In the English language, we use the word “customer” to describe two types of marketing relationships: (1) A person considering a purchase (“a customer as shopper”) and (2) a person who has already made a purchase (“a customer as owner.”) Marketers spend most of their budgets on shoppers, but the research tells us that the best return on marketing investment is to cultivate the relationships you have with the owners of your product. The vast majority of the marketing email I receive views me as “a shopper.” But here’s some advice: Work on the quality of the email you send “customers” after they’ve become your “owners” or “members” or “users” and you’ll be more successful at building a long-term mutually beneficial relationship with them.


Six examples of customer email to send after shoppers become owners

Welcome notes

Use a thank-you email as an “onboarding” message. Your customer didn’t just purchase a product, they purchased a solution. How well you communicate with them that you are there to help, the more they will view you as a key member of their team.

“How-to” help

Continuing the “on-boarding” process, use early email as help and support that they may need. Does your company have a customer support department. If so, constantly ask them for the issues customers are seeking advice on. Use the how-to emails to help users before they even ask for help.

Inside information and wisdom

Give owners the chance to feel they are on the inside of information related to your product or service. If appropriate, provide activities like webinars or cooking classes or an early look at seasonal updates of the merchandise you carry.

Requests to stay in touch

Keep customer data up to date. While people tend to hang onto email addresses for a longer time than they stay at the same physical address, you should regularly invite customers and clients to update the information you use to provide them with positive items on this list.

Friends-only email specials

Email your loyal customers to invite them to take part in special events, sales or networking opportunities. Give them the opportunity to benefit from the association with you as a customer or client.

Favor requests

When a customer has been an owner for several months, do two things: Ask them if they are being served well by your business. Later, in a follow-up email, send them one of two emails: (1) Explain how you have used their recommendations to fix whatever they may have been negative, or (2) Ask them to share a review on the appropriate social or professional network for your type of business.


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