Holiday gifts for your loyal fans
Updated: 14 hours ago
Possible answers:
A. New families who recently moved to your area
B. The customers on your email list
C. People living within 3–5 miles of your studio
D. Your loyal, die-hard customers
E. Your studio's business neighbors and their staff
The question:
Class bundles, gift card packages and pre-assembled (and pre-wrapped!) gifts are a great way to grow holiday sales. Who should you create them for?
The answer is D: your loyal, raving, die-hard customers.
Casting a wide net with marketing - I want everyone to know about my studio! - misses the target and costs your business money.
Knowing your customer base - especially your best customers - is where the sales are.
They want to spend more time with you, paint more pottery, create more with clay, take a new class, try a new product.
Your raving fans are primed, ready to buy more - and are probably sitting in your studio right now!
Create gift options for THEM.
Important reminder
Your regulars are your grassroots marketers. They tell their friends about you, and then bring those friends in. They read your emails and ❤️ your posts. Some visit a handful of times a year, some visit monthly, and some get a bit put-out when "their" table is taken.
The best part of creating a gift-grouping made for them? They have their people (family, friends, coworkers, neighbors) who KNOW how much they love your studio. And boy, does that make gift-giving easy for those people!
Who are your raving fans?
Run a report of this year's top 100–200+ customers, comparing visits along with spend. You're looking for the mix of people who keep coming back (frequency of visits) and also spend money when they visit those few times a year (biggest spenders).
Build Your Packages
Start with three or four gift packages. Build in little extras: add-ons that fit your customers and give them opportunities to try something new. Have fun coming up with names for the packages!
Brainstorm first
List everything you offer: walk-ins, classes, events, memberships, food, drinks, and merchandise. Then look ahead. Which areas of income do you want to grow? What are you introducing in 2027, and what’s on the calendar for the first and second quarters? Your raving fans will be there for all of it, so build gifts that give them a head start.
Some ideas to get you started:
Visit pack: five studio visits, paint fees covered.
Three-month pass: one piece up to $35 each month, sold for $90 (a $105 value).
Class series: a six-week wheel class, or their choice of three classes.
Gift card bonus: buy $100 in gift cards, get a $10, $15, or $20 gift card free.
Fun, value-added items:
Branded merch: if you sell it, add a T-shirt or reusable tote (the tote IS the package!)
If you sell food and/or drinks: a voucher for a free drink
A set of detail brushes
An apron with the studio's logo
A sketchbook or design pad for planning their next designs (add a logo sticker to the cover)
In a digital world, make the gift analog
Who doesn't want a pretty gift (or two) from your studio under the tree? Have fun with your packaging! A simple box with a colorful bow and a studio-logo sticker works beautifully. A gift bag with tissue paper. Keep costs and storage in mind.
Marketing: in-studio
Create a display the wrapped gifts with signage. Include a QR code and simple directive for scanning and texting the link to their friends and family.
Signage in the party room and bathroom.
Staff who've been with you a while know your regulars. Work with them on how to bring up the gifts as perfect for people to give them. Use your top-customer list so staff know who to mention it to.
Pre-printed Post-its (pic below): Stick one on every pickup bag and receipt at checkout, especially for your loyal fans. Remember that top-customer report you ran? Make sure those customers leave with a Post-it and a quick note: hand this to anyone who asks what you want for Christmas!
Marketing: online
Home page feature
Dedicated gift page with all the details, where each package can be purchased; offer free pickup or shipping
Site banner or pop-up
Mobile-friendly checkout
Social posts with photos ("Tag someone who would love this!")
Include in your regular emails starting mid-November
Email your top-customer list and send an two to three emails: include the gift packages, link to buy and 'forward this email button' so they can share with family who's asking for their gift ideas
Gift cards are a great way to introduce someone new to your studio. They're also the perfect way to keep them coming back.
The bottom line
It bears repeating: it costs A LOT more time and money to find new customers than to keep your existing ones returning. Take care of your raving fans, and give them more of what they love.
“Don’t find customers for your products, find products for your customers.”
Seth Godin, Marketing Guru
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