The holiday rush is truly the happiest time of the year for ecommerce businesses. Business is thriving, carts are full, and items are flying off virtual shelves quicker than we can restock. There's a gift for everyone on the list and online stores play an increasingly vital role in making sure the perfect gift arrives in time for the holidays. A respite might be tempting after all the hustle, but don't rest on your seasonal sales quite yet.

Just because the festivities are drawing to a close doesn't mean your sales cycle has to take a post-holiday break. In fact, the new year is the perfect time to re-engage your customers. Leveraging the benefits earned during holiday shopping through your store's loyalty program is one of the most effective post-holiday customer engagement strategies.

Keep those loyalty perks coming and keep shoppers engaged in 2022. Glow's simple guide to customer engagement strategies can help drive revenue throughout the first quarter of the new year, setting a successful foundation to build from.

Restock Alert: Your Favorite Items Are Back!

Don't forget to send out restock alerts following the holiday season. These simple reminders let your shoppers know when the items they missed out on over the holiday rush are back. Chances are, your shoppers have gift cards, holiday money, and, of course, loyalty points to spend. There's no better time to send a gentle nudge. 

Personalized email communications are the best way to keep customers engaged. In fact, consumers are three times more likely to open and engage with an email that addresses them by name and relays personalized information based on their interests, such as a restock alert. Keep communications relevant, timely, and targeted for optimal success.

Dazzle with Flash Sales

Many of your key customers aren't planning on making any big purchases after the holidays. In fact, your shoppers may have resolved to spend less money in the new year and are looking to lay off the browsing for the first few months.

This is where flash sales can really help an online store keep the traction going. After all, who can pass up an exclusive new year's sale or a semi-annual sale? Utilize the power of FOMO by scheduling your flash sales throughout the first quarter of the new year. In addition to reflecting post-holiday shopping trends, flash sales are a great way to keep the energy going. Focus on smaller items and opportunities for quick revenue rather than big ticket purchases or payment plans during this time of the year. This allows customers to save money and feel satisfied that their purchase didn't break their resolution -- or their bank.

Loyalty Point Balance Check

It's easy to forget all the purchases we made over the holiday season. Once the new year rolls around, we're diving into new projects and embarking on new journeys. As online store owners, you can't rely on past purchase history alone to bring shoppers back.

Tailor your communications to suit your customer's current trajectory. One tool to leverage in post-holiday communications is a loyalty point reminder. Everyone loves good news! With the spirit of the season still lingering, we're looking forward to surprise gifts -- and what better gift than loyalty perks? Remind your customer of their loyalty point balance, as well as other loyalty benefits such as member exclusive discount codes, double point days, free shipping, and more. Include deadlines if any perks are set to expire soon.

Loyalty point programs provide a natural way to drive ongoing customer communication throughout the new year and ensure customers use their perks following the holiday.

Boost Your Brand's Social Media Presence

Your social media impact is one of the biggest tools for increasing brand awareness. Ecommerce trends found that 78% of consumers were more willing to purchase from a brand that they'd interacted with on social media. This is often the first place customers turn to for news and updates on their favorite brands. Even if a consumer is not intending to make a purchase, most shoppers scroll their social media feeds daily and find themselves browsing products via Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Ecommerce retailers can  grow customer loyalty through social media presence. The best way to keep customers engaged following the holiday season is bringing your shoppers into the conversation. Consider these simple social media tips for online stores:

• Repost Reviews. Everyone likes to have their moment in the spotlight! Be sure to share positive customer reviews, including product photos and comments.
• Shout Out Loyalty Members. Schedule member exclusive posts highlighting VIP discounts and loyalty perks. 
• Think Global. Social media provides a much wider scope than email marketing. Expand your core demographic by including post-holiday sales for international sales days such as Boxing Day and more. Not only will this make all of your shoppers feel included, but leveraging the global community is a fantastic sales tool.
• Keep It Short, Keep It Fun. There's no need to write a novel with every post. The most effective social media campaigns have a catchy, but brief pitch or attention-grabbing picture. Humor and fun will get your business far when it comes to attracting new customers and engaging current ones!

Utilize Cross-Selling Strategies for Online Shops

The benefit of keeping a tidy purchase history over the holidays lies in the wealth of data and information retailers have available. Leverage the art of cross-selling based on holiday purchases.

For example, if a customer purchased a new laptop, schedule automated email reminders to use their loyalty perks on the latest accessories like noise canceling headphones, keyboards, and more. Cross-selling is all about the power of helpful suggestion based on a customer's anticipated needs. In the fashion industry, include a "shop the look" section in follow-up communications and be sure to reference loyalty perks to pick up accessories and other items in a collection.

The ideal cross-sell should be relevant, timely, and helpful, keeping the customer's priorities in mind based on key purchase data.

Get ready to ring in the new year with your best post-holiday sales cycle yet! Reach out to our experts for more tips for a successful 2022.