Saima Alibhai, managing principal consultant, EMEA at Oracle + Bronto, on the importance of post-purchase messages
MANY RETAILERS don’t realise that the post-purchase period is a time when consumers are most receptive to your messages. Many more still don’t realise the importance of creating personalised messages for recent buyers. These messages shouldn’t be limited to the traditional order and shipping confirmations, or a plea for a product review. Instead, they should take customer engagement to the next level, by offering value, support and additional resources, or by simply continuing the conversation.
GIVE THANKS
Customers love feeling appreciated… we all do. When it comes to effective post-purchase marketing, a simple “Thank you” goes a long way. In fact, these are some of the best performing messages from a revenue standpoint. Remember… it’s not just the polite thing to do, it also incentivises them to make another purchase, or provides a customer service oriented call to action, such as linking to your customer service portal or a resource centre.
If consumers happen to take advantage of the incentive, you can then create a second, non-incentivised version that sends if the contact makes another purchase over a set number of days. This way, the customer will not expect an incentive every single time.
GET SOCIAL
We’re now firmly living in the age of social media. While it can be difficult to quantify ROI, there’s no denying its ability to help humanise the brand and create a dialogue with customers. Consider implementing social themes into your post-purchase messaging that call on your customer to share their experience. This includes introducing them to your social media sites, asking them to leave a review on Facebook, or encouraging them to share a photo of their purchase on social media for a chance to win a prize.
IT’S ALL ABOUT BALANCE
When constructing your post-purchase messaging, balance promotional content that encourages another purchase with content that offers value to the customer. Product care tips and additional resources both benefit the customer, whereas cross-sell and reorder reminder messages benefit you. If all your messages ask customers to buy more things, you’re not providing value to the subscriber. However, if every message only benefits the consumer, you’re likely leaving money on the table.
MAKE IT PERSONAL
Consumers today expect more from their shopping experience and that expectation will only continue to grow with the integration of new technology. By understanding the importance of targeted post-purchase messaging and meeting the demand for greater personalisation, you’ll not only drive revenue, you’ll also build customer loyalty.
ABOUT ORACLE + BRONTO
Oracle + Bronto arms high-growth retailers with sophisticated marketing automation to maximise revenue opportunities. The Bronto Marketing Platform powers personalised multichannel content that generates the higher engagement needed for retail success. Keenly focused on the commerce marketer, Bronto continues its longstanding tradition as a leading email marketing provider to the global Internet Retailer Top 1000 and boasts a client roster of leading brands, including Euro Car Parts , notonthehighstreet.com , Oak Furniture Land , Joseph Joseph and OKA . For more information, visit bronto.com