If you think providing excellent products or services is enough to keep your customers — think again. The good service you give in exchange for trust and money doesn’t automatically mean you appreciate your customers. Between those purchases, you ought to put more effort into showing that you care and that you want them to stick with you in the long run.
Luckily, you needn’t rack your brains too much about it. All it takes is to invest in some customer gifts to show your appreciation.
Why Customer Appreciation Gifts Matter
You may have built a great business and know that your products or services meet your audience’s demands. However, in order for your business to thrive, you cannot just rely on having great service overall. In this day and age, high-quality service is already expected. So if you want to encourage your audience to stay loyal to you — you have to go the extra mile.
That isn’t to say that you should keep giving away free stuff until everyone loves you. Though some people would love to see that from businesses, it’s not a viable strategy for your future.
Nevertheless, you do need to remember that your business wouldn’t even exist if you didn’t have your customers. They are, essentially, the boss, so if they’re not satisfied during or between their purchases, they could easily take their business elsewhere.
See These Gifts as an Investment in Your Future
Fortunately, customer gifts exist to strengthen client and customer relationships. Apart from boosting retention and referral rates, these gifts will pull at the heartstrings of your customers and make them pay attention to your thoughtfulness. While other businesses may just expect them to buy, buy, buy — you’re different. You value their time and loyalty too (not just their money!), so you set yourself apart!
We, as humans, crave attention, and we love to see companies work hard for our love. Your gifts could serve as proof of the effort you’re ready to put into establishing a solid connection with your customers. These gifts show that you’re willing to engage them throughout your relationship. More importantly, they prove that you see value in each interaction with your customers, no matter how big or small it may be.
Therefore, think of customer gifts as an investment in the future of your business. The gifts you go for can sometimes do more for your company than any purchases your customers make. With direct purchases, you do get the profit you’ve been looking for. With customer appreciation gifts, though, you build relationships that will pay dividends well into the future and keep that profit strong.
What Are the Ideal Customer Appreciation Gifts?
The best gifts for customers are always those that your customers would be happy to receive and use as often as possible. However, many products fall into that description, which makes choosing the ideal gifts somewhat of a challenge.
Remember that your customers love you already for a few reasons. Your gifts should, therefore, reflect that you have recognised those reasons and are ready to take your service to a whole new level.
Because of that, you should make sure that your gifts are:
- Practical but unique. If these gifts resolve a particular daily need like printed pens or calendars, there’s a better chance that your customers will appreciate them and even use them every day. However, in order for them to do that, they cannot be unoriginal. Make them as unique as possible so that your customers feel extra special about receiving them.
- Well made. This isn’t the time or the place to cut corners. Pick durable gifts like metal travel mugs and high-quality backpacks that can stand the test of time and remain in use for months or even years. As these gifts can have a huge impact on your company’s future, they ought to be of high quality.
- Make sure your gifts leave a lasting positive impression. Perhaps they’re so practical that your customers cannot believe they’ve lived without them for so long, or they’re so fun to use that they make them smile each day. Whichever option you go for, both will ensure you’re remembered in a positive light.
When Could You Offer Gifts to Your Customers?
Though you can decide for yourself when to give these gifts to your customers, there are a few situations when they would come in handy:
Milestones, Holidays, and Thresholds
Naturally, different milestones and events are ideal for providing customers with few, well-chosen gifts. If it’s a holiday, their birthday or the anniversary of their first purchase, the gift will make them feel more valued by your business, which would then boost their loyalty even more.
Additionally, consider giving away gifts to customers that reach a certain threshold. What better way to reward them for spending money on your products or services than by showering them with the best gifts?
Resolving an Issue
Mistakes can happen, but you don’t have to suffer through the consequences and lose customers at the same time. If there is a way for you to express your apology for the inconvenience in the form of products or services, do it. While your customers may not forget about the incidents immediately, they won’t seem as bad then since you’ve shown that you, too, have faults — but are eager to rectify issues at once.
Customer Appreciation Day(s) and Events
If you feel like sending gifts on special occasions isn’t enough, you can also designate customer appreciation days or weeks. These will be the days when you offer free products or services, discounts, coupons and similar freebies to your loyal audience!
While you may think these days aren’t profitable at all, they can do so much for customer loyalty. Those days serve as proof that you recognise THEIR efforts as consumers and are ready to give back not just in good-quality products but in no-strings-attached gifts.
Besides, customer appreciation days make your customers feel super-special. They make it seem as if they’re the most valuable assets you have. That itself is a powerful advantage to hold over your competitors. Better yet, it could help you retain customers and ensure they keep returning to you time and time again.
Similarly, you can also host different customer appreciation events. If you’re eager to learn more about the people that make your business thrive, entice them with social events.
Once there, they can mingle with your other loyal customers, take part in different contests, gain exclusive access to new products, and of course, go home with lots of branded freebies. Just imagine the word-of-mouth marketing these events could generate!
Surprise!
You read that right — you can also go with the flow and surprise your customers on random dates or occasions. By surprising them when they least expect it, you will instantly lift your customers’ spirits. The sheer delight they will feel will only be augmented by your obvious efforts to show them how much you respect them!
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Free Branded Products
Naturally, one of the best ways to show your customers that you appreciate them is to give away free branded products. Consider going for products from your regular range that could compliment some of their purchases. That would not only impress them but also show that you’re not only thinking about profit; you actually want your customers to try as many of your products as they desire!
Free Upgrades or Services
Similarly, you can also offer free services or upgrades to customers who have put their trust in your business time and time again. These could, once again, complement their previous purchases. Alternatively, they could give them a taste of other services you have in your range that they may not have considered before!
Coupons or Gift Cards
When in doubt, coupons or gift cards work wonderfully as customer gifts. However, make sure that you actually offer some good deals.
The discounts you give on some of your products should be large enough to entice the customers. They should save a good chunk of money to really recognise your care for them.
Gift cards, on the other hand, give them more freedom to choose whichever products or services they’d like to try next. But make sure the limit on the card actually covers the whole cost of some of your products. Otherwise, your customers won’t see this as a gift but rather a ploy to get them to spend more!
Company Swag
If you’re eager to make a positive impression, company swag should definitely be on your radar. Most people love receiving free stuff, but they love them even more when they’re incredibly useful on a daily basis. Company swag, e.g., branded clothing, stationery, drinkware and similar, can come in handy to just about anyone.
Just make sure you go for high-quality products that last long and don’t lose their appeal over time. After all, since they’ll carry your logo around, this kind of merchandise will keep generating new impressions with each use and thus continue boosting your brand awareness!
Personalised Gifts
Finally, if you have exceptional customers who have gone above and beyond to show their loyalty, consider personalising their gifts. You can do this with pretty much any promotional item you have in mind. Still, it would certainly help to choose a product that would suit their needs and interests perfectly.
Provided you can splurge a bit here, you can also offer multiple gifts at the same time. Your audience would likely enjoy personalised goodie bags or gift baskets. These should consist of various products your customers would love and perhaps even use every day. Better yet, you can include some personalised snacks, beverages, and sweets as well to make the whole gift a bit more heart-warming and impressive!
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View our list of promotional best-sellers if you haven’t yet. In case you want to know more, you may contact GoPromotional at 0800 0148 970 or simply email us today. Let’s start your newest marketing journey in style!
