4 Black Friday tips: turn the bargain hunter into a loyal customer
Black Friday: the annual "holiday" on which many stores, both offline and online, stunt with huge discounts and interesting deals. This American tradition has also grown into a true phenomenon in the Netherlands that - contrary to what the name suggests - often lasts for days and sometimes even weeks. Many webshops welcome many new customers during the busy period. But what happens after Black Friday?
Disclaimer: this article previously appeared on Frankwatching
Every web shop owner knows that the period surrounding Black Friday (this year on Nov. 24) is an important one. The get-ready guides and tips are everywhere starting in September. But, Black Friday does not only have fans. The backlash also seems to grow every year. In 2022, for example, retail chain Dille & Kamille kept the doors of its stores as well as its web shop closed in protest against excessive consumption on Black Friday. With this action, Dille & Kamille raised its profile even higher among sustainable consumers.
Whatever your Black Friday action becomes this year: chances are you have full focus on the preparation and execution of your action. But what happens after Black Friday? Of course, it's a shame to lose track of all your new customers. Therefore, keep the relationship warm with the help of email marketing. How? With these 4 strategies.
Commit to retention marketing
The answer sounds simple: commit to retention marketing. Retention marketing is investing in and building a long-term relationship with your existing customer. This should be a regular part of your online marketing strategy. Why? First, you make a huge effort to find customers. Targeting on Facebook, Instagram, Google, you name it.
Finally, your new client is here! It took some effort, but you gladly gave it all. After all this hard work, it would be a shame if your customer makes the second purchase not with you, but with your competitor. To prevent this, you turn to retention marketing. With this you not only build a customer relationship, you also invest in customer loyalty and credibility of your shop.
4 Strategies
Email lends itself perfectly to retention marketing. Below are 4 strategies you can employ, to keep your new Black Friday customers warm.
1. Thank every new customer
Maybe an open door, but thank your new customers for their first purchase. This first impression is the most important. For such a thank you, you do not need a separate e-mail. Use the order confirmation, for example, for this. Add a personal message to the transactional e-mail and introduce yourself (briefly) to your new customers. Customers are more likely to order from a webshop they trust and know, than from an anonymous one.
2. Look for touchpoints to approach your customer
It is a challenge for marketers to approach the right customer at the right time. Therefore, work out a plan with touch points when you can make contact with your customer. These moments can be about anything: the last purchase, a product release, a birthday, a win-back campaign or a reminder for an abandoned shopping cart. Work out this flow well and create marketing automation emails around it. That way, you won't miss a single contact moment and it will also be personalized.
You can go as far into this as you like. Did your customer buy a product from a specific Black Friday category? Filter on this and set up a unique email for this category. Share matching products, or capitalize on the lifespan of the purchased product. Did the customer buy a product at a high Black Friday discount? Consider whether you can resell the product at a similar price. Of course, especially and only for this particular customer. This way you show your customer that you really know him or her and don't just forget about him or her. If that doesn't create goodwill...😉
3. Share content that makes your customer happy
With email, you have the opportunity to connect personally with your customer. After all, you have a lot of data to use. Think of your customer's name, his or her purchases, place of residence. It's a shame to ignore all this data and therefore shoot with hail. Tailor the content from your emails to each unique customer. Here are two examples of personalized content:
- In an email, don't show generic content, but personalize the email. Address the customer by his or her name and match the products shown to previous purchases. Send dog toys to dog owners, while showing cat owners only the latest scratching posts from the cat collection. Base this content on previous purchases or query your customers' interests.
- After purchasing hair dye, for example, send an instructional video on how your customer can best use the product. Or share styling tips from the product already purchased. With such an e-mail, you show that you are an expert in your field. You want to share this knowledge with all your customers, without the customer having to look for this advice themselves. Give a personal twist to the email and/or video by putting yourself (or your colleagues) in a recognizable picture. This will give your anonymous shop a face and increase the credibility of your shop.
Do you find it difficult to assess what content connects with your customers? Then take a closer look at your customers. Find out what stage of the customer journey they are in. The customer journey gives you a good idea of your customer's needs. Another way to gain more insight into your customer's needs is to set up a profile enrichment campaign. In such a campaign, you simply ask about your customers' interests, for example, in exchange for a discount.
4. Reward loyalty
A successful retention strategy is to reward loyalty. Of course you appreciate every new customer and are pleased with the purchase. But does your customer know that? One way to reward loyalty is to set up a loyalty program such as a savings program. A loyalty program increases Customer Lifetime Value and ensures that the customer spends more with you in the future.
Tip: Be as creative as possible with your loyalty program. Only then will you stand out among competitors. For example, during Black Friday, give extra attention to a savings program by giving double loyalty points to every purchase. This way you give (new) Black Friday customers an extra push towards a follow-up purchase!
Black Friday remains an opportunity
However you approach Black Friday this year, this special day remains a great opportunity to attract new customers. While doing so, don't forget the aftercare and keep your new customers warm. Email marketing is a powerful tool to invest in the relationship with your customers. By making your emails personal and personalized and keeping the contact warm, you will turn every new customer into a true fan of your webshop.
