Discount codes may be easy to send, but they don’t even remotely compare to the level of customer service, customer retention, and customer conversion that VIP experiences provide.
Defined as experiences regarding “very important people”, VIP experiences, by nature, foster scenarios in which your customers feel valued and exclusive. Text is a particularly great way to foster relationships with customers that you consider to be VIPs, as there are more advantages to doing this via text than using desktop or even email.
In this article, we outline how to determine who your VIPs are, the value in creating VIP experiences using text, and real-life examples of VIP text marketing done right.
First, let’s answer a frequently-asked question: what is a VIP customer?
In short, they’re the customers who consistently bring your business the most value. They typically fall into one of four categories:
These high-profile customers generate high levels of revenue for your business and speak well of it to their peers.
In fact, 42% of U.S consumers expect loyalty programs and VIP experiences from business, and a staggering 82% of buyers will recommend a brand when they’re loyal to it.
Customers like to be recognized for their loyalty, and creating VIP experiences through text is one of the best ways to achieve exactly that.
Text achieves this by honing in on both personalization and having a two-way conversation between your e-commerce brand and your buyers. VIP experiences are not discount codes: rather than impersonal, one-time links, they are authentic conversations that ensure that your buyers feel valued and listened to.
Adidas Creator’s Club creatively rewards their long-time customers with exclusive products, event access, apps, and more
Your e-commerce brand can utilize SMS to:
If you’re in need of some inspiration for your own first (or next!) VIP experience, here are three of our favorites.
Lil Nas X’s exclusive “Satan Nikes” that supposedly included real human blood, sold out in under one minute thanks to the power of the VIP experience.
With just 666 shoes in stock (at $1018 USD per pair), Lil Nas X promoted the idea of this one-time item across all of his many marketing channels to create feverish interest.
As a fan, how special would you feel if you were one of only 666 people who could own an item created in part by one of your favorite stars? That kind of appeal was exactly what Lil Nas X successfully tapped into.
The indie video game MoonQuest tapped into the marketing potential of “early access” by providing a select number of dedicated fans the opportunity to play the game before its official release date.
This simultaneously provided the developers of MoonQuest feedback from valued customers and worked to generate word-of-mouth referrals from fans who had enjoyed beta testing the game.
The limited-edition Starbucks Unicorn Frappuccino rapidly sold out in stores across the U.S, with same-store sales jumping by 4% that week alone thanks to this rainbow drink being available for just a few days.
This continued a long-running trend of Starbucks seeing success with their limited-edition drinks, which began all the way back in 2002 with their Mocha Coconut Frappuccino.
VIP experiences reward customer engagement and loyalty, which in turn encourages repeat purchases thanks to personalized incentives.
Creating VIP experiences via text out-competes both email marketing and social media marketing in terms of both conversion and return on investment.
Are you ready to make VIP experiences simple? We ensure that your customer texts are welcome interruptions, not cheap discount code-related spam. Sign up with Parrot today to start selling in five minutes or less.
