It would be hard to find a business leader whose primary goal isn’t growth. And growth depends on your customer base. The old 80/20 rule holds that around 80 percent of a company’s sales (opens in a new tab) come from about 20 percent of its customers.

You may think the key to growth is winning new customers. Attracting new business matters, and it should never be neglected, but it can’t be the only focus. Identifying leads, qualifying them, and developing a customer takes real time and resources. The customers you already have are the more efficient investment.

Your service is probably already on point. That’s what keeps people coming back. But have you tried adding branded merchandise to your retention efforts? There are several effective ways to do it.

Encourage your customers to give feedback

Customers see things about your operation that leaders and employees are blind to, which makes their feedback genuinely valuable. If you want customers to take the time to give candid, detailed responses, make it worth their while. Some companies offer a discount toward the next purchase, but a small swag item goes a step further. A water bottle, t-shirt, or power bank brings you the input you need, puts a smile on the customer’s face, and puts more of your brand into circulation, all at once.

Greet new customers with swag

More than anything, customers want to feel appreciated. How do you welcome new ones today? A personalized thank-you email or a first-purchase discount code is standard, which is exactly why a physical token of appreciation stands out. A coffee mug, tote bag, or pair of socks gets used happily and spreads the word about your business at the same time. (The same thinking applies inside your company, too; see our guide to building a new-employee welcome kit.)

Celebrate customer milestones

This goes hand-in-hand with a welcome gift: send customers something at meaningful milestones. That can be as simple as a birthday, or as deliberate as a thank-you when they cross a spending threshold, with nicer gifts reserved for bigger milestones.

Branded merchandise in your retention program builds loyalty with existing customers while the products themselves recruit new ones. People notice companies that go the extra mile to show gratitude, and a well-chosen gift is a small gesture with a long tail. When you’re ready to put together a retention gift your customers will actually use, here’s what we make, and our team can help you match the products to the moment.