We all know that a gift registry is a great growth vehicle because it creates increasing opportunities for customers and their gift-minded family and friends to shop with you. That’s where your registry marketing plans come in.  You want your efforts to connect and resonate with customers, so they are enticed to use your registry. We offer some suggestions here; find what feels most manageable for you and know you can evolve your efforts over time.

Market to Three Distinct Target Audiences

There are three distinct customer segments to engage to talk to about your registry.

Make Your Marketing Impactful

Since each customer segment is involved with your registry in a different way, your registry marketing must reflect that. Customers are bombarded with marketing all the time, so it’s important to make the message matter. Then choose the communication channels where you can most easily reach them.

All Customers:   A marketing plan that introduces, and constantly reinforces, your gift registry is the most important first step to take.
You want all customers who come in contact with your brand/products to know you have a full service registry and gift list ready to help them with any event.  This is a broad, diverse audience – some may be prospective registrants soon, while every one of them could be an advocate for its use.

The Message that Matters:  Think broadly and be all inclusive. You want everyone to know you have a registry, and that it is part of your commitment to give any customer a great shopping experience. Get the word out that it’s there whenever and wherever it can be helpful.  Back up that simple message with some highlights of all you do to make the gifting process easy and convenient so they are encouraged to register at some point.

• Keep up a steady stream of quick mentions, gifting hints, etc. as you never know when a customer may be ‘registry ready’  - or even what event type they are creating the gift list for.
• Seasonally, you may even want to change up the gifting focus to align with special events.

It becomes even more powerful if you create communications that are entirely devoted to gifting and all the reasons a registry serves your customers.

Communications that Connect:  Consider all the marketing and communications you currently use.  Weave in a registry mention and make your existing programs work harder for you. A static mention in an email or advertising piece, a line added to store signage/posters, etc., a banner on your website or a shout-out on social media, all of these keep your registry visible and top of mind. And, as mentioned above, a registry-dedicated message adds a strong punch.

Registrants:  These customers love you so much that they want their family and friends to know it too! In a way, these registrants become a valuable marketing tool in and of themselves. They get the word out about your brand and encourage others to shop with you, too, just by the very nature of creating a registry.

The Message that Matters:  It’s time to get more personal and think in terms of a series of communications that shower attention on these customers. You should try to engage them throughout the life of their registry and beyond.  If you have the bandwidth to do this, you generate sales opportunities that can be life-long.  Even a few targeted messages can have a huge impact. Keep in mind that major milestone events (e.g., weddings, new babies) often extend over months while other celebratory occasions typically have a shorter registry lifespan. Either way, a few key messages can apply:

• Recognize Immediately:  Acknowledge and show your appreciation for registering with you.  This will pay back in two ways: firstly, by making them feel valued, they may become even more loyal to you. Secondly, as an extension of that, they are now set up to be your best brand advocates because their shareable, shoppable gift list will drive business for you.

• Be a Valued Resource Through the Journey:  Show your support; demonstrate all the ways you are there to help. As appropriate, give product suggestions, tips, etc. and be sure to remind them to refresh their list over time and share it widely.

• Mark The Event: Especially for big occasions, a congratulations note (or just a happy celebratory note) is always warmly received.

• Continue To Nurture The Relationship:  Make sure these customers are included in your database for future shopping.  They are candidates for new or more registry use or just their own personal shopping.

You don’t need to mention their specific event details but try to make your message feel personalized. These efforts will help build even more loyalty that will carry into the future.

Communications that Connect:  Targeted messages should be delivered through targeted communications channels. Emails and even an occasional paper mailing are top choices.  You may also rely on phone and text messaging as well.

Gift Purchasers:   Often, a gift giver chooses to shop with you to fulfill the wishes of a registrant. They may never have shopped with you before but do so now because they see your products on a gift registry.  In fact, our research suggests that more than 60% of these purchasers are new to you as a business. So, these gift givers not only drive registry sales but also represent a qualified prospect for you to develop.

The Message that Matters:   Express your thanks for making a gift purchase, and invite them to return for their own shopping needs.  This recognition is likely unexpected; overlay an incentive to shop and increase the odds they will come back.  At that point, you have a new prospect who can be a source of future sales…and maybe even be a registrant themselves.  There’s a very profitable opportunity here since there were no customer acquisition costs attached.

Communications that Connect:   Here, too, you want to rely on targeted and personal channels.  Emails or a pre-printed note can do the trick.

With gifting activity busier than ever this year, this is the perfect time to tweak your registry messaging so it hits the mark every time.  A respected advertising industry icon once said:  Be sure to ‘speak into your target audience’s listen.’  Simply stated, focus on the registry features and benefits that are relevant to them so the message resonates and entices them to take action.

As you continue to move forward with your gift registry marketing plans, let us know how we can help! We can always be reached at marketingguru@myregistry.com.