rewards and perks your customer is eligible to receive.
- Partnership-based program. In a partnership-based loyalty program, you can partner with other businesses to offer additional rewards and perks to customers.
- Birthday/Anniversary Discounts. Give a special discount to your customers on their birthday or anniversary to make them feel celebrated. Creating a customer anniversary date can be a fun way to connect and celebrate how long you have been in partnership.
6. Listen to Customer Feedback
By listening to your customers, you build trust and credibility by learning more about their needs and preferences. This will also increase customer satisfaction and loyalty. Show you value their opinion by asking for their feedback and acting on their suggestions.
At PostNet, we love our customers! For a small, locally-owned business, customers are the lifeblood of our company and we are lucky to closely partner with people in our community. Visit your local PostNet to start brainstorming, designing, customizing, and printing your own customer appreciation gifts. We would love to help!
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