When you’re running a local business, you need to market yourself whenever you can. Luckily for you, there are plenty of occasions where you can boost your marketing efforts.
Birthday marketing can be especially lucrative, helping your customers feel extra special on their big day.
So, what exactly is birthday marketing and how do you do it? Find out everything you need to know in this fabulous step-by-step guide.
What is Birthday Marketing?
Birthday marketing typically means providing something special for your customers on their birthday. That could be a discount, a special message, or a gift.
It can also relate to celebrating your own birthday, or the company’s birthday. During your birthday month, offer special discounts, a giveaway, or competitions.
Local businesses that partake in birthday marketing experience higher click-through rates, a boost in their reputation, and increased profits.
Your Step-by-Step Birthday Marketing Guide
Getting started with birthday marketing couldn’t be easier. Here’s your step-by-step guide to help you reap the benefits of this lucrative marketing technique…
Step 1: Choose the right software
Did you know some email marketing software gives you the option to use a birth date variable? This is the easiest way to partake in birthday marketing. Whenever a customer’s birthday arrives, the software will send out an automated message.
You can collect birthday information from your subscription form. Whenever someone subscribes to your list, they input their birth date. That information is recorded by the software, and you can then set your automated message/offer.
Step 2: Pinpoint your offer
Of course, before you launch your birthday campaign, you need to decide what you are giving away. Will the customer receive a gift or a personalized message?
Discounts tend to be popular, but they benefit your business too. So, you might want to think of giving them something that purely benefits the customer. Free gifts and competition entries are especially good ways to help your customers celebrate their special day.
Step 3: Consider a birthday wish list
On your customers’ actual birthday, they may be inundated with messages. Consider sending out a birthday wishlist email a couple of weeks before the event.
This lets the customer create a wishlist of the products they want to receive. They can then pass this on to their friends and family.
A birthday wishlist gets them excited for their upcoming birthday. You could also offer a discount for friends and family who buy something via your list.
Step 4: Choose a birthday theme
If you are celebrating your own birthday month, or the anniversary of your company launch, choosing a theme is a great idea. Each year, you could follow a new theme, adding fun and excitement to the event.
You could do a one-day birthday event or offer a discount all month long. There are tons of options available, and a theme will encourage more people to take part.
Step 5: Send a follow up
If the customer doesn’t take you up on your birthday offer, don’t be afraid to follow up. A couple of weeks after their birthday, send the customer a message to remind them their offer is still waiting.
Often, people forget about company discounts and offers they receive on their actual birthday. They could be too busy celebrating to see the email for example. A follow up reminds them they can use the offer, increasing the likelihood you’ll make a sale.
Just for you alternative campaigns
If you don’t have the birthdays of your customers, you could always run “Just for You” campaigns instead. These are offers that you send out to celebrate the anniversary of the customer making their first purchase.
You could also send them out to celebrate the anniversary of the customer signing up to your loyalty program. If you still want to offer a birthday discount, consider sending out a survey. One of the questions could include the customer’s birth date.
The above is a brief guide to birthday marketing for your local small business. These kinds of campaigns usually perform really well, showing your customers that you care. Just remember – don’t include the customer’s age in the email. Some people can be a little sensitive about their age, so always avoid numbers where you can.