18 Innovative Ways To Celebrate Loyal Clients And Customers
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When it comes to fostering customer loyalty, businesses often go beyond traditional approaches and explore creative ways to celebrate their valued clients. Recognizing and appreciating loyal customers not only strengthens the existing relationship but also encourages repeat business and positive word-of-mouth.
From personalized gifts and exclusive discounts to unique experiences and customer appreciation events, there are various inventive strategies businesses can employ to honor their loyal clients. Below, 18 Forbes Business Development Council explore how thinking outside the box and tailoring celebrations to suit customers' preferences, businesses can create memorable experiences that leave a lasting impression and reinforce customer loyalty.
1. Base Events Off Interests
Host a themed virtual event tailored to loyal clients' interests, showcasing their success stories. Involve them in discussions or expert panels, offer exclusive content, and reward participation with personalized gifts. This fosters a sense of community and reinforces brand loyalty. - Roman Viliavin, MetaDialog
2. Host A Customer Spotlight
One creative way to celebrate loyal clients is to establish a "customer spotlight" initiative. This involves highlighting success stories on your platforms and showcasing how they've used your service for their benefit. It not only provides them with recognition but also strengthens your relationship and adds a human element to your brand, enhancing overall engagement. - James Mull, htmull
3. Mix Work And Play
One way to celebrate loyal clients and customers is by hosting an exclusive event intertwined with business and leisure. This could be a VIP outing to a sought-after sporting event or a unique experience tailored to their interests. To maintain a business aspect, kick off the event with a short, informative seminar relevant to your industry to make for a memorable blend of work and celebration. - Kane Carpenter, Daggerfinn
4. Offer Loyalty Rewards
One way to achieve, maintain and celebrate customer devotion is by creating a loyalty program. Loyalty programs are essential, particularly in the hospitality industry. They help improve the reputation of your property and increase revenue. Rooted in personalized communication, loyalty programs can lead to greater engagement, positive reviews and streamlined reservations. - Frederic Dominioni, Solonis
5. Use Personalization And Surprises
Effective ways to celebrate loyal customers don't always require a large budget. Personalization and surprises are key. For instance, at a Ritz-Carlton, a family's lost toy giraffe was returned with a photo album capturing its hotel adventures. Delta Airlines delighted passengers by transforming luggage carousels into winter wonderlands, replacing bags with beautifully wrapped holiday gifts. - Slava Gavrylchenko, Ecto Inc.
6. Create Avenues For Customers To Share Their Voice
Your customers are your best advocates and spokespeople, so let them shine! Ask them to share their story on a webinar, speak on a panel, lead their own session at an industry event or spotlight them on your brand's social media channels. Whichever medium you choose, it's important to let customers use their own words and authentic voice. - Toby Carrington, Seismic
7. Give Clients Full Attention
Showy displays are tempting, but the small things make the biggest impact. Time and commitment are rare gifts in business, making them valuable. Treat your client like a person, not just a customer, find out what they like and organize something unforgettable around that. In meetings, give your full attention and show you have time for them. Business topics will fit naturally into a conversation. - Anna Jankowska, RTB House
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8. Incorporate Co-Created Content
Feature them in co-created content. Collaborate on case studies that showcase their successes with your product or service. Also, invite them to share their insights as guest speakers in webinars or podcasts. This approach validates their achievements, demonstrates your appreciation and strengthens your relationship with them. - Michael Fritsch, UST Xpanxion
9. Get To Know Your Customers
When customers make a bet on your product or service, they are putting their name on the line. The best and most rewarding thing to do with your customers is get to know them, learn what they are trying to achieve and work together to get them to that goal. It’s not just a transaction, see it through and then make them famous through customer video testimonials or even an internal meeting. - Olga Lykova, Workspot
10. Create Meaningful Connections
One of the best ways to celebrate loyal clients and customers is to focus on personal interaction as much as possible. When we take the time to engage individually, we show our appreciation and strengthen the client bond. We can do this through handwritten notes, personalized emails or face-to-face meetings. It's these meaningful connections that will leave a lasting impression. - Bryce Welker, Crush The LSAT
11. Provide A Caring Gesture Of Thanks
People want to be heard and valued. I travel a lot, and a silver lining is being able to travel first class. Recently, my flight attendant handed each person a personalized, handwritten thank you note at the end of the flight. Wow! When my new book is published in September, I’m going to use my flight attendant’s idea and I’ll include a personal, handwritten note when I gift my book to clients. - Julie Thomas, ValueSelling Associates
12. Implement Customer Feedback And Appreciation Days
Loyal customers are invaluable. Implement customers’ feedback as a regular practice to understand and listen to them and plan to designate a dedicated customer appreciation day. Loyal and engaged customers often are your most vocal buyers. That means they can be a great source of valuable feedback on those appreciation days that can improve every aspect of your business. - Ashu Goel, WinWire
13. Generate A Keepsake
One thing we do for our clients after we perform a kitchen or bath remodel is not only gather before, during and after photos and videos of the project, but we turn that into a highlight reel at the end that they can keep or share. We also provide them with custom-branded items such as coffee mugs, chip clips, pens, pads of paper, a cutting board with our logo etched into it and more. - Bill Baker, Surface Solutions Countertops Inc.
14. Promote Exclusive Sneak Peek Opportunities
An amazing way to show your appreciation for loyal clients in the entertainment industry is to offer them exclusive sneak peeks into your latest projects and behind-the-scenes access that the public doesn't get to see. Invite them to preview screenings before the general public of your newest animated movie or show. Give them special tours of your animation studio, they will love that VIP treatment! - Abdulaziz Alnaghmoosh, Manga Productions
15. Offer A 'Day In The Life'
Loyal clients seek connection. I work with a lot of influencers and influential people. A great way we've given back to their communities is to organize for one lucky fan or customer to spend time with that particular person or CEO in a way that aligns with the brand. A one-on-one power session over champagne brunch or spending a day in the life of a specific leader. - Angelica Kopec, She Knows Business
16. Incorporate Incentives While Reinforcing Your Brand
Design an educational activity aimed at equipping the individuals you collaborate with to learn new skills. For example, consider employing a professional mixologist to instruct your customers in the art of cocktail mixing. Additionally, blend this activity with relevant messaging that reinforces your brand, thereby enhancing its perception among your customers. - Gregory Lipich, InfoSec Global
17. Motivate With VIP Experiences
Offer a special VIP experience. This is one way to show gratitude and make customers feel special. I've witnessed intimate local events in-person that build a stronger sense of community as well as large virtual events with customers from all over the world that include a celebrity pop-in. Offering clients unique and memorable experiences will keep them loyal and convert them to evangelists. - Matthew Rolnick, Yaymaker
18. Recognize Customer Milestones
We have built-in milestone moments for clients as they progress along the customer journey. Some of these are timed or periodic, others are measured by spending rate or usage. Each milestone moment has a celebratory response, which can be an email, SMS, letter, phone call or, for greater milestones, branded gifts or experiences to say thank you for being loyal. - Peter Schravemade, REACH ASEA