How To Market To Your Current Customers – Ed Sheeran Style

I went to see Ed Sheeran in concert (along with 109,999 of my friends) as part of his 2023 attendance record breaking show at the MCG. 

I bought what seemed like ridiculously expensive tickets at the time of purchase. But that didn’t stop me from purchasing even more from Ed on the night.

There’s a lesson to be learnt in this…

Just because someone’s already spent a fortune buying one of your products or services from you, it doesn’t mean they won’t spend more. 

In fact, they’re more likely to purchase from you again than those that are yet to purchase. So why not market to them whilst they’re consuming the current thing they bought off you? Quite often, this is actually when they’re at their hottest! 🔥 

Here’s three simple, but highly effective things, that Ed Sheeran did as part of his Melbourne 2023 tour to significantly increase the lifetime value of his customers. 

Cement Your Customers As Raving Fans

First things first. You need to not only deliver on expectations for the thing your customers purchased from you and are currently consuming, you also need to provide them with a remarkable experience that exceeds their expectations.

Ed Sheeran definitely did that at his record breaking sold out performances at Melbourne’s MCG.

Ticket holders flooded into the event expecting to see a guy with a guitar and a microphone, with an amazing talent for looping tracks and belting out hit after hit. But we got so much more than that. We also got an amazing light show, pyrotechnics, massive screens making him clearly visible even from the back row of the Shane Warne Stand, and an extremely humble guy that was truly grateful to be able to perform in front of us.

This was his chance to create new raving fans, as well as cement the raving fan status of his longterm groupies, so that they will not only buy from him again, but also encourage their friends. He nailed it!

How can you cement your current customers as raving fans like Ed did? What are you doing in the delivery of your products and services to go above and beyond to exceed expectations? If not enough, you need to work out what else you could be doing and then set about making that happen.

Make Your Customers Feel Like They’re Part Of Your Team

People don’t just want to buy. They want to feel a part of something, like they belong. And one of the ways we are used to expressing our belonging is through a team uniform. In other words, merchandise.

Assuming you’re Ed Sheeran good at what you do, people will pay ridiculous prices to demonstrate their association with your brand. For example, Ed fans will hand over $120 for hoodies, $60 For a t-shirt and $50 for a rather ugly bucket hat. I know, because I was one of those suckers. I was swept along with the moment, further egged on by my teenage kids that I took to the concert, who were keen to show their alliance.

But the benefits aren’t just from the profits (even though they would’ve been massive for Ed). From his two Melbourne shows alone, I estimate that Ed now has in the tens of thousands of walking billboards for his brand. Check out the length of Ed’s merchandise queue as evidence that I am not exaggerating on this. 

So what’s your merchandise opportunity? Is it a branded product that your customers buy, or is it something you give away as part of your core offer so that whilst it doesn’t make you money through the sale, it still has the walking billboard effect?

Use QR Codes To Assist With Additional Sales

QR codes have COVID to thank for their eventual everyday usage amongst the masses, making them an excellent marketing tool – so use them.

Ed did this well, enticing his audience to scan a QR code displayed on a giant guitar pic (while they waited for the main event) in exchange for a signed Ed Sheeran card.

The link took his audience to an online store where they could peruse and pre-order his soon to be released album, new merchandise, and also his back catalogue, along with a range of other merchandise that wasn’t available at the venue. Way to go with the cross-sell Ed!

How can you incorporate QR codes in your business to further enhance the experience and/or make more sales?

QR codes are particularly great for events, but they can also be used on printed materials that you may send to your customers as part of the delivery process of your products or services.

Your QR code may link to:

• Related or complementary products or services that would enhance the experience with what they have already purchased from you (e.g. an upsell to 1:1 coaching for members of your online course)
• Exclusive discounts
• Bonus content
• A free gift
• Customer onboarding information to help improve their experience with what they have purchased
• A personalised video message

It really is limitless how you can use QR codes in your marketing to current customers to both surprise and delight your customers, as well as increase the lifetime value of your customers. You’ve just got to work out how they could be put to best use within your current products and services.

How Can You Be More Like Ed Sheeran?

So, how can you be more like Ed Sheeran when it comes to marketing to your current customers?

Do you need to:

• Improve your delivery to ensure your customers get a truly remarkable experience?
• Do more to make your customers feel like they belong?
• Create merchandise as a cross-sell opportunity to increase revenue?
• Give away branded products to achieve the travelling billboard effect?
• Use QR codes to further enhance the experience and/or make more sales?

It’s time to be more like Ed. You don’t need to do all these things, but you should try to at least incorporate one of these to help increase the lifetime value of your customers. Which one will you choose?