Try these 16 customer appreciation ideas to build brand loyalty
Building a strong relationship with customers goes beyond providing great products and services. Clients want to know they’re valued, and companies that show they really care can develop long-term loyalty faster than brands that don’t connect with their customers.
To nurture these kinds of long-lasting relationships, brands show their appreciation in a variety of ways. Sometimes, all it takes is a genuine smile and a thank you. Other times, hosting an exclusive customer appreciation event is the best way to thank your most loyal supporters. To help you decide how to express gratitude and foster a stronger connection with the people who support your business, we’ve compiled these awesome customer appreciation ideas.
Table of Contents
1. Send thank you cards
It’s easy to send out business thank you cards, but they mean more if you include a personal message. The message doesn’t have to be long for it to be meaningful, especially if it includes something specific to each individual you’re sending a card to.
Some specific message examples can include, “Thank you for being loyal to our business for over five years” or “Welcome to the family, we’re happy to have you. Enjoy 10% off your next purchase.”
Save time by writing these personalized notes in batches—select five or ten special customers to send the same message to. Then, you can send thank you cards via email (and even schedule them in advance).
2. Send a card or gift on special occasions or for significant life changes
Birthdays, anniversaries, and national holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s are great opportunities to send a card to show your customers you appreciate them. For extra-special VIP customers, add a personal message.
These occasions are a great time to offer gifts or special promotions, too. You can send customers branded holiday presents or include a promotional code for a freebie with their next purchase. For example, if you’re a skincare line, you can offer a lotion care package, or if you’re a restaurant, try giving them a free birthday dessert.
The online pet supply giant Chewy is known to get personal with its customer outreach. When a customer reached out to cancel their auto-ship order because their dog had passed, Chewy refunded the most recent shipment, asked the customer to donate what was left to an animal shelter, and followed up with a bouquet of flowers and a condolence card.
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3. Send a surprise gift with their order
Some companies like to include free promotional products in their shipments, such as pens, notepads, or stickers. A customer appreciation gift is more meaningful, though, if it matches the customer’s order. For example, if a customer ordered a protective case for their phone, include a free screen cleaning kit, or if they ordered a set of scented oils, include a few samples of other scents they may like. Add a little note about why you sent the extra gift to make it even more personal.
Honda took the idea of surprise gifting to an epic level when the company learned that a customer was about to reach one million miles on their Accord. Honda sent the customer a free car—and made a video about it that’s logged more than 83,000 views to date on YouTube.
4. Encourage feedback and implement suggestions
An easy way to show you value your customers is to listen to them—their feedback can help you better meet their needs. If you receive an online review, take the time to write a thoughtful reply. If it’s a positive review, thank the writer. If it’s a negative review, clearly state how you will make things better.
After you listen to your customers’ feedback, implement changes that align with their suggestions, and let them know what you’ve changed. This helps build customer trust and loyalty and encourages past customers to come back and try your products or services again.
5. Feature customer reviews prominently
Customer reviews are a powerful marketing tool. When a customer posts a review online, it may be seen by hundreds—or even thousands—of people.
With a little extra effort, you can expand that reach even further by featuring glowing reviews on your website or social media channels. Not only will a public post from your brand make the writer feel special, but it also shows that you’re reading customers’ comments and value what they have to say. As an added bonus, a positive testimonial might convince a new customer to make a purchase. Quick tip: Always ask your customers for permission before you share their stories or posts.
6. Share their stories on social media
To take it a step further, showcase real consumers’ stories on your website or social media channels. Create a personalized hashtag (#NameOfCompanyFans or #ABCcommunity) on social media, and encourage customers to tag your brand on social media. Repost their stories, or add them to your website’s testimonials page.
When other people see happy customers engaging with your brand and enjoying your products, they may be more inclined to make a purchase themselves. National Geographic is a great example of a brand that engages its readers on social media. Amateur and professional photographers around the world submit their photos to be featured on Nat Geo’s Instagram account. Similarly, GoPro encourages customer engagement and loyalty with their GoPro Awards challenges, which include a Photo of the Day Challenge and the Be a HERO Challenge, which encourages users to post their photos and videos of someone making positive changes in the world.
7. Promote an insider discount code
Surprise your existing customers with a flash sale using an exclusive discount code for insiders. Send a retail invitation, and integrate the code into the card. Communicate how the discount code works and how long it’s good for—to create a sense of urgency, give them 24 to 48 hours to redeem it.
8. Give them first dibs on product pre-sales
If you have a loyal following of customers who anticipate your upcoming products, they can help you build up hype around new releases if you give them the first chance at purchasing a brand-new product.
Open up pre-orders to exclusive insiders as a VIP treatment with launch party invitations to make it official. Include a launch day exclusive, like a free limited edition accessory, to add even more enticement to the event.
9. Offer a feature preview or free upgrade
If your business is centered around a digital product or service, invite your long-time customers to preview new, upcoming features—or offer a discount code for a free month of a higher tier of service you’re rolling out. To give them a sense of investment and make their insider status clear, let your customers know you’re interested in their feedback and suggestions.
10. Start a customer loyalty program
Loyalty programs are one of the most effective ways to encourage repeat business. You can reward your loyal customers with exclusive discounts, presale opportunities, and other membership perks.
Tiered rewards programs are especially popular with customers—as they graduate through the levels, they unlock increasingly enticing perks. Although this type of program takes a bit of work to set up and manage, it’s very effective for encouraging repeat business and keeping your customers engaged.
Many local and national chain restaurants offer a rewards program, including Starbucks, whose patrons earn “stars” with each purchase, which can be redeemed for free drinks and merch. Rewards members enjoy other perks, too, like free refills on coffee and tea and a special birthday reward.
11. Invite customers to an open house
An open house at your flagship location or headquarters gives your customers a chance to get a behind-the-scenes look at who’s responsible for the products or services they love. Pick a date, and send your customer contact list a meet-and-greet invitation via email or text—post a shareable link on your social media channels, too, and encourage readers to share it far and wide.
Consider a theme for the open house, like a neighborhood block party complete with burgers and hot dogs on the grill and backyard-style games for the family. Depending on your business, you may even choose to offer tours of your facilities to showcase the quality of your products.
12. Host a VIP shopping event
A classic customer appreciation idea is a VIP shopping event that offers your client base exclusive discounts—like 20% off all regularly priced merchandise—or a special, insiders-only opportunity to demo and purchase a new product. You might even offer an extra deal to customers who RSVP—put them on an exclusive list for freebies at the event, a raffle drawing entry, or a buy-one-get-one deal. When sending out online retail event invitations, highlight the special perks and activities you’ve got up your sleeve, like snacks or live music, to give your guest list all the incentives they need to attend.
Large beauty brands like Lancome, Clinique, and Elizabeth Arden offer VIP shopping events aimed at all consumers—not just their existing customer base—who get a free gift set when they spend a certain amount. Often, the value of the free gift makes the ultimate purchase a great deal, and people who may not otherwise have chosen the brand may try the products and become loyal customers.
13. Throw a customer appreciation party
Whether it’s a one-off event at a local bar or a monthly in-store occurrence, a customer appreciation happy hour is a lot of fun for your customers and offers a zero-obligation environment where they can come by for some light snacks, tasty aperitifs (check your local liquor laws,) and riveting conversations with you and your staff. Bring in a DJ or string ensemble and have prizes or giveaways. If children are invited, make sure you have activities that are family-friendly.
A more formal, professional cocktail party gives you an opportunity to meet and greet your most loyal customers over cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. Host the party at your headquarters, or choose an off-site location like a popular restaurant or a local museum or gallery.
14. Organize an industry networking event
An industry networking event gives customers and providers an opportunity to meet one another and helps you further establish your brand as an industry leader. Make it a wine-tasting event with an expert sommelier, bring in a featured speaker, or turn it into a concert series (ending in -palooza, of course.) Center the event around a theme, like a holiday, the upcoming season, or a specific product or service.
15. Tee up a game of golf or other sports outing
If your company is outdoor-oriented, one of the best customer appreciation gift ideas is a sports outing. Book the driving range at your local golf course for an afternoon, and invite your top clients out for a swing—or treat them to a full 18 holes. Reserve a box at a baseball game, or buy out an entire section for the most important football game of the season.
16. Host a public or private event at a local attraction
For the most important, most valued VIPs—or for the general public, if you prefer—organize a private or branded public event at a local attraction, and tie it into your brand’s niche and customer interests. If a local museum has a special exhibit relating to your industry—fashion, for example—arrange a private guided tour to give your customers access and insight they may not otherwise have available to them. If you sell musical instruments, book a local club and host a jazz ensemble. If you sell products for kids, invite customers to a family day at the zoo.
Lululemon created an interactive experience for Pride Month that culminated in an art installation at Hudson River Park. The two-week-long event included community yoga sessions and raised money for The Trevor Project, which provides 24/7 crisis support services to LGBTQ youth.
Appreciated customers are repeat customers
Any form of customer appreciation makes your client base feel valued and special—interacting with your customer base outside of transactional encounters keeps you on their radar and creates a sense of loyalty on both sides.
From online thank you cards to customer appreciation event invitations, Paperless Post has just the attention-getting designs you need to pique their interest and create a buzz. Use our guest management tools to track RSVPs in real-time, send reminders, and post pics and videos of the event afterward.
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