Your customers are everything. They purchase your products, promote your brand through word-of-mouth, but most of all, they are the people who appreciate the hard work you put in to create something great. Whether you run a pizza shop, own a restaurant, or manage a tech startup, your customers are the believers in your hard work.
They are passionate about your products just like you, and you want to give back. Instead of trying to compete with big spending competitors, get creative. Personalize the gifts, explore new avenues, and make each customer feel special.
It’s Not About The Money
Your customers are people and just like you they don’t need their gifts to be monetary in nature. Think about last holiday season and the gifts you received. Do you remember the gift card you received or the heartfelt note? Providing sentimental value through good deeds will create lifelong customers, ones that will relate further with your brand and what it stands for.
Now, here are a few ideas for showing your customers how much you appreciate them this holiday season.
Promote Their Business
Nothing shows your customers your appreciation by in turn promoting their business. Whether it’s through social media, your blog, or another media platform your promotion will mean the world to them. It’s not about reach, clicks, or any other engagement metric, it’s the thought that counts. Using your platform and network to showcase a customer’s business will go a long way.
Personalize Individual Gifts
Nothing says “thank you” more than a gift meant for a specific person. While you may not be able to do this for every customer, it will mean the world to the ones you can engage with. Write a handwritten card, share a memory you shared in your store, or thank them for ordering a specific product. The little things go a long way.
Engage Via Social Media
Replying to customer comments or ratings may seem at the bottom of your priority list, but can be incredibly effective. Your customers took the time out of their day to write a positive review and leave 5 stars, and they deserve 5 star effort from you. The holiday season is the perfect time to spend a few hours thanking and interacting with every customer who left a positive review. You may even learn valuable insights into why they liked your products, and what they are looking for in the future.
Giving Back
Like we mentioned earlier, your customers are good people like you. They care about their families, social issues, and giving back to causes they care about. Partnering or donating to a local charity shows your customers you share the same strong values they pride themselves on.
