“Ghosting” isn’t a new term in the land of dating. It entered popular vocabulary in the early 2000s. And right about now, with Valentine’s Day around the corner, it seems to be popping up in conversation a lot more than usual.
But it’s grown a lot since its original application to suitors who disappear wordlessly into the metaphorical night. Now, business prospects can ghost you, too.
“Ghosting,” if it’s being used to mean that someone suddenly stops interacting with your brand, can be a challenging issue. Identifying and addressing it requires a strategic approach.
First: How do you know when a customer or a warm lead is ghosting you?
Look for signs like a decrease in engagement, no recent purchases, or a lack of response to your communication efforts. This sudden change in behavior often indicates that a customer is losing interest.
Second: Consider marketing strategies that can help you win them back.
To re-engage fading customers, start by understanding their past interactions with your brand.
This is where good tracking and analytics come in handy. You’ll want to be able to assess:
What products did they view or purchase? What content did they engage with? Did they take any actions before they disappeared (such as leaving an item in a cart or unsubscribing from your lists)?
This information can help you understand their state of mind when they “ghosted” and identify any potential obstacles they encountered. It will also help you create personalized outreach efforts. (And if you’re not set up to track this kind of data, please do reach out to Mad 4 Marketing so that we can get you started!)
Consider sending targeted emails or personalized offers based on their interests (like the abandoned cart item). If a warm lead went cold, an exclusive preview of a new product might reignite their interest in your brand.
Feedback is also valuable. Reach out with a short survey or a personalized message asking for their thoughts. This not only shows that you value their opinion but also opens a channel for communication. On that note — check with your customer service channels to make sure they don’t have a complaint or question pending that’s keeping them from moving forward with you.
It’s important to be respectful and not overly aggressive in your efforts to re-engage. A customer who feels valued and understood is more likely to return. And sometimes, what a ghost wants is simply for their silence to be understood as a message in and of itself. But a lot of the time, when it comes to business at least, there is always room to re-open the door through thoughtful, personalized, and genuine communication efforts.