How to encourage second purchases with segments

Overview

Encouraging your customers to make a second purchase quickly after their first is one of the most effective ways to improve retention and lifetime value. A well-timed second purchase incentive campaign can reduce churn and accelerate the customer journey from one-time buyer to loyal customer.

Read on to learn how to build segments and create content designed to inspire second purchases.

What is a second purchase incentive campaign?

A second purchase incentive campaign targets new customers shortly after their first order, offering a time-sensitive discount (e.g., 20% off) valid for a limited window (such as 14 days). This sense of urgency encourages customers to come back before they lose momentum.

When to deploy second purchase incentive campaigns

While all businesses have unique buying cycle timelines, we generally recommend deploying this campaign when your second purchase rate within 30 days drops below 20%.

When you build your segment, you might need to adjust the timeframe to more closely match your customers' purchasing habits.

Step One: Segment contacts for second purchase incentive campaigns

Build the following segment to use as the audience for your second purchase incentive campaign:

• eCommerce integration > Customer > Number of orders > is equal to > 1, AND

• eCommerce integration > Order > Order date > in the last > 30 > Days

  See example

  

Step Two: Create a discount code to incentivize a second purchase

Discounts are an effective way to help indecisive customers finalize a second purchase. Consider creating a unique coupon code for your second purchase incentive campaign.

Step Three: Create and send a campaign to incentivize a second purchase

Create a campaign to incentivize second purchases with content like:

• A personalized subject line (e.g., “We appreciate you! Here’s 20% off 🎁”)

• A time-limited coupon code

• A product recommendation based on their first purchase

• Use urgency-inducing phrases like “Your 20% off expires soon!” can boost conversions.

• Try using experiments with different offers like 10% vs. 20% or “Free shipping” to find what works best for your audience.

Use the segment you built in step one as your campaign's audience.

Step Four: Monitor performance

After launch, look at the following in the campaign report:

• Open and click rates

• Revenue generated

• Links that were clicked

Use your eCommerce integration's reporting to monitor:

• Redemption rate of the discount code

• % of recipients who placed a second order

• Overall change in 30-day second purchase rate

Use this data to iterate on future second purchase incentive campaigns: test different discount amounts, expiration windows, or subject lines to see what drives better engagement.