The 10 Best Ways Agencies Show Appreciation for Clients

Client appreciation is more than just providing exceptional service. When clients invest in your agency, they expect you to deliver great results.

Client appreciation extends past the results you provide and aims to builds loyalty and develop strong relationships. Beyond making customers feel special, it provides benefits to your agency too.

When customers feel like you’ve gone the extra mile for them, they’re more likely to talk about your agency with others. With over 90% of B2B purchasers influenced by word-of-mouth, customer appreciation can be a valuable tactic in boosting your agency’s bottom line.

Drive business and show clients how important they are to you by taking note of these customer appreciation ideas.

The 10 best customer appreciation ideas for agencies

Showing customer appreciation can be challenging, especially if you want to stay professional yet create a meaningful connection.

These customer appreciation ideas can help your gratitude feel extra special:

1. Letters

A traditional handwritten, or typed letter, can go a long way in thanking your customers. Whether you wish to thank them for their renewal or say thanks for recently signing up for your service, a personalized letter can strike the perfect balance between professional and meaningful.

If you plan on using thank you letters, keep it positive and straight to the point. A customer appreciation letter shouldn’t be used to drive sales — it should be a sincere note acknowledging your gratitude.

Be specific. For example, if your customer has recently completed a feedback form about their experience, you may write:

“Thanks for your feedback on X. Receiving customer thoughts on our services helps us to grow as an agency and develop solutions that truly fulfill our clients’ needs.

We really appreciate you taking the time to fill in our customer survey. I’ve reported your concerns on X to our CEO to improve our services.”

2. Emails

Sending a ‘thank you’ email can demonstrate client appreciation by sending your most loved customers a simple thanks in return for their business.

Both letters and emails can be sent spontaneously or at certain times of the year, such as this thanksgiving email from MarketingProfs:

Thank you emails can also be sent to potential customers, thanking them for downloading your free content:

In these types of emails, link the user directly to your free content using a call-to-action. This email simply links to the download and other free resources only. You can continue to nurture this relationship through drip campaigns before trying to sell a product or service.

A thank you email works well for new sign-ups. A welcome thank you email may contain additional information about your product or service and what happens next. It helps to showcase your agency’s branding, establishing your working relationship.

3. Gift baskets

An unexpected client appreciation gift basket can make your customers feel truly appreciated. There are varying types of gift baskets you can send to your clients to make them feel valued, depending on your services, your customer, and the time of year.

Holiday baskets

Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years are great times to send your clients a customer appreciation gift basket.

A holiday basket could contain food and beverage items, such as wine, cheese, fruit, cake, cookies, pastries, chocolate, etc. A holiday gift basket goes the extra mile as you express your appreciation at a special time of year:

Anniversary baskets

Demonstrating appreciation on the anniversary of your professional relationship expresses gratitude to your loyal clients. Anniversary gift baskets may include wine, books, personalized items, etc.

You may also wish to show client appreciation by holding a contest on the anniversary of your agency. Ruben Digital celebrated their four year anniversary by hosting a contest to win a $2,500 gift basket:

This is an effective method of customer appreciation while attracting new clients by promoting the giveaway on social media.

Thank you for signing baskets

Onboarding gift baskets are a great way of introducing your business to new clients. Thank you for signing gifts may include branded merchandise or personalized items:

4. Hosting an event or party

Hosting an event or party allows you to say thank you to treasured clients in person:

Event ideas could include a wine tasting event. Hosting an exclusive beer or wine tasting event with local goods can show your customers your connections with local businesses. They’re also a great environment to relax and really get to know your clients on a personal level.

Other event ideas featuring food and beverages are an ice cream social, food truck event, cocktail party, or client appreciation dinner.

A client appreciation dinner is a simple yet effective way to wine and dine your customers, as well as engaging with them one-on-one. Remember, a complimentary dinner isn’t the time to try and upsell your products or services, but simply say thanks to those who are spending money on your services.

To show customer appreciation with an out of the box idea, consider:

• A movie night with a classic film and snacks
• A day at a golf course
• Holiday-themed events, such as a Thanksgiving dinner or Valentine’s picnic
• Art class
• Spa day or wellness event
• Gallery or zoo tour

If you have a limited budget, lunch at your office with DIY decorations can be a nice touch for showing your customers that you value them.

5. Price discount or complimentary service

Show your customer appreciation by offering your clients a price discount or complimentary service. You could offer a free service upgrade, or a surprise discount for one of your products.

Spontaneously offer a price discount or free service to clients or use a contest to build excitement about your products or services. Hosting a contest on social media builds brand awareness, as well as customer value:

6. Loyalty scheme

Implementing a loyalty scheme to reward your best customers can work well too. Forrester Research recommends B2B marketers use a loyalty strategy to deepen their relationship with customers. Such loyalty rewards include material gifts and benefits which engage the customer and other partners.

Content marketing agency Jawfish Digital thanks clients who send referrals their way. Customers sending web design referrals receive a $100 Amazon gift card while those sending larger content retainers typically receive 10% off the first month. This amount can range from a $300 to $600 gift card (or cash). Either method has proven to be an effective way to incentivize referrals and show client appreciation.

7. Offer exclusive access

Build customer value by offering free exclusive access to a new product, service, or event.

You could also offer free training, resources, webinars, etc. In-person events and free one-on-one training or coaching can help your clients to get the most out of your products or services.

For example, Apple offers free in-store training sessions to help their customers learn more about their products:

8. Spontaneous gifts

Send your loyal clients a bunch of flowers or a cupcake on their birthday. Surprising, spontaneous gifts are always well-received, and you’ll delight your customers. Even a handwritten birthday card is a thoughtful piece of mail to receive. The personal touch shows you value their business, building a deeper connection between you.

Charity gift

Let your valued customers know that you’d like to make a charitable contribution in their name. Whether it’s planting a tree in honor of their favorite charity or making a monetary contribution, this heart-warming gesture helps you to connect with your clients in a meaningful way:

9. Social media shout out

Give a social media shout out to your most influential customers. Social media is a powerful form of communication, so what better way to surprise and delight your most valued customers than with a random tweet or post.

You could also reward customers who provide social feedback, such as a Facebook review.

10. Treating long distance customers

Show client appreciation for long distance customers by treating them to a coffee when in town. When you’re traveling, note down clients who live in specific areas and check in with them.

Going out of your way with an in-person thank you can leave a lasting impression, strengthening your customer relationship and leaving them more likely to conduct future business with you.

Showing client appreciation means the world to them

Client appreciation drives customer loyalty and demonstrates to your customers that you really care about them.

How you show customer appreciation will ultimately depend on the individual client, your budget, timescale, and how much of an extra mile you’re willing to go. A personalized letter or email shows that you’re thinking about your customers, but making a charity donation or sending a small gift directly to their home or office can make them feel even more special.

Thanking your most loved customers in person with an event, or meeting them for coffee when you’re in town builds a meaningful relationship, and creates a positive impression which can drive referrals.

Showing client appreciation to enrich customer relationships and drive new business is just one way to grow your marketing agency. Sign up for an Instapage Enterprise demo today.