This coming Saturday will mark the day I was born 25 years ago, MY Birthday!
Thinking about my birthday, and birthdays in general, I became interested in what a birthday gift can mean. And I am not talking about gifts that you or I get for each other. I am talking about a company or business that gives gifts to their clients and customers.
I wrote a post about a month ago about information. The more you know about your customers, the better you will be able to serve them. Knowing their birthdays is a small, but potentially important part of that.
If you know your customers’ birthdays, you have options. You can send them a discount on your products and services as a thank you for being a loyal customer. Or you can get them a gift, apart from what your company offers, that really makes an impact.
What if you sent a gift certificate to all your customers for their birthdays this year? You could do it through email, and make it $20 or less. How much would that cost you? I think you will end up pleasing enough people, and generating some real long term customers, that it will more than make up for the cost.
But instead, what you sent something concrete? What if you sent something that you knew most of the recipients would use? And what if you branded that product so that when they used it, they were helping to spread the word about your company?
You could send a t-shirt, a hat, a computer accessory, a cell phone case, or anything else that people use on a daily basis. On it, you could put a slogan that would resonate with people, along with your company name and website.
Chances are that…
1)the customers that receive this gift will be thankful for it because they are not used to a company going out of their way to give back, turning them into more loyal customers, 2)some of those newly loyal customers become brand ambassadors, actively telling their friends and associates how great your company is, and
3)the branding that goes along with the product gets people talking, or at least noticing you more.
It is a generous gesture that fits right into a solid marketing plan. Do something out of the ordinary for your customers and they will take notice. And the more they take notice, the more likely they are to talk about your brand.
So maybe one birthday gift can’t make you a million dollars, but giving back to your customers on their birthday could prove to be a pivotal part of developing lifetime customers and start some positive word of mouth marketing. I know if any companies did that for me this Saturday that I would take notice.
Posted by Zach Heller 
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