Jessica Andrews
VP Marketing
We’ve all seen it: a company works hard to win you over, pulling out all the stops during the sales process, only to vanish once you become a customer. It’s not just a letdown—it’s a missed opportunity to strengthen customer relationships, foster customer loyalty, and unlock long-term value.
But, here’s the thing, the customer journey doesn’t stop at the sale. It evolves. Post-purchase content is where brands turn one-time buyers into repeat customers and loyal advocates. It’s where trust is built, relationships grow, and the seeds of advocacy are planted.
And, when done well, post-purchase content fosters retention and transforms satisfied customers into enthusiastic brand champions.
The post-purchase stages of the customer journey
Post-purchase content isn’t just a strategy, it’s the glue that holds your customer relationships together. Each stage represents a unique opportunity to add value, solve challenges, and deepen your connection with your customers.
Adoption: Setting the foundation for success
Adoption is the first important step in the post-purchase journey. It’s where customers begin adopting your services, and first impressions are everything. If customers can’t see the value quickly or feel unsupported, they’re unlikely to stick around. On the other hand, when customers feel confident and empowered during this stage, it sets the tone for a lasting relationship.
Key adoption strategies
Create a guided onboarding or project kickoff experience: A clear and structured onboarding process reduces friction and helps customers hit the ground running. For example, email sequences with actionable steps—such as “Define your first campaign goals” or “Upload your brand assets”—help new customers build momentum.
Celebrate early wins: Reinforce customer success by highlighting milestones. A simple email saying, “Congratulations on your first campaign!” is one easy way to do it.
Retention: Building lasting customer relationships
Retention is the backbone of customer loyalty. While adoption gets customers started, retention is about keeping them engaged. Strong retention strategies ensure customers don’t just stay—they thrive.
Why retention matters
Retention isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s the backbone of any sustainable business strategy. Acquiring new customers might grab all the headlines, but retaining them is where the real growth happens. Research shows that keeping an existing customer is five to seven times more cost-effective than acquiring a new one, and increasing customer retention by just 5% can drive profits up by 25% to 95%.
But here’s the bigger picture: retention fuels customer lifetime value (CLV), the ultimate indicator of long-term success. Loyal customers buy more frequently, explore additional services, and refer others—all without the high cost of acquisition. In short, retention isn’t just about keeping customers; it’s about unlocking their full potential.
How retention helps avoid churn
Churn isn’t just about customers leaving—it’s about opportunities slipping through your fingers. High churn rates can be a symptom of deeper problems, like unmet expectations or lack of engagement. Retention strategies tackle these challenges head-on by ensuring customers feel valued, supported, and consistently connected to the value you provide.
Here’s how focusing on retention helps reduce churn:
Be proactive, not reactive: Don’t wait for a problem to arise, instead be the first to check in. Proactive communication builds trust and keeps customers engaged. Whether it’s a personalized email celebrating their progress or a quick call to check on their goals, these touchpoints show that you’re invested in their success.
Deliver value consistently: Retention thrives when customers see ongoing, tangible benefits from your product. Consistency is key, whether it’s delivering on your promises, solving problems quickly, or helping them achieve their goals. Pair feature updates with actionable insights. For example, if you’ve added a new analytics tool, show customers how it can save them time or uncover trends they hadn’t noticed before.
Build loyalty through exclusivity: Make customers feel like insiders by offering exclusive perks or early access to new features, promotions, or products. This doesn’t just foster retention; it creates excitement and a sense of belonging.
Foster community connections: A thriving community can be a game-changer for retention. When customers feel like part of a larger network, their loyalty deepens. Communities also create opportunities for customers to learn from each other, share ideas, and engage with your brand on a more personal level.
Prioritize exceptional support: Nothing ruins trust faster than poor customer support. Offering fast, empathetic, and effective assistance can turn a frustrating moment into a loyalty-building experience.
Retention is more than keeping customers on the books. It’s about helping them thrive with your service. Customers who feel supported and consistently see value aren’t just less likely to churn—they’re more likely to explore additional offerings, refer others, and champion your brand.
When you prioritize retention, you’re not just reducing churn—you’re building relationships that last. And those relationships are the foundation of growth, advocacy, and long-term success.
Pro-tip
Destroy churn.
Learn strategies to reduce churn and keep customers longer with this handbook.
Expansion: Growing the customer relationship
The expansion stage is where the relationship with your customer deepens. They’ve already seen value in your product, so this is the perfect time to explore how you can offer them even more. It’s not about aggressively selling upgrades or add-ons, it’s about thoughtfully uncovering areas where your product can solve new challenges or deliver even greater value.
A customer relationship management (CRM) platform is your ally here, especially during the retention and expansion phases. It gives you a clear view of how customers are using your product, helping you spot opportunities to suggest additional features or services that could genuinely help them. For instance, if a customer is consistently using one specific tool, why not introduce them to an advanced feature that takes things up a notch? It’s all about showing them you’re paying attention and that you care about their success.
By using a CRM to guide your approach, you’re not just driving sales, you’re also strengthening the relationship and helping your customers see your product as an important partner in their growth.
How to use expansion content effectively with a CRM
A CRM is more than just a tool for tracking customer data. It’s your compass for guiding expansion efforts and creating meaningful opportunities to deepen relationships. Here’s how to make the most of it:
Leverage customer data: Dive into the patterns your CRM shows, like which features customers use most often or where they’re spending the majority of their time. These insights can help you craft thoughtful recommendations that feel tailored to their needs. For example, if a customer is heavily using a basic analytics feature, it’s the perfect opportunity to introduce them to an advanced reporting tool that aligns with their growing needs. The key is making suggestions that feel helpful, not sales-driven.
Automate upsell campaigns: Timing is everything when it comes to introducing new offerings. Use your CRM to automate workflows that send personalized emails or notifications at just the right moment. For instance, when a customer hits a specific usage milestone, you could trigger an email highlighting how a premium plan could really help support their goals.
Track and refine strategies: Monitor open rates, click-throughs, and conversion data to understand what’s working and what isn’t. Then, tweak your approach to make your campaigns even more effective. Continuous improvement keeps your messaging fresh and impactful, ensuring you’re always delivering value.
A CRM like Copper integrates seamlessly with Google Workspace, making it easy to handle customer outreach and communication without interrupting your workflow. Whether it’s sending a follow-up email directly from Gmail or tracking engagement metrics through your calendar, these tools ensure every interaction feels purposeful and aligned with your customer’s needs.
By leveraging a CRM during the expansion phase, you’re not just driving revenue—you’re building deeper connections that show your customers you’re invested in their long-term success.
Advocacy: Turning customers into champions
Advocacy is the ultimate goal of the customer journey. Advocates are customers who don’t just love your product, they actively promote it.
Create a referral program: Incentivize customers to recommend your brand by offering rewards like credits, discounts, or exclusive perks. Make the process simple and transparent to maximize participation.
Highlight customer stories: Share real-world success stories in your newsletters, blog posts, or social media. For instance, Copper frequently spotlights how customers have streamlined their workflows and improved collaboration using its platform, across their social channels and blog.
Offer exclusive perks: Build loyalty by giving advocates special access to beta features, private events, or VIP groups. This creates a sense of exclusivity and reinforces their connection to your brand.
Get customers involved: A great example of advocacy in action is Slack’s community-driven approach. Slack recognizes power users and invites them to participate in feedback sessions, beta tests, and events.
The power of post-purchase content
Post-purchase content isn’t just about avoiding churn: it’s about creating customer relationships that thrive. By focusing on adoption, retention, expansion, and advocacy, you build a journey that delivers value at every step.
At Copper, we practice what we preach. From intuitive onboarding to an active community forum, we prioritize creating meaningful experiences for our customers. Post-purchase content is central to our mission of empowering businesses to grow and succeed.
The customer journey doesn’t end, it evolves. When you invest in thoughtful post-purchase strategies, you’re not just retaining customers; you’re building champions who carry your brand forward. Let’s make every step count.
