Registry Marketing Tips – The Message Matters

A recent blog talked about all the gifting opportunities ahead; catch up here. Your registry software is designed to support all of these celebratory occasions. It is intentionally event agnostic, so lean into that as far as your product assortment allows. Refer to your registry in the broadest possible way (i.e., Gift Registry) and show you support any gifting activity for which your products are a good fit.

Take full advantage of your email blasts/campaigns, social media programs, and any other print vehicles you use.  Look for opportunities to weave in registry mentions in store signage and website bursts or banners.  Also, remind your staff (even those who do not have direct customer interaction) to encourage registry use.

Here are five registry marketing tips. You just need a little creative tweaking of the marketing you already do, and integrate targeted registry messaging.

#1  Position your registry as a solution, not a feature

Shoppers come to you because you offer the products and service support that works for them. You provide solutions for their everyday shopping needs, so do the same thing when it comes to gifting activities. Meet customers where they are: they are celebrating a life event/special occasion, so be there to provide a comprehensive way to manage every aspect of the gifting that goes along with the festivities.  

Be consumer-centric. Talk about how you meet the needs of registrants and gift givers alike:

• Registrants enjoy a convenient, easy, and stress-free way to organize the process of  selecting and managing a list of product favorites
• Gift givers have the perfect solution for finding just the right gift in a time-saving and hassle-free way.

#2  Make it personal – Focus on events and occasions

Registry use and gifting are tied to real-life milestones, so your messaging should mirror that. For the registrant, each of these occasions is highly personal, so reflect that sense of individuality and see your message resonate with registry users.

It’s also important to support public holidays that are laden with gifting because they can touch every customer. But still keep it personal. Regardless of how many other people may be celebrating, the gifts exchanged are still individually curated and intended to make the recipient feel special.

While every registry reflects the personal choices of its registrant, many customers appreciate advice on how to find those perfect items. Product recommendations and tips for care/usage show you want their gifts to bring lasting pleasure. It’s even more compelling when great gift ideas are tied to specific event types. Visuals that show people enjoying a celebratory moment with your products add another personal touch. 

#3  Support for the deadline-driven nature of gift giving

Most registries are created for a specific, time-based event.  That means both registrants and gift givers are sensitized to deadlines. Facing a deadline creates a sense of urgency that motivates people to act. Use that to your advantage and connect to registry users with a message that revolves around timely gift management tips will be helpful.

Registrants appreciate targeted, personalized messages to suggest they update a gift list, point out new seasonal items to add, and remind them to share their registry.

It’s easy for a gift giver to keep track of holiday celebration dates or other seasonal events like graduations. For more individualized occasions, gift hints and upbeat messages (with visuals that reflect popular events like weddings, new babies, even everyday birthdays) make an impact. Subtle reminders are as likely to prompt registry use as they are to drive unplanned gift purchases. Either way, it’s a win.

#4 Keep it frictionless and show your commitment to seamless gifting

The last thing you want is a registry that is hard to access and use. Customers, especially gift givers, have short attention spans and will move on if they cannot easily accomplish their gifting mission. Be sure to make your registry visible, both online and in-store, so it’s always presented as a gift solution. Inclusion in your site’s main menu and footer, and store signage that connects your assortment to a special occasion are subtle reminders that resonate with customers. After all, it’s not always obvious that a customer is ‘registry ready.’

#5 Go universal and support everything a registrant wants

Thus far, we’ve talked about registry marketing and messaging that revolve around all you can do  – with products, services, amenities, advice, etc. –  to demonstrate your value as a registry resource. However, likely, your assortments of products and services do not cover every gift a registrant hopes to get. That’s your cue to be a consumer-centric champion.

Tell customers they can ‘have it all’…no need to juggle multiple registries nor be forced to choose among them. Encourage your customers to be a universal registry user.  Create a registry with you and then aggregate other desired gifts you don’t offer into a single, shareable, shoppable list.