How To Turn One-Off Black Friday Shoppers Into Lifelong Customers

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are unique and interesting times in terms of purchases. A customer’s main objective during this time will often just be to get the best deal out there, and if they have bought from you they may have paid very little attention to who your company even is. What this means is that although it’s great that you pulled in these bargain shoppers in the first place, that unfortunately they might forget about your brand entirely if you don’t keep them interested.

Turning these Black Friday and Cyber Monday shoppers into repeat customers doesn’t have to be a costly task, and can significantly affect your retention records and the profitability of each customer. Over time this means that customers will not only cost you less to acquire and buy more from you, they will hopefully develop an authentic connection to your brand and become positive advocates over time.

So in the aftermath of these significant shopping dates let’s look at a few effective ways to help you make this transition.

Get in touch soon

Email is a great way to touch base with your customers. But how do you develop a meaningful relationship right from the get go? A welcome email is a great way to tell seasonal shoppers more about your brand and can kick off the nurturing process with new customers, acclimating them to your brand. We recommend waiting a few days after the sales for the dust to settle so your email doesn’t get lost amongst a hectic and full inbox. It might also be tempting to blast new customers with another promotion right away, however by doing this you may endanger building a worthwhile relationship as they will simply associate your brand with being discounted and will be disappointed when the majority of the time you don’t have sales on. Therefore, it’s better to be realistic and instead sell the USPs of your brand to them to keep them engaged, and then treat them to more promotions at a later date.

Exceed customer expectations

Standing out during Black Friday and Cyber Monday will be difficult as anyone and everyone will be pushing their special deals. What you do to make yourself stand out afterwards however can stand you in good stead to be remembered and get that repeat custom. So what can you do to exceed customer expectations during the crucial few days and weeks after the sales have died down? Many opportunities can come from providing the best customer support and here’s a few ways to do this:

Send a thankyou note or email. Handwritten notes are always going to look the most personal however an email can be just as effective especially if it is personalised for them.
Provide a quick service. Nothing is going to put a customer off your business more than if they need to contact you with a question or issue and you are slow with a response. This is a crucial time for you to make sure staff are aware that emails, live chat, social and all means of communication with you are closely being monitored to reply quickly and efficiently.
Anticipate the issues. Why not be proactive and email your customer to check that everything was okay with their order? Most companies will wait for customers to contact them when they have an issue or question. A sure-fire way for you to stand out is by being proactive. Ask customers if they need help assembling the product, how their experience has been with you or if they have any concerns. This is also a perfect opportunity to gather some positive testimonials.

Start a customer loyalty program

A loyalty program is a great way to encourage customer retention. An effective program can then quickly turn into a customer acquisition tool down the line with customer referrals and positive word of mouth. Given that we are considering one-time holiday shoppers though, you may have to consider a highly attractive incentive to get these customers on board. There are endless options here: Another discount on a product, an upgrade, a free complimentary gift for the customer starting their membership. Loyalty programs are a great way to engage your active customers and prevent these new ones from slipping away.

Embrace the power of social

Social media is a current way to keep your brand active and reach customers outside of your website and the emails you send them. By using paid advertisements and remarketing on the likes of Facebook and LinkedIn you can increase the likelihood of getting repeat custom.

Here are a few social advert ideas:

New product announcements. If you’ve added a new product to your store that Black Friday and Cyber Monday shoppers might be interested in, create an ad to let them know.
A new discount or sale. If you’re having a hard time getting a seasonal customer’s attention after a few weeks, this is the perfect time and channel to offer a new discount.
Create interesting content. Create a unique advert which is going to a grab holiday shopper’s attention again. This can be something lighthearted, maybe a video or infographic, something that they are going to want to click on Facebook and then get re-acquainted with your brand from there.

Remember each purchase from your business should be seen as an opportunity whether it is from a seasonal shopper or not. So are you ready to turn these shoppers into lifelong customers? We hope so!

AIM Members can find brandable E-flyers for Black Friday and Cyber Monday HERE.

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