We all have that one friend. The one who is hard to get on the phone or to respond to text. Sure, they can go incommunicado from time to time, but once you’re back together, it’s like no time has passed. Inside jokes fly, references roll, and good times are had.
What does that have to do with customer re-engagement? A little bit, actually. All customers, from the newbies to the most vocal advocates, need a nudge from their favourite brands — and the more familiar and relevant the outreach, the better.
Think about it from a dollars-and-cents perspective. While one report says that brands spend five times more on customer attraction than retention, it also found that retention strategies usually convert 60-70% of customers while acquisition nets just 5-20%.
Potential ROI aside, a rock-solid customer re-engagement strategy with targeted, informative content can feel like catching up with an old friend. Work these outreach methods into your repertoire to build a more educational and engaging buyer experience:
1. Related Content: Think about your Netflix and Spotify queues. When a movie ends or a song finishes, the experience doesn’t stop. When you’re done streaming a movie or show, Netflix usually hits you with a “people who watched this movie also liked this one” or Spotify follows your chosen song with a tune from a similar artist or genre.
Think about your content-driven customer engagement in the same manner. If a customer buys supplies from an above-ground pool installer, the experience doesn’t have to stop there. Think about blogs or videos that relate to pool maintenance.
What steps are needed to get your pool ready for the summer? What do you need to do to protect it in the winter? Turn these into tactical blogs or videos and make them a part of a series and send them out in a timely manner. Making informative, buyer-focused content like this a part of regular email outreach and customer engagement lets your audience know you’ve got their backs, even if they’re not actively shopping.
2. Regular Reminders: Over the past dozen years, worldwide cart abandonment rates are at 69.88%. Just because customers lose interest doesn’t mean brands should let them trickle out of the funnel.
Look for ways to regularly connect with customers and remind them about what items are still in the cart. The messaging can be automated and as simple as a “you left this item in your cart” or something indirect like a positive product review or a similar item to keep interest high. If a regular customer buys something in intervals (e.g., toilet paper, groceries, etc.), schedule emails, SMS messages, and other outreach to remind them when it’s time to restock.
A regular cadence that toes the line between persistence and pestering should be ideal in any customer re-engagement strategy.
3. Rewards Programs: Customers love nothing more than to be reminded that companies appreciate their business. Not just with words, either — but with actions, deals, and the occasional freebie.
To that end, build an enticing rewards program that makes loyalty aspirational. Offer worthwhile items that connect with even the most disengaged of customers and detail why it pays to stay locked into the latest developments.
And make it easy to join or leave at a moment’s notice. These types of programs should be up to the customer’s discretion and need to amplify the customer experience, not dampen it.
Reconnect With Your Best and Brightest
Customers are looking for reliable companies to build reliable relationships with. Even if it’s been some time since the two sides connected, a comprehensive content-driven customer engagement strategy puts buyers at ease and ready to fall back into familiar buying habits.
Our latest retail payments whitepaper co-authored with Stripe is brimming with helpful insights for any brand. Download it now to see what we have in store!