Give the Gift of Thanks with a Gratitude-Centered Marketing Campaign
A grateful business shifts the entire customer experience. That’s why people love the cheery and polite staff at Chick-Fil-A or striking up a conversation with their friendly Trader Joe’s cashier. Businesses that share gratitude and appreciation make sincere connections with their community and integrate as a natural part of their customers’ lives.
While it may be difficult to extract hard data on the ROI of gratitude, one survey found that 91% of respondents were “more likely to do business with companies that appreciate their customers.” Emotional connection matters. That’s why campaigns built with empathy perform so well. Beyond that, gratitude in the workplace increases employee satisfaction and productivity and strengthens company relationships. Gratitude can, in fact, change your business from the inside out.
If you’re looking to celebrate the season with a little more gratitude, check out these stand-out companies that shared gratitude and appreciation with their customers and their community through a positive gratitude marketing campaign.
Start a Social Movement
Outerwear company, Cotopaxi, is well-known for its commitment to spreading acts of kindness throughout the community. Their mission to ethically source high-quality products while simultaneously fighting poverty is a huge draw for their loyal customers. Each year Cotopaxi introduces their movement #dogoodwithcotopaxi to encourage their over 300k social media followers to go out and serve their communities. Followers are encouraged to post their acts of kindness while also tagging Cotopaxi. To sweeten the deal, Cotopaxi offers up prizes for two lucky participants.
How to apply it: What do your clients have to be grateful for? Is it something silly or simple? It could be their favorite person, pet, or piece of technology that makes their life easier. Start by introducing your prompt and encouraging them to share (i.e. share why you are thankful for “x” product or share someone you are grateful for). Then brand your campaign with a personalized hashtag or name. You can make this a company-wide initiative by including your team as part of the conversation. Share your team’s responses on social media to spark more conversations. Use this social campaign to build real connections with your community while embracing the spirit of gratitude.
Launch a Referral Program
A happy customer sharing your business is one of the best sources of organic marketing you could ever ask for. Show your gratitude by introducing a well-designed referral program. Incentivizing referrals is a win-win scenario for everyone involved. Airbnb successfully implemented its referral program and saw a 300% increase in bookings. At a quick glance, Airbnb’s referral program clearly does a few things right:
Referrals are quick and easy to make. Just by passing on a link to a friend.
Not only does the referring customer earn money for their next booking, but so does the referred customer.
The referral program is welcoming and friendly. Not “sales-y” or complex.
The value of the referral is a large enough reward to encourage referrals ($25-$100 off their next booking.
How to apply it: Determine what incentives you can use for your loyalty program. Keep the language and process simple enough that clients aren’t weighed down by tedious steps or convoluted messaging. Since you are working with your current customer base, your email list is the ideal place to launch your referral program. Referral marketing produces some of the best quality leads of any marketing campaign.
Celebrate Your VIP Customers
Those customers who have been with you from the beginning are an elite class all their own. They are solid proof that what you are doing is working. Sharing your gratitude for them is an excellent way to say “thank you” for their continued loyalty.
Airlines offering miles (points) towards flights isn’t anything new, but there is something unique about the way Virgin Atlantic is offering up bonuses. The Virgin Atlantic Flying Club loyalty program comes in three tiers with different benefits. By offering some bonuses early on and clearly laying the groundwork for what’s to come, they are teasing just enough to keep their customers coming back for more. This is a masterclass in customer retention and appreciation for every purchase they make.
How to apply it: A structured customer loyalty program may take more time to build out but can be a pillar of your customer experience. Aim to create something unique and personal for your company. Keep things simple so that signing up is the next obvious step for your happy customers.
Even without a concrete customer loyalty program, you can express your gratitude for your most faithful fans by dropping exclusive discounts and sales for their eyes only.
More Ways to Say “Thank You”
Whether you want to celebrate your clients and customers during the holiday season or sing their praises all year long, here are a few additional ideas for quality gratitude marketing campaigns:
Write a handwritten thank you note
Send a personalized gift
Forgive a balanced owed
Launch a giveaway
Offer a free upgrade
The best campaign is one that matches your audience’s needs and interest. A successful marketing strategy resonates with your audience. Create your gratitude marketing campaign with them in mind.
One of the best ways to incorporate gratitude into your company-client relationships is to ensure that your team culture also prioritizes a positive attitude of gratitude. When leadership regularly recognizes and rewards hard work, that kindness gets passed on. For more ideas on how to share gratitude with your team, check out our article: Giving Thanks to a Remote Team.
We cannot stress the importance of nurturing your current clients enough. Expressing your gratitude for them is a natural step to strengthening your relationship with them. So say thank you, hand out bonuses, learn their names, and appreciate their continued loyalty.
We want to say “thank you” to our amazing clients who trust Comma to deliver high-quality content that audiences love to read. If you want to learn more about how we can help, contact us for a free 20-minute consultation.
