Past blogs have talked about the growing use of registries and gift lists for all sorts of occasions. Registries started as a customer service to support weddings (way back in 1924), then became a must have for new babies about thirty years ago, and now gift lists are used for every imaginable celebratory occasion. Even beloved pets have a registry for a birthday! In recognition of this trend, we declared 2025 ‘The Year of the Gift List’ (check out our blog: Here’s to 2025, The Year of the Gift List!)
This matters because it means every customer is a prospective gift list user – they just may not know it yet. Everyone celebrates some occasion during the year and receives gifts.That’s why it is so important that you make your registry an integral part of your brand DNA.
To maximize all the opportunities out there, first recognize that customers fall into three distinct target audiences. For each, you will want to ‘speak into their listening’. That means crafting a message that resonates with them, using language and marketing tools that they find relatable and relevant. At any given moment, some may not be thinking about any gifting occasion while others are deep into gift planning - as the recipient eager to get their favorite gifts or as a purchaser trying to figure out what to buy. You need to find them ‘where they are’. and deliver messaging that engages them.
Frame Relevant Customer Messages
Now, go ahead and develop marketing for each target audience.
Group 1: All customers
Who: Anyone who visits your website, comes into your store and/or may see any of the outbound advertising and marketing you do. At any given time, these consumers may not be actively planning an event, but you want to be top of mind when they are ‘registry ready’.
The messages to deliver: Consistently and persistently position your business as a great gift resource. Explain that a registry makes gifting easy and stress free for everyone involved. Talk broadly, underscoring that your gift planning support is for any celebratory occasion - that’s a competitive advantage. Back that up with messaging that conveys your commitment to assist registry users; talk up the appeal of your products and mention all the services, guides, amenities and perks you offer that validate why it is smart to register with you. Align with seasonal gifting activity so your registry and gift list marketing is fresh and relevant to customers. (A quick recap of a calendar highlighting popular event timing is here: Get Ready Now for a Busy Gifting Season)
When and how to deliver those messages: Simply stated, everywhere you possibly carry. Weave a quick static mention in ongoing marketing communications to your customer base (i.e., emails, newsletters, etc.) so they know your gift service is there whenever needed. Similarly, add a mention in appropriate social posts and advertising. And, be sure to leverage store signage, bag stuffers, etc. Encourage the store staff to mention it during conversations with customers. In fact, encourage your entire team to suggest registry use when someone they know is planning an event.
The win for you: You gain a competitive advantage when you can directly support gift planning activities for customers. And, as you know, the more customers who know about your registry, the more upside business (and future customer loyalty) you will see. Growing registry and gift list use generates incremental sales from your existing business model. There is no need to invest in expanding your product assortment or adding new stores/sales platforms to see growth.
Group 2: Registrants
Who: Customers who move from an ‘aware’ shopper to someone who registers with you for whatever event they plan to celebrate. Their positive affinity for your products and the broad based marketing you do (per above) prompts them to create their gift lists.
The messages to deliver: Share lots of information about your registry.. Think of this as a deeper dive into the registry marketing messages discussed above with more personalized content included. Convey to registrants that (1) you appreciate that they chose to register with you and (2) their decision was a smart one. To validate their choice, underscore your commitment to offer expert guidance and services that help them curate a list aligned with their values, lifestyles and taste.
Mention all that you do to make the process seamless and stress-free. Start with product guides and recommendations that already drive your business and position the existing services and benefits in place as especially helpful to gift planning. Throw in tips for managing the entire gifting process, and overlay any special perks just for registrants (i.e., exclusive offers like a completion discount, participation in rewards programs, etc.). Over the life of their registry, suggest refreshes as new merchandise flows in. And, don’t overlook the universal features of your registry as they make it easy for them to aggregate and manage all desired gifts in a single, shareable, and shoppable list.
When and how to deliver those messages: Rely on whatever targeted marketing tools you use to connect to them directly (e.g., emails, notes, even phone calls). And, don’t forget that your registry page is a perfect space to mention all that you do to support the registry - recounted above. A welcome note when they start immediately sets a positive tone, then stay in touch as often as your workload allows throughout their registry journey. A congrats message or even a small gift around the event date is powerful. After the event, stay in touch and invite them to keep coming back (Take advantage of what you know about them - their event date, what they wanted and received) to send marketing offers that are personalized).
The win for you: Supporting a seamless gift experience for registrants and the family/friends will build their loyalty and generate future business. These happy registrants can become your best brand champions and marketing resource; adding your products to their gift lists immediately gives you more brand visibility at no cost. Plus, they will talk up their registry experience and influence others.
Group 3: Gift Givers
Who: All customers who shopped from a gift registry (their contact information is accessible in your dashboard reports for purchased gifts).
The messages to deliver: It’s all about showing your appreciation for their gift shopping.. Acknowledge and thank them for their registry purchase - they will be surprised at such personalized recognition. Into the future, invite them to opt into your marketing communications and encourage them to shop for themselves.
When and how to deliver those messages: Start with a timely bounce back email/note, etc. thanking them for their gift purchase. It immediately reinforces a positive impression. . Going forward, include them in your ongoing marketing programs.
The win for you: Many gift givers represent new customer prospects that you can acquire – and with no cost invested in an acquisition program. Our data suggests that more than 60% of these purchasers are new shoppers and not yet in your database, so converting gift givers into shoppers for their own purposes sets up new revenue streams. And, who knows, they just might create a registry or gift list of their own and launch a new gifting cycle.
Bottom line, remember a registry sets up three registry audiences to target in your marketing. Keep up a steady contact with all of these groups and watch your registry grow! With so many different options to engage each customer segment, remember we are always here to help you choose what can be most impactful and still workload manageable for you. Let’s keep our conversation going about al of this, reach out aunty time to marketingguru@myregistry.com