Just recently I subscribed to a new local fresh flower subscription service.

Sarah, the owner of “BrightBunch” uses a great booklet to welcome new customers and explain the service. It’s simple and small, dispellings myths that effective content-marketing needs to be bursting with reams of copy.

It’s also a great example of using content-marketing to improve customer relationships loyalty after the sale.

The reason it works so well is that it doesn’t just provide information about the service, it works to engage the customer with the company.

Have a look at the gallery of images below (click each image to enlarge). Then read how Sarah uses smart content-marketing and copywriting techniques on the pages of her welcome pack.

Page 1: Manage Expectations Clearly

On page one Sarah lets her customers know clearly what to expect from the service. She tells me what size my bunch of flowers will be, how often they will be delivered and when.

She also provides information about how to get the best from the subscription, including making any changes or making delivery arrangements in case you won’t be in.

This isn’t just smart because it keeps the customer happy, it also makes it easier for Sarah to spend time on her business rather than having to take phone call after phone call of the same enquiry.

Think about your own business or service, is there a question customers always ask that you could deal with in a welcome pack? If you offer a service, would client relationships be better if they knew what hours they could reach you? Or the best way to communicate with you about your product?

Pages 2 and 3:Reinforce the Unique Benefits

I laughed out loud when I saw this picture with the caption: “why have one bunch when you can have bunches?” the owner isn’t afraid to let her fun personality shine through in the content, and to me it was endearing.

From a copywriting point of view, I loved how she reinforces the unique benefits of the service without using sales speak or being manipulative:

We believe that YOU are the best person to know where and how you want your flowers. That’s why instead of getting all fancy and arranging things for you, we deliver our blooms simply cut and bunched, ready for you to make into as many bunches as you like, and use them how you like!

Why is this so smart? Well she has taken what some might have believed was a shaky part of the service (customers having to arrange their own flowers) and turned it into a solid selling point.

But she does more than simply tell her customers that this is a good thing, she then goes on to give some tips and inspiration to get the most out of the service.

Pages 4 and 5: Drive Interaction via Social Media Channels

On pages 4 and 5, Sarah lets her customers know that the company posts competitions on Facebook, and on the website, as well as sharing flower inspiration on Pinterest, and news and updates on Twitter.

No matter where her customers feel most comfortable, they have a social channel to interact with the company. (Plus there is the incentive of winning bunches of flowers as part of the competitions).

What about your own customers? Do you give them a clear reason to “hang out” with you on social media channels, on your blog or on your newsletter? Can you let them know the value they’ll get by keeping in touch? Do they know what to expect from you when they do turn up to these places?

Pages 6 and 7: The Confidence to Ask for Honest Feedback

At the back of the welcome booklet are 2 pages explaining that it is a new service, so they’re testing things out and listening to customer feedback.

This honesty does a couple of things:

• It makes new customers more likely to cut them some slack if there are teething problems
• It shows a genuine interest in serving the customer

We are much more likely to be critical of mistakes from a service that promises perfection. The approach makes the service much more personal, and builds confidence in the service. Sarah lists a number of ways to share your feedback that goes directly to her. She doesn’t hide behind a complaints department which gives her promise that “we would like to be even better” rare authenticity.

What about your own business? Do your customers have a direct line to provide feedback? Are you making it easy (and comfortable) for your customers to communicate what they really think of what you do?

Page 8: Encouraging Referrals and Tracking Advertising

On the final page there are 3 vouchers that I can give to friends to get a week’s free upgrade to a bigger bunch of flowers.

They’re perforated so I can tear them out easily, and they each use a tracking code so that my friend and I can get our upgrades, but this also means the business can track how well this referral form of advertising is performing.

In Summary: Simple, Smart and Not Just for Subscriptions

This booklet is simple, but it works.

It is crammed with personality, and in just a few pages I know that the owner cares about this service, and cares about me as a customer. There is a more personal connection between me and this business, and that’s one of the reasons that would stop me switching to a competitor.

And it’s not just for subscription services, there’s no reason this wouldn’t work to improve your relationship with single-purchase customers.

The content provided in this booklet shows me that Sarah is passionate about, and an expert in using flowers to brighten up our lives.

When you can provide that added dimension of value to your customer’s life you stop being a commodity. This booklet reinforces the idea that Sarah doesn’t just sell flowers. If it was just about the flowers, I’d walk 6 minutes to my supermarket and buy a bunch every other week.

It wouldn’t be the same.

Sarah provides an experience: the feeling of being special. That’s what I’m really buying and the content-marketing in this booklet delivers a consistent message to reinforce this.

What do you think? Have you taken inspiration from this booklet and found ways you could apply it to your own business? Are there pages you particularly liked? What did you think of the language – do you think Sarah’s personality shined through? Let me know in the comments below!