Have you ever received an unexpected free item with an order? Have you been offered special promotions and rewards from businesses you regularly shop with? As it turns out, these seemingly random acts of kindness from your favorite businesses are not so random at all!
This is called “surprise and delight” marketing. Instead of attracting new customers, this technique targets existing and previous customers to improve retention and loyalty. In a survey by LoyaltyOne, 94% of customers said that they felt more positive about a company after receiving a surprise and delight offer. Moreover, 62% of people agreed that companies should know just how meaningful these types of promotions are to them. By giving back to your customers unexpectedly, you can promote positive feelings towards your brand and keep people coming back for more!
A beauty business that executes surprise and delight marketing perfectly is Sephora. Sephora has developed a renowned loyalty program that focuses on creating positive experiences and emotional connections for its customers. For example, existing Sephora customers can receive bonus birthday gifts, exclusive access to products, and invitations to special events. These are only a few examples among their many rewards and promotions.
The good news? You don’t have to be a giant corporation to use this innovative marketing technique! In this article, we share 5 easy and inexpensive ways to use surprise and delight marketing in your private label beauty business.
1. Unexpected freebies
Who doesn’t love free stuff? If you want to show your most loyal customers you appreciate them, include a free item in their next order! On top of that, you can make a QR code to your printed insert linked to an offer or thank you page and help you track the effectiveness of this approach. This token of appreciation is almost guaranteed to keep them coming back for more – and with a QR code, you can see who really does.
2. Holiday cards and gifts
Holiday emails can sometimes get lost in your customers’ inboxes. To set your beauty brand apart, send them a handwritten note this year! Major holidays are a great opportunity for businesses to show appreciation to their customers. You can also take inspiration from Sephora’s loyalty program by keeping track of and recognizing your customers’ birthdays! Above all, a handwritten note shows you put time and effort into making them feel special.
3. Exclusive access to unreleased products
About to launch a new item to your store? Give exclusive access before the release to your top customers! For example, this surprise and delight method has been popularly done by the streaming app Spotify. Through Spotify, fans can gain presale access to concerts, new music, and merch.
You can also apply this method to your private label beauty business too. For instance, you can give special access to new beauty products to your top customers before they even reach your other customers and the public.
4. Reshare on your social media
Among the most inexpensive and easy ways to surprise and delight your customers is to share tagged posts to your cosmetic brand’s social media!
This is especially important in the beauty space, as customers often share their makeup looks online. Plus, most people love being noticed by the brands they follow and care about! Sharing photos can help build stronger connections between you and your customers.
If you consistently reshare photos on your private label beauty business’ social media, this will encourage other customers to post as well. In other words, this is a win-win scenario as both you and your customers gain exposure to potential new followers!
5. Above and beyond customer service
It might not seem obvious, but you can also surprise and delight your customers with exceptional customer service. In particular, you can prioritize your loyal customers and make exceptions to the rules when needed.
Is a long-time customer asking for a refund outside of your normal policies? Accommodate their request! Their value as a potential lifelong customer can outweigh small losses in the short term. By showing your customers you care about their concerns and value them, they will be more likely to stay loyal to your beauty business!
Conclusion
In conclusion, surprise and delight marketing is a great way to keep your customers coming back for more purchases. Freebies, handwritten cards, exclusive access to product releases, social media reposts, and excellent customer service are just some of the ways that you can apply this marketing technique to your beauty business! The ideas are endless, and hopefully you can come up with your own impactful ways to surprise and delight your customers!
Blanka tip: When dropshipping customized beauty products with the Blanka VIP plan, you can also surprise and delight your customers with free branded package inserts! Add a thank you message, a discount code, or a call to action to post photos on social media to get the most out of your surprise and delight strategy.
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