Price is the quick fix that many seasoned brand managers avoid because they strategically made sound decisions when setting product, price, place and promotional plans and know they have hundreds of options when giving customers additional incentives to buy. Instead they focus on “which of our customer’s needs can we profitably meet, and will that differentiate us from our competition?” With some creative thinking, you can keep customers engaged and happy without a massive marketing budget. We can also learn from loyalty programs that take care to reward desirable behaviours and exchange value – not give something for nothing or erode value. And don’t overlook the simple, but powerful things – like saying “thank you” with each purchase. Here’s a helpful list of over 30 ideas to kick-start a brainstorming session on attracting new or retaining existing customers.
30+ customer appreciation / incentive ideas
- Thank you / Appreciation goes a long way
- Birthday wishes, Special Milestone Celebrations (e.g. new baby, graduation, etc.) or Customer Anniversary recognition (we’ve been together 2 years!)
- Meet & Greets – Do you have subject matter experts customers would love? (Meet the buyer, connoisseur, taster, mascot, engineer, historian, advisor, etc.)
- Expert advice / tips – Consider the gift of knowledge – would your best customers value a more personalized experience while purchasing, or even post-purchase tips (How to best care for….)
- Exclusive contests / sweepstakes
- Exclusive events
- The first to know – tell your best customers about something new first
- The first to access / try – give your best customers first dibs on new products or advance registrations
- Insider Insights – give customers exclusive insights / behind the scene access
- Status levels – adapt “gaming” insights to recognize and “unlock” various loyalty levels as you segment your customers (Gold, Silver – you’ve seen many examples). You can also come up with creative ways to increase service to your VIP members that don’t cost anything, such as letting VIPs board the plane first, reserved seating, etc.
- Special Days – encourage customers to shop on special days or recently I’ve seen pandemic “special hours”.
- Free delivery over a certain spending amount, another popular COVID perk
- Free bags (walking billboards) for your purchases in-store
- Free returns may also be an option if you have for example restocking fees or stores like Winners provide extended returns dates (e.g. X days to return)
- Free recycling is another consideration – recycle your old coat, phone, bed…
- Secret / Exclusive items – only available to VIP customers. Restaurants for example can have a small amuse-bouche reserved for only their very best customers.
- Your Favourites – arrange their account landing page so they can easily re-order their favourite products / services saving valuable time
- Highlight other “Account” services – such as order history, receipt look up, etc. that make your customer service feel more personzlied / valued
- Helpful Reminders (e.g. Mother’s Day reminders to order in time to ship) or Notifications (When sought-after merchandise or a specific size is back in stock)
- Give them a rain check – Canadian Tire is well known for this – but would this be of value to your best customers?
- Customer Clubs or Community Access – e.g. customers can join up for a free virtual tutorial, ask questions, share tips, etc.
- Free trials – many businesses or services offer a limited time trial period
- Expert Reviewer Status – a club of customers who are “experts” and review products / provide valuable feedback (e.g. Travel sites authenticate you are a credible reviewer).
- Customer check-ins – Follow up with VIP customers to check-in and get valuable feedback.
- Free access to workshops / webinars
- Priority Customer Service / Supports – e.g. dedicated customer service line
- Refer-a-friend Rewards or Exceptional Review Rewards –
- Free wifi
- Customer spotlights – profile some of your special customer stories, quotes, testimonials (e.g. #HondaLovesYouBack)
- Customer treats – small tokens or treats like restaurants that offer mints with the bill.
- Donate to charities your customers care about and share the details
- BtoB companies often highlight their customers businesses by referring people (e.g. our products can be found at….), but I’ve also seen small companies create bulletin boards where they post customer business cards.
Start small. Focus on ideas that offer your best customers relevance, convenience or value.