How to Revive Connections with 

Former Customers

It happens. People buy from you and they love you. Then life gets in the way, and they don’t return. Sometimes it’s because they no longer have use for your products or services like when you sell gourmet dog biscuits, and they no longer have a pet. Sometimes they moved out of your area, and you don’t offer e-commerce options. Most often though, your business has simply slipped their minds. It’s no longer on their radar or part of their buying habit. It wasn’t something you did. They just have other things going on.

In these cases, you need to reengage them and bring yourself back to top of mind. Here are a few ideas on how you can do that.

10 Ideas to Reengage Past Customers for More Sales

Selling to previous customers is easier than winning over new ones. It costs less and because they’ve given you their money once—unless they had a terrible experience—they are likely to do it again…once you pique their interest.

Here are ten ways you can get them to pay attention to you again:

• Send to your list. If you have a past customer list, use it. Send out an email (or mailer) telling them you miss them. Offer them a discount, BOGO offer, or free gift (or upgrade) with purchase to bring them in the store again.
•        - Don’t have an email list of your past customers?  Don’t send out emails to your customers at all?  Call your local Chamber of Commerce!  They may have ideas on how you can gather your customers’ emails in fun and creative ways.  They may also have discount codes for their Members from the Email Software Programs they use to send out their Membership E-Blasts or have an affiliate Program with the Email Software Program company that will save you lots of $$ on an Email Software Program.  These programs very user friendly and help your business retain and re-attract your customers by sending out discount codes; BOGO offers; or a free gift.  Don’t forget those Holiday promotions, too!  Emails are just another great tool to use for customer retention/reviving former customers. 
• Host and market an event. Invite people whose past buying history matches your event.
• Share pictures of past customers (if you have them) and invite people to tag themselves on social media.
• Start sending out email newsletters or launch an email nurture campaign.
• Utilize digital retargeting through Facebook or Google so your ads (boosted posts) are shown to people who have visited your site.  Not sure how to do these?  Contact your Chamber of Commerce; they may have an upcoming social media 101 course coming up, or could simply help walk you through the process in office; call them to schedule an appointment. 
• Post pictures on Facebook of your items and tag the items with cost and description (this is a nifty feature on Facebook).  Same as above; contact your Chamber of Commerce for help.
• Ask people to share pictures of themselves on social media with whatever they purchased from you.  This is a great way to get testimonials for your website and social media page for future posts, too.
• Ask funny questions (or tell stories) involving your product or services on social media. For instance, if you’re a plumber, ask your social media audience what they think the weirdest thing you’ve ever pulled out of a drain was and then tell them.
• Create a Facebook group for past customers (if it makes sense for your product and brand).
• Attend Chamber of Commerce events. Nothing like the serendipitous meeting to get them thinking about you again!  Go to the Networking events; Go to the luncheons; Go to the trainings; volunteer for the Festivals and Events; volunteer for the Committees; get in front of your customers and get to KNOW them. 
• Customers will only do business with someone they know, like, & trust.  Become that “someone” for your business, and recruit and train your employees, to become that business that people KNOW, LIKE, & TRUST. 
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When it comes to reengaging customers, it’s a lot like your other relationships. Out of sight can be out of mind. Even if you’re not out of mind, you need to spur action. If you want to increase sales, you must reconnect.

Christina R. Metcalf (formerly Green) is a marketer who enjoys using the power of story and refuses to believe meaningful copy can be written by bots. She helps chamber and small business professionals find the right words when they don’t have the time or interest to do so. 

Christina hates exclamation points and loves road trips. Say hi on Twitter or reach out on Facebook.