How to leverage gifts in your customer re-engagement strategy

Do you feel like your customers are tuning out, or have they already moved on? You can fix that with a robust customer re-engagement strategy.

A well-crafted re-engagement campaign can be valuable for reviving those faltering relationships with lost customers and salvaging your overall bottom line.

There are different ways to re-engage customers and reduce churn. One powerful strategy is sending personalized gifts to customers.

Yes, gifts can boost that all-important customer experience and increase your customer success metric. Gifting becomes even more powerful when coupled with additional thoughtful gestures.

We'll teach you how to incorporate customer gifts into your customer re-engagement strategy, including identifying disengaged customers, establishing best practices, and measuring the success of your re-engagement efforts.

What is customer re-engagement?

First, let’s understand what customer re-engagement actually is. It’s the process of reconnecting with inactive or lost customers to revive their interest in your products or services.

This strategy is essential because retaining loyal, existing customers is 5 times less expensive than acquiring a new customer.

Re-engagement can lead to increased loyalty, higher customer lifetime value (CLV), and a stronger brand reputation that attracts new revenue. After all, numerous studies have shown that greater retention leads to a stronger bottom line for your business.

It’s worth it: by actively reaching out to disengaged or inactive customers, you can show them how much you value them and encourage them to return.

How to leverage gifts for customer re-engagement

Who doesn’t like to get a gift? It shows someone’s thinking about you. This can play a significant role in rekindling relationships with lost customers who have turned away from your business.

Here's a step-by-step guide to including gifts as part of your re-engagement strategy:

1. Segment unengaged customers

Start by analyzing your customer data to identify those who have not interacted with your brand for a specific period. Filter by:

• last login date
• frequency of use
• engagement with marketing communications
• website behavior (pages visited, time on site, etc.)
• social media interactions
• referral activity
• loyalty program participation
• and any other criteria that can help you better understand those who are less engaged or disengaged outright.

Create a segment of unengaged customers from this information.

2. Select which customers to target

Then, prioritize customers based on their potential lifetime value and previous engagement levels.

For larger customers, you might look at their reasons for churning, and what might be involved in getting them back on board with you. For smaller customers, don't automatically write them off due to a lower contract value. They may not require as much effort to re-engage, and multiple smaller customers add up to a large sum.

Focus on those who have historically shown a strong affinity for your brand but have become inactive. You’re looking to balance the efforts of your outreach with the value that you may get from their reconnection with you.

3. Choose the right gifts

When choosing gifts, hand-select those that are relevant and personalized to your customers' preferences. Consider items that align with their past purchases or that they've shared with you on previous calls.

For example: if you've talked with your customer about MLB games and their favorite team, send them a baseball cap with their team and name embroidered on it.

The goal is for the gesture to feel thoughtful and special, which can reignite the client’s interest in your brand.

4. Measure the impact

You can't determine if your strategy for re-engagement is working or needs refinement without testing your outcomes.

Postal’s analytics tools give account level and person level detail on successful gifting efforts through email opens, click-through, gift acceptances, and meetings booked as a result.

6. Revisit and refine your strategy

Based on the measured impact, adjust and refine your re-engagement strategy accordingly.

It's important to not give up after one effort. Continuous effort shows your dedication and willingness to partner with your customer to ensure they receive value from your product.

Best practices to follow when sending gifts for customer re-engagement

To ensure your gifting strategy has a higher chance of success, follow these best practices:

1. Personalize the gifts

We all most likely have given a gift to a loved one or a friend, so you're already experienced in gifting! The corporate gifting experience is no different. When selecting a gift, consider asking, "Based on what this person has shared with me or is publicly available on their profile, what would they use and love?"

Personalization shows that you value your customers as unique individuals, which strengthens the all-important emotional connection.

2. Include a personal note

If you go to the lengths of selecting a personalized gift, don't downgrade the experience with a templated message or AI-written greeting card. Same as the gift, personalize your greeting. Add a handwritten note or a thoughtful message to make the gift feel more special and heartfelt.

3. Timing is key

Send gifts at strategic times, such as successful completion of their onboarding, holidays, or after a significant period of inactivity. Perhaps it’s a gesture that you haven’t heard from them in three months and you wanted to resync, or a fun summer-themed gift to celebrate the spirit of that season.

Well-timed gifts can create a positive surprise and increase the likelihood of re-engagement.

4. Follow up

After sending a gift, follow up with an email or a phone call to express your appreciation of them. You can use the excuse that you wanted to see how they liked their gift to avoid being pushy or salesy.

Be friendly and engaging, and make it clear that you’re just thinking about them and wanted to reconnect.

This follow-up can further strengthen the relationship and encourage a positive reaction on the customer’s part.

5. Offer an incentive

This one’s valuable – a reconnection effort has greater impact when the offer is personalized with incentives that you know the customer cares about.

Pair the gift with a special offer or discount that invites customers to realize value from your product. This added perk can provide the extra motivation needed to increase their utilization of your tool.

6. Use high-quality packaging

Based on our recent survey, we've found that the unboxing experience is one of the top 4 priorities that gift recipients care about. Packaging is one important piece of the unboxing experience.

Show off your professionalism. Ensure that the presentation of your gift is impeccable. High-quality packaging can make the gift feel more valuable and leave a lasting impression.

7. Offer exclusive content

Along with the gift, enhance your customer engagement strategy by pairing your gift with exclusive content. Offer a sneak peek of an upcoming software feature, an early access trial, or a special discount code.

This approach makes your customers feel valued and unique, distinguishing your communication from routine marketing efforts. Adding this extra value can effectively encourage customers to re-engage with your brand.

Benefits of customer re-engagement

Re-engaging customers offers several benefits, each contributing to the overall success and growth of your business:

1. Improved customer satisfaction

When you reach out to your customers directly – and show you care with a gift - you're taking the transactional out of the sales relationship and treating them with value outside of deal numbers.

This strengthens customer relationships and increases their satisfaction, making them more likely to stay with you.

2. Increased customer retention

Successfully re-engaging customers can lead to higher retention rates, as they are reminded of the value your brand provides.

Customers aren’t solely interested in your product or service – they like that you’re thinking about them and want them to succeed. People remember how you make them feel, so that positive experience will motivate customers to return to you.

3. Higher revenue

Re-engaged customers are more likely to make additional purchases, leading to increased revenue.

Wharton School’s Professor of Marketing David Reibstein’s research found that the probability of selling to existing customers can be up to 14 times higher than it is to a new customer.

4. Increased customer base

Happy, re-engaged customers are more likely to refer your brand to others, expanding your customer base through word-of-mouth marketing.

Whether these referrals via social media such as LinkedIn or product review sites like G2, a positive review of your brand from existing customers has greater reach than standard marketing efforts.

5. Better customer insights

Re-engagement efforts can provide valuable insights into why customers became disengaged and what motivates them to return.

These insights can help refine your overall customer engagement strategy.

Why you should use Postal to send gifts to re-engage customers

Postal offers a comprehensive platform for sending personalized gifts that can significantly enhance your customer re-engagement strategy and win back clients who have lost interest.

Here’s the pillars of a strong Postal gifting campaign:

Personalization: Postal allows you to choose from a wide range of gifts that can be tailored to your customers’ preferences, making each interaction more meaningful.

Automation: The platform automates the gifting process, ensuring timely delivery without the hassle of manual management.

Analytics: Postal’s advanced analytics provide insights into the effectiveness of your re-engagement campaigns, helping you measure success and refine your strategy.

Integration: Seamlessly integrate Postal with your existing CRM to streamline your operations and maintain a consistent customer record for your engagement strategy.

By incorporating Postal’s corporate gifting platform into your re-engagement strategy, you can create memorable experiences for your customers, fostering loyalty and driving long-term success. Reach out to our gifting experts for help with a gifting strategy to reignite your customers’ interest in your product.