The top marketing strategies to convert holiday shoppers into loyal customers

It’s just four months into the new year, and the BFCM rush (as well as the PTSD that often follows) seems like a distant memory. Now comes the key question: How engaged are the customers you acquired during the holiday season?

Even if the answer is “not very,” fear not: now is the perfect time to re-engage those customers and nurture their short-term activity into long-term retention. 

By leveraging smart segmentation, a personalized communications strategy, and an omnichannel approach, you can transform holiday shoppers into loyal, high-value customers. 

Let’s look at the eight key areas to focus on.

1. Identify and segment high-potential customers

By now, you have many weeks of post-holiday engagement data from your holiday shoppers. This is the time to analyze behaviors and segment customers accordingly. (Your data team can help with this. Or, if you’re using a customer data platform to consolidate your data and provide a unified customer view, this segmentation will be even easier.)  

This foundational work ensures that every engagement strategy is tailored to meet the needs of each audience, maximizing your chances of long-term retention. (Here’s a segmentation template to get you started.)

Key customer behaviors to identify

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One-time holiday buyers vs. repeat purchasers: Identify the one-and-done shoppers vs. those who continue to show interest. Customers who have already made a second purchase are clearly your VIPs (and should be targeted with special Best Customer communications), but any post-holiday engagement, including clicking on emails, visiting the website, or using the app are signals that you can nurture into eventual purchases.

Discount-seekers vs. full-price shoppers: Understanding price sensitivity helps tailor future offers. If customers only shopped during deep-discount promotions, they may need additional incentives to purchase again. 

On the other hand, customers who engage even in the absence of a deep discount may respond to exclusive product availability, higher value bundles, and premium offerings.

By leveraging smart segmentation, a personalized communications strategy, and an omnichannel approach, you can transform holiday shoppers into loyal, high-value customers.

Gift-buyers vs. self-purchasers: A key challenge of holiday shopping is that customers may be purchasing gifts for other people and may acquire a different approach to transition them from gift purchasers to frequent buyers.  

Using transactional data to identify folks who flagged a purchase as a gift, included a gift message, or shipped to a different name than their own are next-level tactics to identify these gift purchasers.  Once you know who they are, you can shift their engagement to products that would interest them.

High-value customers: With the help of an AI-empowered CDP, the early behavior of your new customers can be compared to the early behavior of your proven high-value customer segments.  Those early patterns are then used to find high-value “look alikes” among your new customers, allowing you to focus on those new users most likely to repurchase and become long-term customers.  

2. Re-engage holiday buyers with personalized post-purchase journeys

For those customers who bought for themselves during the holidays, the products they purchased and browsed become the building blocks for a post-purchase engagement strategy. 

A CDP will mobilize that data for you, creating dynamic customer profiles that update with each interaction. And with the help of AI tools you can leverage that profile to deliver “Best Next Purchase” recommendations, driving engagement with relevance and specificity.  

But you also want to encourage exploration, which drives awareness of the breadth of your offerings, and expands the signal for future product recommendations through the products browsed for the longest. (The cycle of engagement driving data for future recommendations is a critical concept for personalized journeys.  Exploration refills the pool of data that drives future customization.) 

To do this, you can segment your customers into categories of interest, based on the same purchase and browse data, and develop a category conversion series for the most popular categories. These can include top-rated products in the category, and complementary sub-categories to drive cross-sell awareness.  

For example, if someone purchases skincare items, you can share info on related moisturizers or cleansers.  These category deep-dives will drive both near-term conversion and long-term engagement by showing your users that you align with their interests.

3.  Provide a compelling offer to drive the critical second purchase

According to the popular eCommerce platform Shopify, only 28% of new customers make a repeat purchase. Research shows that the ratio is even lower for holiday shoppers. That means that fewer than one of every three users you acquired during the holidays will be a long-term customer unless you do something to drive a second purchase and jump-start their engagement with your brand.

The right offer is critical to this effort, but you also want to target the right offer to the right behavior to avoid discounts becoming the only way to engage your customers.  Here are a few concepts to get you started.

Give YOURSELF a gift:  This is a strong way to engage users you’ve identified as Holiday Gift purchasers. It shifts their focus from a one-time gift purchase for someone else to an ongoing shopping experience for themselves.  

The offer could be a percent discount off anything in the store or a dollar discount with a minimum purchase threshold. Whichever it is, make it a rich offer that’s too good to pass up.  In many ways, it’s a customer acquisition offer because you convert them to purchasing for themselves.

VIP access to limited-edition products or collections: For your full-price purchasers, this is a terrific tool to drive engagement that is not dependent on a deep discount, which can commoditize your brand.

Instead, offer early or exclusive access to limited volume products to incentivize a second purchase. Customers who feel they are getting exclusive treatment will likely remain engaged with the brand.

The right offer is critical to this effort, but you also want to target the right offer to the right behavior to avoid discounts becoming the only way to engage your customers.

Bundle offers to increase Average Order Value (AOV): Create product bundles that encourage larger order values while enhancing perceived value for the customer. This type of offer can be effective for both deal sneakers (since the bundle provides an overall discount) and the high-value customer (since the bundle’s higher price point can be positioned as a “premium” purchase).

 Bundling complementary products to create a richer customer experience can be a particularly helpful approach.

Gamified offers: A variation on the bundle concept is a “Spend X and Get Y” offer. In this scenario, you offer a discount (either % or $ will work) when the customer spends a certain amount. If possible, you can include an onsite status bar that encourages the user with “just $X more” messaging. This is a powerful way to engage the deal seeker while also increasing AOV.

Flash sales for value seekers: The limited-time flash sale is a well-established method to re-engage deal seekers, particularly if they haven’t responded to other higher price-point promotions. The key to flash sales is to apply a low barrier of entry price point to a robust collection of products. The selection should be broad enough that shoppers will find something that suits their tastes, but curated enough that it is browsable and offers quality products.    

4.  Create excitement with a focus on new products

Sometimes, the customer dialogue needs a jolt of “new news” to re-engage the audience, and new product announcements are a great way to do that. 

This is particularly true when targeting new customers acquired during the holiday shopping season; they may have a limited view of your offerings and need a boost to consider the full scope of your brand. By promoting fresh arrivals, you can re-spark their interest and drive them back to your site or store.

Timing plays a crucial role in this strategy. If your brand carries seasonal items, use this window to push "last chance" offers on winter exclusives while simultaneously teasing spring collections. 

Early bird previews for upcoming seasonal products can make customers feel like insiders, especially if they are given first access through an exclusive email or loyalty program benefit. 

For best results, personalize product recommendations based on prior purchases to enhance relevance and increase the likelihood of conversion.

5.  Convert gift buyers into long-term customers

Customers who purchased gifts during the holidays present a unique challenge — they may not have initially bought them for themselves. But that doesn’t mean they can’t become long-term shoppers. The key is to shift their relationship with your brand from one of occasional gifting to regular personal shopping.

One effective approach is a "Gift Giver to Brand Lover" campaign. This type of messaging highlights the benefits of shopping for themselves, emphasizing product quality, unique brand values, and customer-favorite items.  

Personalized recommendations and “Browse Abandon” emails based on the products and categories they’ve explored can help reinforce how your brand aligns with their own needs and interests.

For products with a natural replenishment cycle, subscription and auto-ship programs provide an easy path to retention. If applicable, highlight subscription discounts, convenience benefits, and hassle-free reorder options. This not only encourages repeat purchases but also creates habitual buying behaviors that extend well beyond the holiday season.

6.  Drive long-term retention with loyalty program engagement

A well-structured loyalty program can be a powerful tool in turning seasonal buyers into year-round customers. If your brand has such a program, now is the time to encourage sign-ups by offering an exclusive incentive, such as bonus points for enrolling or a limited-time discount on the next purchase.  

Want to really stand out from the crowd?  Instead of a discount, offer a free gift with their next purchase, focusing the loyalty benefits on the added value of your products rather than simple cost savings.

Encouraging advocacy through social proof is another effective way to drive retention. Prompt recent holiday buyers to leave product reviews, share user-generated content (UGC), or refer friends in exchange for loyalty rewards. 

If these activities contribute to earning points or unlocking perks, make sure to highlight that within your communications.

Exclusive loyalty perks tailored to holiday shoppers can also increase engagement. For example, providing early access to new collections, personalized referral rewards, or members-only promotions can make customers feel valued and more likely to stay engaged. 

7.  Enhance CRM with omnichannel strategies

Effective customer relationship management (CRM) extends beyond email and requires a true omnichannel approach incorporating SMS, app notifications, and paid media channels.  

These omnichannel journeys can be further enhanced with a CDP, which will unify cross-channel data so that your retargeting ads, SMS alerts, email offers, and app notifications all work together to reinforce a consistent message. 

Use SMS for immediacy: SMS marketing is a strong channel for keeping holiday buyers engaged, as it allows for direct and immediate communication. You need to be careful of overusing the channel, but when there is a sense of urgency (such as new product arrivals or limited-time promotions) it is especially effective.

Promoting special SMS-exclusive offers or early access deals can encourage opt-ins while maintaining customer interest in your brand.

More than any team in an eCommerce company, your customer care reps embody true one-to-one communication with the customer. Leveraging that connection in your communications is a powerful tactic.

Push notifications drive usage: Encouraging app downloads can also play a significant role in customer retention. Once a customer has your app, you can leverage push notifications to deliver timely messages about new arrivals, special sales, and loyalty program updates.  While push notifications have the on-your-phone immediacy of text messages, they are less intrusive and can be deployed with greater frequency.  

Retargeting for high-value customers:  Retargeting high-potential holiday buyers through social and display ads can be a powerful reinforcement strategy. Using "Next Best Product" personalization within these ads ensures that customers see recommendations tailored to their browsing and purchasing history, increasing the chances of re-engagement.

8.  Use customer service as a retention tool

Beyond marketing tactics, customer service can be a significant driver of long-term customer retention. Proactively following up on Net Promoter Score (NPS) surveys, addressing post-holiday concerns, and ensuring a seamless return or exchange process can turn a neutral or negative experience into a positive one.

Consider incorporating personalized outreach from a customer care representative (or a branded persona) to humanize your brand and create a stronger emotional connection. A simple follow-up email checking in on a customer's satisfaction with their purchase can leave a lasting impression and encourage future engagement. 

More than any team in an eCommerce company, your customer care reps embody true one-to-one communication with the customer.  Leveraging that connection in your communications is a powerful tactic.

Additionally, nurturing engagement with an educational series — especially for first-time buyers — can be highly effective. Sharing best practices, product usage tips, and creative ways to get the most out of their purchase helps reinforce your brand’s value and keeps customers engaged over time.

From holiday rush to year-round revenue

For eCommerce and DTC brands, holiday shoppers aren’t just a seasonal boost — they’re an opportunity to build a sustainable, long-term customer base. But the key to converting them from one-time buyers into engaged, high-value customers is a well-crafted communications strategy that demonstrates your brand’s year-round value and makes it relevant to their lives with personalized messaging and offerings.

Simply put, the foundation you lay today will determine whether your holiday rush was a fleeting spike in sales—or the beginning of a lasting customer relationship.