How to Turn Your Seasonal Customers Into Lifelong, Loyal Customers

The end of year sales rush can be very exciting. Seeing a dramatic increase in your sales and profits is a wonderful boost. However, it is always somewhat disappointing when the sales die out because the season has changed. With proper planning, you can turn those customers that you attracted through your seasonal sale and turn them in to repeat business.

Posted 4 years ago by Tamal Santra

Build a Relationship Via Email

Most new customers will be attracted to you because of deals and discounts. Therefore, you need to create brand awareness after the purchase. Make sure that they get to know what your brand stands for and the other items that your store carries. This can be done with a post-purchase email.  

Email marketing is an excellent way to keep in touch with your customers. It helps you to develop a relationship with seasonal customers. Share your brand story with them in the first email you send them. Keep in mind that the average person receives 92 emails a day, so using effective copywriting formulas, such as AIDA (Attention, Interest, Desire and Action) is absolutely necessary to make sure your email doesn’t get ignored.

The average open rate for welcome emails is 42%, according to Omnisend. Therefore, you’ll want to make your first email count. Below are some great types of emails to send your new seasonal customers.

1. Send a thank-you email or note

A few days after the Black Friday or Cyber Monday sale, you should send out an email with a personalized and meaningful message. Let them know that you are grateful to have them as a customer. You can also let them know where to find you on social media and how to contact you with questions or concerns.

Let’s look at this email from allbirds (via reallygoodemails.com):

2. Discounts, Coupons, and Gift Cards

Discounts got the people to your store in the first place, so it is highly likely that they will be interested in another discount, coupon or free gift card. Emails with discounts are best to send after a customer has received their first order, so you may want to wait a couple weeks before sending out the discount email.

Make sure that you notify them of the upcoming seasonal sales. Keep the season in mind though. Your Christmas customers aren’t going to be interested in peppermint bark after New Years, but you may be able to sell them on a weight loss supplement in January. In February, you could offer a Valentine’s Day special. Keep them interested with what is currently popular.

3. Informative Emails

Sometimes customers just need a bit of information about the products that are available to help them through the decision-making process. In some of your emails, you can link to helpful blog posts, or create some original content that helps them solve related problems. This will help them gain more value from your product:

Another example of an informative email would be if you sell yoga mats, you could teach the customers about a new pose or share a workout routine. Provide them with some useful fitness tips. They’ll begin to trust you as an expert and will likely return for additional products.

Treat Customers Like VIPs

Treat your seasonal customers with VIP status. Notify them of future product launches and make them feel special. This works well with your loyal customers too because everyone likes to feel like a VIP.

Ask your customers for feedback and take it to heart. This shows your customers that you value their opinion and you want to ensure that they get the best service possible. Customers don’t like it when they don’t feel heard. You can turn an unhappy customer into a returning client by hearing and responding to their feedback and concerns:

Go the extra mile and give them something after their purchases. It could be a simple as an online guide or a free sample. Give them exclusive tips in your emails to ensure they have a great experience with the product. Getting something unexpected will help them feel cared for and pampered.

Referral Rewards and Loyalty Points

Reward your seasonal customers. Once they have made a purchase, invite them to be part of your referral and loyalty programs. This enables them to earn rewards for future purchases, while also creates social proof and word of mouth marketing to encourage other people to visit your store. According to a study by Technology Advice, customers are 82.4% more likely to shop at stores that have loyalty programs.

Formal referral rewards programs work well. Loyal customers spend 33% more, and up to 10x more over time than other customers acquired through other channels. Referral and loyalty programs offering discounts, gift swag, and freebies are likely to persuade your seasonal customers to influence their friends with a referral:

As you can see, with proper planning, you can turn those seasonal customers into loyal customers. It takes a bit of planning, building relationships and offering rewards. The payoff will be a loyal, lifelong customer.

This is a guest contribution from Melinda. Melinda is a blogger at ReferralCandy and CandyBar. She loves learning about internet marketing and maintaining her own fitness blog. She enjoys running, swimming, dancing and Pilates.