Article highlights:

  • Create deeper & frequent use with a successful campaign calendar 
  • Counter-churn tactics to bring back customers explained
  • Effective email strategies that work

Winning and retaining customers online is an ongoing challenge. In this article, Part 2 of how to retain customers successfully, we’ll be concentrating on 2 more strategies you can use to great effect when it comes to customer retention, namely Deeper & Frequent Use, and Counter-Churn. You’ll find Part 1 over here.

Strategy 1: Create a Campaign Calendar (Deeper & Frequent Use)

Did you know that sending messages to customers, even without incentives, can trigger purchases? However, staying in touch consistently can be a tough ask, especially in a highly competitive market where customers demand of you to be creative every week or day. That’s where a campaign calendar can work wonders.

A campaign calendar outlines when and what messages you’ll send to your customers. Plus, it lets you sync your messages with important dates like holidays and events (think Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Valentine’s Day, Easter – even National Braai Day!) In addition, you can also plan your messaging around new menu items and special offers, specifically tailored around your brand.

But! Creating a fine balance between when and how you send your messages is vital! Overdo it and you annoy your customers. Underdo it and you might miss reaching them effectively. So, consider these recommended frequencies:

Push notifications: 3-5 per week

SMS: 1-2 per week

Email: 2-4 per month

YUMBI manages messaging frequency smartly by allowing you to send a maximum of 3 messages within a 4-day window, with at least 3 hours between messages. And, it works intelligently so that you can only send 2 messages every 6 days, with at least 1 hour between messages.

Strategy 2: Launch Resurrection Campaigns (Counter-Churn)

Sometimes, customers stop ordering without a clear reason. To win them back, you need counter-churn tactics. Start by categorising these customers into buckets based on their inactivity:

Bucket 1: Those likely to churn soon

Bucket 2: No orders in 60 days

Bucket 3: No orders in 120 days

Bucket 4: No orders in 1 year

Bucket 5: Dormant & inactive

For each bucket, craft marketing messages and incentives to entice them back. Consider increasing the offer over time, as long-inactive customers may need a bigger nudge. For example, you may want to increase specials from 10% to 15% to 20% or even 25% as the number of no order days increases.

To really stand out, use attention-grabbing messaging that convey urgency, surprise, celebration, newsworthiness or even the famed FOMO (fear of missing out).

Bonus Ingredient: Launch effective email strategies

Email marketing remains a reliable channel, but it’s evolving too. Today’s tools offer automation, precise segmentation, and personalisation. Consider these three types of email:

  • Lifecycle: Triggered by user actions, these emails guide customers through their journey.
  • Once-off: Themed around specific campaigns, these emails often feature compelling promotions.
  • Automated & transactional: Use these for receipts, updates, password recovery and support.

In closing, we really do encourage you to read our first article as well. Used in combination, Onboarding, High-Touch Engagement, Deeper & Frequent Use and Counter-Churn will have you on the road to customer retention success with complete confidence and control. Read Part 1 of this article over here.