by MelanieD | Jan 15, 2017 | Blog
Customers. Clients. Patrons. Supporters. Members. Donors. The lifeblood of a successful business or organization is made of this group of consumers who believe in your product or service or cause. For without them, we are merely spinning our wheels.
We all understand the importance of expressing our thanks and appreciation to our customers every day, but why not take advantage of Get to Know Your Customers Day to show a little extra love? Get to Know Your Customers Day is celebrated every January, April, July, and October. What can you do to say thank you to your customers? Here are three ideas for you to consider.
Create a Loyalty Program to Show your Appreciation
Super gifts for “SuperFans.” You know them, the repeat customers. The ones who are totally loyal to you. How can you say thanks for their loyalty? One way is to offer a Loyalty Program. This can look like a discount on a product or service, or a gift with purchase, or an exclusive sample or free trial. Have you ever experienced a situation where the business you frequently visit only offers discounts to new patrons? How did that make you feel? Putting ourselves in the place of our customers can provide a different outlook on discounts and rewards. Don’t alienate your loyal customers—it took a lot of hard work to get them in the first place, so give them a little something to say thanks for stopping by, again and again. Perhaps on these days, you can create a special offering just for them!
Have a Party for all your Customers
Who doesn’t love a party? Invite your customers, yes, all of them, to an Open House. A no-strings-attached, get-to-know-us-and-the-staff, enjoy-some-light-refreshments, bring-your-friend, party. That’s a mouthful, but you get the idea. Give your customers an opportunity to know your business a little better, without feeling pressure to buy anything at all. Perhaps you can give away a door prize, or offer party favors with samples of your product. Your customers will leave the event loving you even more than ever.
Write Thank You Notes
Depending on how many customers you have, that may be easier said than done. If your customer list is smaller, you may be able to hand write thank you notes alone, or with the help of a Virtual Assistant or a service like Send Out Cards. Or you can send a thank you email campaign with a link to claim a free thank you gift. Additionally, you can switch up your social media sites with thank you cover photos (this is ALWAYS a great idea!). Sometimes, just saying these two simple words can mean so much.
There are many other ways to express your appreciation to your customers and get to know them better. You know your customers and clients better than anyone. Use your best judgement and find a way to thank them on Get to Know Your Customers Day. You’ll be glad you did.
![Your October Holiday and Marketing Planner is here!]()
by MelanieD | Sep 26, 2016 | Blog, email marketing
Use this list of holidays, month-long themes, and stats to inspire new email and social media marketing campaign ideas for October. Enjoy!
![Your October Holiday and Marketing Planner is here!]()
by MelanieD | May 23, 2016 | Blog, email, email marketing
Use this list of holidays, month-long themes, and stats to inspire new email and social media marketing campaign ideas for June. Enjoy!
![[Worksheet] 20 Writing Prompts for Quick and Creative Non-promotional Emails](https://www.melaniediehl.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/20-prompts.png)
by MelanieD | Apr 18, 2016 | Blog, Constant Contact, email, email marketing
Your customers want more than promotional emails from your retail business.
Are you giving them tips to use your product effectively? Have you introduced them to the people behind your business? When was the last time you asked them for feedback?
To drive sales with email marketing, go beyond self-promotion; look for ways to provide value and build customer relationships.
But even if you want to send a non-promotional email, how do you know what to send?
We get it. Sometimes coming up with an idea is the hardest part.
If you’re stuck, use these 20 writing prompts as inspiration.
Download your writing prompt worksheet to get started right away!
And check out a few examples from other small businesses:
Provide a “how-to” tutorial
Orange Cycle, Orlando, Florida
Provide a gift guide
The Basketry, Luling, Louisiana
Highlight your social media profiles
Art Impressions, Salem, Oregon
Syndicated from the Constant Contact Blog ➞ [Worksheet] 20 Writing Prompts for Quick and Creative Non-promotional Emails
by MelanieD | Jul 21, 2015 | Blog
This is a picture of my real junk drawer. *Notice the plastic baggie full of flash lights, key chains and pens–all from the same company, hoping I’ll call them someday. And the can koozies hiding among the phone charger and batteries.* Admit it, you have a junk drawer, too: the one filled with odds and ends of promotional pens, stress balls, and notepads. Maybe you picked up these items at a business expo or local event. Maybe you even used it. Or maybe it just got tossed into the junk drawer. As business owners, we understand these items all have a place in marketing, but the important question is this: do you have a complete, comprehensive marketing strategy in place for your promotional products?
One of the most effective uses of promotional products I have seen is a simple fly swatter. But what takes this fly swatter from ordinary to extraordinary is that it is branded by an exterminating company and given to new homeowners who are making that all important decision: who do I call for “fill-in-the-blank.” This is marketing branded promotional products with a clear purpose!
Some other smart uses of smart uses of promotional products I’ve seen include:
- The sponsor of a beer garden at an outdoor festival uses branded stadium cups. Each time a consumer purchases a new beer, a new cup is offered. I actually saw some event attendees collecting their cups like it was a trophy!
- A home security company provides key fobs to new homeowners in a welcome basket provided by the Real Estate agent. This is a double benefit, as the homeowner has his keys in his hand every day, and the home security company is being endorsed by the Realtor®, someone the homeowner has come to trust explicitly.
- For B2B companies, a local printer offers mints in a branded tin. Every time the business owner heads into a meeting, she pops a breath mint, and sees the printers logo.
In a nutshell, consider these thoughts when creating a promotional product marketing campaign, just as you would any other marketing campaign. Understand the objective. Is the goal of your promotional campaign to build brand awareness? Boost sales? Show customer appreciation? Knowing the answer at the start will help you to proceed in the right direction with your promo campaign. Your item could: spark a conversation, be useful, make people smile, create trust, or solve a problem.
So, even if it’s just a fun new twist on your promotional can koozie or water bottle label, can you think of ways to use these ideas in your next promotional product marketing campaign, that won’t end up in someone else’s junk drawer?
