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Attracting new customers to your business is a huge part of marketing, but if you’re not fostering relationships with your existing clientele, you’re missing out on potential revenue. Remarketing to your previous customers is an effective way to drive repeat sales, increase customer lifetime value, and build brand loyalty. In this blog post, we’ll look at our top 7 tips and tricks to remarket to previous customers to help convert them into your regulars.
There are different types of previous customers, so segmenting them based on their buyer behaviour is helpful. This enables you to tailor remarketing messaging and promotions based on each circumstance. Categories may include:
Reactivate lapsed customers with exclusive campaigns. For example, you could send a “We miss you!” email with a discount code. You could also send a survey to understand why they haven’t shopped again, with an incentive for completion. Offering limited-time promotions creates a sense of urgency. For example: “It’s been a while! Come back today and get 20% off your next order—expires in 48 hours.” You might also offer exclusive deals for past buyers who spent over a certain amount. For example, “Flash sale for our VIP customers only!”
Make product recommendations to upsell and cross-sell complementary products. For example, show products they may also like based on their last purchase. So, if a customer buys a pair of earrings, perhaps suggest a necklace in a similar style. You could also showcase new arrivals or limited-edition items you think your customers won’t want to miss out on. You can do this through email or social media channels. Platforms like Google Ads, Klaviyo, SalesFire and Shopify enable you to automate this.
Email remarketing campaigns are one of the best ways to re-engage past customers directly. Scheduling an automated email to update or check in with customers after their purchase is also a great time to include a personalised offer, such as 10% off or free shipping with their next order, to incentivise their next purchase. Emailing customers product restock alerts for items they have looked at previously can help nudge them to make that purchase.
You might also email customers at key times of the year. For example, sending a special offer for their birthday helps make them feel like a valued customer. Don’t forget to automate abandoned cart reminder emails when customers haven’t finalised their purchase. Depending on your customer’s communication preferences, you might also use SMS.
It may sound obvious, but ensuring your customers have a positive buying experience means they are more likely to return. From the ease of finding what they are looking for and checkout, delivery times and communication and little touches like well-thought-out packaging and a packing slip, these can all make the difference in how a consumer perceives your brand and whether they will purchase from you again or go elsewhere next time.
You could reward repeat customers with exclusive discounts and early access to sales, or use a points-based rewards system redeemable for discounts or freebies. If you use a loyalty program, send reminders to customers to encourage them to redeem their points and earn rewards. For example, you might offer double points days.
For products that need replenishing, such as pet food or skincare, send reminders to reorder before they run out or offer a subscription for hassle-free reordering with discounts for regular purchases.
It’s not just a case of setting up your remarketing and hoping for the best. Test different aspects such as visuals, email subject lines, and offers to see which works best for your audience. Track key metrics like conversion rate, repeat purchase rate, and sale values. Remember to adjust your campaigns based on their performance. For example, increase your budget on high-performing remarketing ads and tweak those with a low return on investment.
Don’t forget you can overdo the remarketing, which can lead to customers unfollowing you on social media or unsubscribing to your emails. The goal is to keep customers engaged with your brand without overwhelming them. To maintain a positive brand experience, balance remarketing with valuable content, social proof, for example, user-generated content (UGC) and testimonials to boost trust and exclusive deals.
Rigorous Digital is a Digital Marketing Agency based in Cheltenham, UK, servicing an international client base. eCommerce websites are one of our specialisms. Want more eCommerce website and marketing tips straight to your inbox? Then, sign up for Rigorous Bulletin, our monthly newsletter.