Losing customers is an unavoidable matter of doing business.
But don’t fret. Losing a customer doesn’t have to be the end. There are ways to bring them back, and they’re often not so difficult. You’ll just have to put in a little effort. Finding the right incentive is often all it takes to lure a lost customer back.
And it’s worth every penny.
Did you know that just a 2% increase in customer retention has the exact same effect as a 10% decrease in costs? (Leading on the Edge of Chaos by Emmett C. Murphy) Bringing back lost customers shouldn’t just be a goal. It should be a priority.
Here’s seven digitally-focused tips that are sure to bring back lost customers you’re looking for.
The “we’ve missed you” offer. We’re all familiar with this one. “We noticed you haven’t made a purchase in a while. This exclusive offer is just for you. Here’s 20% off your next purchase.” These offers assure the customer that their business is valued. They’re also a useful engagement technique for customers who only initially planned on making a single purchase from your business. These offers can incentivize them to stick around.
Flash sales. Nothing gets a customer (or me) to act faster than a limited-time sale. Whenever I talk about the benefits of flash sales, I always go back to the concept of FOMO – the fear of missing out. Nobody likes to miss out on a deal. Even when it’s for a product or service that they might not even want or need to begin with. On top of that, flash sales are versatile. They’re great for text, email, or social media promotion.
Show off new products or services. Announcing that a new product or service is available can be an effective way to spark interest in the eyes of customers who haven’t been around in a while. Even if the customer ultimately isn’t interested in what’s new, these announcements can get them thinking about your brand again.
Constantly engage on social media. Social media monitoring and engagement isn’t just important for creating more repeat customers, it’s important for brand management as a whole. Don’t just engage customers via the posts you’re making. Monitor who’s talking about your brand and what they’re saying. Engage everywhere. Let people know you’re listening. If a disgruntled customer complains on social media, you may be able to fix the situation before any harm is done, potentially winning back their business.
Review engagement. If you’re not reading your reviews (I can’t imagine who isn’t), it’s time to get on it. Not only are your reviews an enormous source of info that can help improve your business, reviews need to be engaged with. Responding to reviews is a necessity for reputation management. Thank customers for positive reviews and apologize for negative ones.
But don’t just stop there. Actively work to fix your criticisms. Then let your customers know. “We’ve been listening,” you can say. “We hear you.” If a lost customer sees that you’ve fixed something they’ve previously had a problem with, they may decide to come back.
Positive, quality service. Understanding Customers by Ruby Newell-Legner tells us that 12 positive experiences are needed to make up for just a single negative experience. You need to inject as much positive engagement into the digital ether as possible. A positive brand image gives customers less of a reason to abandon your brand.
Promote a giveaway. As a business, giving stuff away is never an exciting prospect. It helps when you frame it as a marketing cost (which any giveaway is at the end of the day). Giveaways can take many forms, from free product samples to straight-up sweepstakes. With the right promotion, any giveaway can get a lost customer interested. Who doesn’t love free stuff?
Win Back Lost Customers With CoGoBuzz
With CoGoBuzz, our state-of-the-art digital marketing service, you’ll overhaul your marketing efforts with advanced WiFi, SMS, and Email solutions. With our service, not only will you be able to see which customers haven’t returned, you can send them a special offer return – with their friends!
CoGoBuzz redefines your mobile experience. You’ll reach and engage your customers on the devices that they use most, both in-store and out. We create a fully-realized profile for every customer that logs into your in-store HotSpot. On top of that, our service comes packed with a fully digital, text-based loyalty program, allowing you to instantly engage and reward your customers with a simple text. CoGoBuzz works overtime to make sure customers keep coming back.
Click here to learn more about CoGoBuzz!
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What promotions have you used to bring back lost customers? Sound off in the comments!