Some people hate birthdays, requesting people not to mention anything and shutting off social media for the day. For many others, however, it’s the one special day of the year when others celebrate them.
Businesses have an unique opportunity to maximize customer retention by collecting and using customer birthday information. Some businesses do this by merely asking for the date of birth at signup or letting customers join a “birthday club” to receive special offers on their big day. Here are five ways your brand can connect with customers on their birthdays:
1. Send an email
As customers scroll through their inboxes, a “happy birthday” subject line can stand out. They may click on it simple to see the greeting. It’s important that these emails be personalized to avoid looking like spam. Include a special discount available only to those celebrating a birthday. If your business is one that someone might visit on a birthday, such as a spa or restaurant, invite customers to come in for a free service or dessert.
2. Provide a free gift
If you have a brick-and-mortar location, keep a special gift on hand for customers celebrating a birthday. Invite customers by email to come in for a gift each year on their special day, but don’t stop there. When you have a customer who mentions celebrating a birthday while on location, make the gift a fun surprise. That customer will likely remember the special touch and consider your business as one to patronize regularly. You can also provide this offer in advance, promising customers a free gift on their birthday in exchange for signing up.
3. Text a coupon
If your customers have agreed to let you text special offers to them, it’s important to know how to use this feature. Sending a constant stream of ads is a surefire way to ensure most of them opt out immediately. Instead, only text your customers when you have an exclusive offer for them. One of the best ways to do this is to text a special exclusive coupon on each customer’s birthday. The coupon can be good for as long a period as you deem necessary, but make sure it’s lucrative enough that customers will want to use it. If you text your customers sparingly with special coupons throughout the year, you’ll likely find they see your SMS messages as useful rather than bothersome.
4. Post a social media ad
Many businesses don’t yet realize they can deploy a special ad through Facebook. This is especially useful if your target demographic favors Facebook over other social media sites. To create this ad, use Facebook’s ad targeting option to select life events-upcoming birthday in the power editor or ad creation tool.
5. Just say it
For customers who call in or visit your store on their birthdays, surprise them by having your employees wish them a happy birthday. This requires tracking birthdays in your CMS and ensuring the information features prominently while your employees are interacting with those customers. You can choose to either ask customers for their birthdays when they sign up for an account or note it in your system over time, if it ever comes up in conversation. This small personal touch will likely make a big difference in winning loyalty from even your most casual customers.
If you’re looking for a way to better engage your customers, birthday celebrations could be the key. Find a way to capture the information, then figure out the best way to use that information to personalize your customer interactions and win brand loyalists.