Before 2017 wraps up completely, now is the time to thank everyone who was a part of your business this year. It’s easy to get caught up in the planning- next- year excitement, but it’s imperative to take a look back before moving forward.
This year you worked with people, sold to people, interacted with people online and in person, and they were all a part of your business. Without your customers in particular, your business probably wouldn’t exist. A major oversight many businesses make is to focus on the next *big thing* while forgetting to appreciate the current support they have.
How to Thank Your Customers
How to best thank your customers will depend on what line of business you’re in. Thanking your customers should come from a place of genuine appreciation. You can tie it to how your customers impacted your business year to show how they’re a part of your success, or you can reach out from your own heart. Here’s how to do each style.
Tie Customers Into Your Business
Did you launch a jewelry company? Put together an email with your best sellers and the stories behind each piece, and give your customers a 25% discount.
On your social media, ask anyone who bought a piece of jewelry to post a picture of themselves wearing it and to use your hashtag. Pick a winner from all the hashtag users and send them a free piece of jewelry. You’ll create community and have a chance to interact with their social posts through liking and commenting on them.
Reach Out From Your Heart
It’s hard to overstate how important it is to speak to your customers from your heart, especially small business owners. There’s a lot of competition out there; whatever your business is, there’s probably 20 just like it. People will come to you because they like who you are and how you operate.
Reaching out to each customer to send them an email or a small note will go a long way. Be open, honest, and thank them for being a part of your dream. These can be short, but the more you can send out, the more of an impact you have on the people behind the purchases.
Final Thoughts
It’s so easy to forget that all the data you have in front of you comes from real people. Each follower on social media, each purchase, each email subscriber; those are all real people. There are people behind the numbers, and that’s where you want to build real connection. Taking the time to thank your customers will give you a solid base to build your business and remind people why they came to you in the first place.
