Looking for a way to build strong relationships with your customers while leaving a lasting impression on them? Take the time to create ways to celebrate their birthday. Birthdays are an excellent way to show your customers that you value their business while making them feel special. Offering birthday specials is a great way to encourage customers to come and spend money at your place of business. Everyone wins! Start a Birthday Club at your place of business. Collect birthday information either at your store or via a form on your website. Be sure to collect a name, email address, and date of birth at the minimum. A mailing address and phone number might be useful as well. Need some ideas to get your creative juices following? Try these:
1. Send a birthday card. Be sure to sign the card and include a birthday offer an irresistible call to action:
2. Call your customers to wish them a happy birthday. This a great way to add a very personal touch and it doesn’t cost anything extra. Your customers will fill honored that the owner has reached out to them and remembered their special day.
3. Send your customers a birthday shirt. Turn your customer into a walking billboard by sending a customized birthday t-shirt from your business. Find a way to incorporate your company logo, name, or website. “ABC Restaurant is wishing you a very happy birthday and many more to come.” As an added bonus if they wear the shirt to your store location (or upload a picture of them wearing the shirt to your Facebook page or Pinterest board if you’re an online store) on their birthday offer something irresistible such as 50% of there purchase of select items in your store or buy one get one free, etc. Zazzle.com has a lot of unique birthday shirts or you can customize your own shirt from scratch.
4. Invite customers to come to your store for a special birthday gift. Have gift bags with a special gift and a few small treats. This is a great way to get the customer into your store for their birthday and who knows they may purchase something too! Be sure to include a gift card or coupon to increase chances of making a sell.
5. Text a special birthday coupon. This is a great way to send a birthday message and get your customer to frequent your establishment on their birthday.
6. Wish customers a Happy Birthday on your website. Use your website, blog, social networks, or e-newsletter to announce your customers birthday.
7. Partner with a local bakery and have cakes delivered to your VIP customers on their birthday. This is a great way to put a smile on your customers face and help grow your local economy at the same time. Your customer will appreciate your caring gesture and the local baker will appreciate the exposure to your customer base.
8. Host a monthly birthday party. Invite visitors to your store on the last Friday of the month to celebrate their birthday. Serve birthday cake or cupcakes with a small gift bag or birthday coupon. This will create a fun environment for both the birthday customers and customers that frequent your establishment on that day.
9. Have a birthday scavenger hunt. Consider partnering with other stores to have a birthday scavenger hunt. Send customers to a few stores to receive special treats on their birthday. The hunt should consist of three to five stores that are relatively close to each other. This way the scavenger hunt won’t last too long and customers can get birthday gifts from a few stores. A memorable event like this will guarantee to have customers come back to each store in the future.
10. Feature customers that frequent your establishment on their birthday. Casa Rica Mexican Restaurant in Westminster, MD has a Facebook album where they feature customers on their birthday at their restaurant, take a look here. Mazatlan in Downtown Puyallup, WA does the same, click here to see.
11. Feature customers that use your products on their birthday. CustomInk, an online t-shirt design company features their customers on their blog in their custom made birthday shirts (designed by CustomInk). Many of their customers also leave a testimonial about their experience. This is a great way to show other customers how current customers use their product to celebrate their birthday.
Whatever you do, figure out a way to incorporate your customers birthday into your marketing plan. Your customers will be glad that you remembered them on their special day.
What birthday ideas do you use with your customers? Share your small biz diamonds in the comments section below.
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