In case your model is experiencing an inflow of latest buyers, whether or not it’s from the vacations, a brand new sale, a collaboration or partnership, or simply an sudden surge in demand (good!), it’s important to make sure your model has methods in place to repeatedly interact these new buyers and preserve them loyal. 

Alternatively, in case your model is experiencing a drop-off in purchases after a seasonal or well timed occasion, the advice nonetheless stands: re-engaging each previous prospects and new first-time buyers will allow your model to lengthen the dialog and meet your retention targets.

So, whether or not you’re turning the low season again into the on-season, otherwise you’re capitalizing on an thrilling second of excessive demand, we’ve compiled a number of methods leveraging the last word retention-driving duo — SMS advertising and loyalty applications —  to incentivize buyers to return again and purchase time and again.

Verify in! Verify buy satisfaction, ask for suggestions, and encourage referrals

Re-engagement methods begin with that first, essential follow-up communication. Remind buyers of their earlier buy and request suggestions within the type of evaluations and/or star scores. If buyers have opted in to obtain SMS messages out of your model, ship the comply with up message through textual content! Our knowledge exhibits that manufacturers accumulate user-generated content material, together with evaluations and star scores, at a 66% greater conversion charge when requests are despatched through SMS fairly than electronic mail.

If a consumer has already left a constructive evaluate of their buy, textual content them with a hyperlink to refer a buddy. Attempt incentivizing with a private low cost code or perhaps a free pattern to spark curiosity in a brand new product and promote cross-sells. 

Remind buyers of obtainable loyalty rewards

One of the crucial action-inspiring texts a consumer can obtain after they’ve made a purchase order is a reminder of an obtainable low cost, particular supply, or reward stability they’ve accrued and nonetheless have but to make use of. Greater than 47% of shoppers have mentioned that receiving a textual content about their loyalty factors or rewards would encourage them to make a purchase order.

“Popping out of the vacation season, we all the time use our loyalty program,” says Shawn McIntyre, Director of Digital at tentree. “We remind prospects of their loyalty factors or the greenback quantity they’ve accrued popping out of the vacation months of purchasing with us.”

Level reminders like these will be a super winback technique. And, by leveraging customized outreach on a buyer’s most well-liked communication channel — like textual content — manufacturers can improve buyers’ chance of changing and returning to buy once more.

House perfume model Homeworx leverages their tiered loyalty program with punch card campaigns to drive repeat purchases and create pleasure round new product launches and promotions, growing their common income per buyer by 373% when prospects redeemed loyalty factors.

Save gross sales by turning returns into exchanges

Whereas returns will all the time be part of the commerce cycle, they don’t have to point the tip of a relationship with a consumer. Slightly, if a buyer comes again with intent to make a return, your model can put methods in place to transform these returns to exchanges.

“You usually see a drop off in January after Black Friday/Cyber Monday and the vacation gifting season,” says McIntyre. “Everybody opens up their packages, then you definitely begin to see returns roll in. It may be difficult, however we need to be certain we convert as lots of these returns into exchanges as potential. We need to save these gross sales.”

Each touchpoint together with your buyers, even a return, is an opportunity to construct belief and bolster your relationship. In case you perceive why a consumer must make a return (i.e. incorrect dimension or colour), ensure you customise the messaging to indicate that you simply perceive, and supply precisely the extra data they should make a brand new knowledgeable buy choice. So, in the event that they’re returning due to an incorrect colour, you should definitely add customized messaging with all extra colours you supply for them to select from.

As well as, strive introducing buyers to new merchandise you’ve just lately launched, or merchandise much like their previous purchases.

Construct pleasure round new gross sales and product drops

Sending new gross sales and unique provides, particularly for loyalty program members, are key methods to drive continued engagement throughout each on and off shopping for cycles. 

“Earlier than, we had been utilizing texts as a replenishment instrument, however what we discovered is that individuals need to learn about gross sales and provides,” says Dee Charlemagne, Co-Founder at AVEC. “We use a easy technique: ‘What would I need to obtain in my textual content inbox that wouldn’t annoy me?” 

Entice your most loyal buyers, like members of your loyalty program, with a model new product launch or model partnership, and textual content them an unique supply or time-sensitive low cost code to incentive rapid motion. Over 40% of buyers mentioned a textual content with a countdown to when a sale or supply expires would encourage them to finish a purchase order.

Tentree makes use of this strategy to drive loyalty engagement. “We mix loyalty messaging with options on our new merchandise, like spring arrivals. We need to incentivize these with their obtainable rewards factors,” says McIntyre. 

Ship updates when it’s time to reorder

In case your model sells a product that must be fulfilled on a schedule, be certain to textual content buyers when it’s time to re-up.

Subscriptions are yet one more extension of rewards applications, says Mary Pilecki, VP & Chief Analyst at Forrester. “Subscriptions mix a number of loyalty ways, together with recurring income and model engagement.” Texting buyers with customized reminders and updates about their subscriptions assist them to really feel as if they’re a member of a model, fairly than only a subscriber to a product. SMS messages spark that non-public contact and assist to construct emotional loyalty that drives retention. 

If a consumer bought a subscription service, leverage your loyalty program to interact them on extra channels. Attempt sending SMS campaigns that tease new merchandise coming quickly that they could be capable of add to their field, or reward them for posting photos of their packing containers on social media. 

SMS & loyalty drive retention sooner

With SMS advertising working collectively together with your loyalty program, your model can drive actual enterprise worth from the emotional loyalty you construct. By incentivizing buyers to interact throughout essentially the most private channels, your model can cut back churn, improve product adoption, present higher experiences, and finally, drive retention.

To study extra about how Yotpo may also help you get began with SMS advertising and Loyalty, click on right here.