Insider tips for building a successful gift registry

Turn the Spotlight on Gift Givers – A Source of Customer Acquisition and New Growth

Turn the Spotlight on Gift Givers – A Source of Customer Acquisition and New  Growth

It’s well known that your registrants are valuable customers who deserve a little extra care and attention as they plan for their gift-giving events. While this seems obvious for customers who create big lists for weddings or a new baby that present significant sales potential, every registrant is worthy of some recognition. After all, they clearly have a strong affinity for your business; they chose to register with you because they like your products and the overall brand experience you give them. That positions them as powerful brand champions with the potential to generate growth now and into the future. That growth comes from two sources:

  • Personal loyalty has lifetime value. Solidify the positive relationship already in place and chances are you will see even stronger sales activity into the future. 
  • Their influencer role. Sharing their registry with their network of gift-giving family and friends immediately turns them into a brand advocate and customer acquisition tool for you as well. And, that can launch all sorts of opportunities into the future.

Of the two, this second role is often overlooked. Let’s change that right now.

Recognize a registry is an entry point to new customer acquisition 

We want to tap into that influencer role that comes from sharing a registry or gift list and encourage you to see this as a huge opportunity that plays forward. What starts as one initial click (or in-store scan) to create a registry ultimately becomes a widely broadcast display of your products to everyone who views the gift list. And, because you use our software, those gift lists have double exposure for you as guests can search for a registry on your site or ours.

The underlying endorsement of the registrant immediately gives your brand authentic validation to this audience. So that one initial click can now go on to generate multiple clicks as guests choose one of your products to buy. Simply stated, you have a customer acquisition tool working for you that doesn't require any investment at all. At a time when acquisition programs are both costly and time consuming, this is a nice perk. 

Think of the potential here for a new revenue stream from those gift givers. The gift they bought is just the beginning.. That purchase was made to make the registrant happy and generated immediate sales. But now consider all the future clicks or check out activity they can initiate – shopping for themselves…or even sparking a new round of registry activity.

Our research shows that in most cases - more than 60% of the time – those gift givers are not in your customer database, and you have no idea who they are. But now you do.

That’s your cue to engage them. First impressions count, so let’s make their first impression of you and your brand overwhelmingly positive. Happily, this isn’t too hard to do. 

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Quick tips to convert gift givers into customers:

Here’s how we’ve seen partners build new customers out of those registry gift purchasers.

1 Create a positive experience tied into their registry purchase that shows appreciation for their gift giving.

  • Weave messaging to explicitly recognize them as a gift giver into the purchase confirmation process – in an email or at checkout in your store. Make it a point to thank them for choosing your product.
  • Take it a step further and acknowledge their thoughtfulness in making a purchase that the registrant will happily receive. In this way, you affirm their actions and give them reason to feel proud of shopping a registry or gift list. And, you can let them know that respecting the gift desires of the registrant will also avoid stress and hassles (of returns, etc.) that could interfere with the positive energy of any celebration
  • Such a personalized message will likely come as a surprise that leaves them with positive feelings and more importantly, a good impression of your business. 

2 Now, give them a reason to shop again. There are a few different ways to think about this…consider:

  • A thank you bounce back offer, gift card, or ‘special discount’ to entice them to do some personal shopping. Let them know it’s a gifter’s special offer (another way to personalize the offer) and invite them to ‘gift themselves’ this time. In the process, talk up features and benefits of shopping with you for any personal or other gifting they would like to do. Even if they have shopped with you before, such special treatment will enhance your brand image and give them new reasons to become a more regular customer. 

3 Be sure to invite them to sign up for your emails, promotional offers, etc.

  • Now is the time to complete the acquisition process; strike while their positive gift shopping experience is still fresh in their minds. Invite these new prospects to opt into your existing email campaign flow while your brand is still top of mind. And, once they are added to your database, give yourself a pat on the back for closing the loop and setting up a future flow of customer activity.

And, one last tip: Keep in mind that they could be future registry users themselves – or at least registry champions touting your service to others.

  • For them: It’s likely that they may be in a similar life stage as the initial registrant and have a similar event of their own coming up. Remind them that you are there to be a ‘go to’ for any future gifting plans they have – this is particularly easy if you can engage them while they are in the store (as you will see/hear cues that suggest they are in the same cohort group).
    • Consider extending a special ‘preferred’ registrant benefit when they sign up. That’s another way to solidify your commitment to them and, in turn, promote their loyalty to you. 
    • Even those gift purchasers who may not be prime prospects for the same event type/ registry purpose may have other events to celebrate. 
  • Happy gift givers can turn into brand champions as well. It’s likely every gift giver knows others who are target registrants. Encourage them to talk up their positive experience with your registry and maybe offer a registry referral bonus if they generate new registrants. Their word-of-mouth will spread the news for you.

It’s nice to see that your registry can be a source of new customers. And, as the cost of customer acquisition rises, consider every gift giver you acquire as a gift to yourself! 

If you have any questions in particular or want to learn more about managing your registry data, we can always be reached at marketingguru@myregistry.com

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