Animated thank you video for customers: gratitude with no sales pitch

Most businesses say thank you to customers in one of two ways. A receipt that says "Thank you for your purchase!" in a font nobody chose, or a heartfelt message that turns, by the second sentence, into "and here is 15% off your next order."

A short animated thank-you video can do better. It is small enough to feel personal, charming enough to get watched, and, if you let it, completely free of selling. People notice that. They remember the shop that thanked them without wanting anything.

When should a business send a thank you video to customers?

Send one at moments that genuinely deserve thanks: a first order, a repeat customer's tenth visit, a kind review, a business milestone, or the end of a busy year. The moment makes the message feel real. A thank-you with no reason attached reads like marketing, even when it is not.

• The first order "You took a chance on a small shop. Thank you. We packed it like it was going to our own grandmother."
• The regular For your top customers, one film each with their name. It is a small job, and they will remember it for years.
• The milestone Your 1,000th order or fifth birthday is really a story about customers. Tell it that way.
• The kind review A short film thanking everyone who took the time to write something nice.
• After a hard patch A delayed shipment, a closed road, a broken oven. "Thank you for your patience" lands better as a film than as small print.
• The end of the year A look back at the year you had together, with no offer at the end.
• The backers If people crowdfunded or pre-ordered, they took a real risk on you. Thank them first.

What should you say in a thank you video for customers?

Name what they did, say what it meant to you, and stop. Two or three sentences in your own voice beat a polished paragraph. If you can mention something specific (the product, the season, the neighborhood), the film stops feeling like a broadcast and starts feeling like a note.

Should a customer thank you video include a discount?

Usually no. The moment you add an offer, the thank-you becomes an ad, and people file it that way. If you want to reward loyalty, send the reward separately, or give something small without a condition attached: "There is a treat in your next parcel. No code, no catch."

A thank-you with a coupon is a coupon.

How long should a thank you video be?

Between 10 and 20 seconds for most thank-you videos. That fits a name, one or two warm sentences and your logo. An end-of-year thank-you with a small story can stretch to 30. Longer than that, and gratitude starts to feel like a speech people are politely waiting to end.

Where do you send a customer thank you video?

Wherever the customer already is. The most personal places are an email after an order, a message to a regular, or a QR code on a card in the parcel. For broad thank-yous, post it on your social accounts or show it on the screen in your shop.

• Email after purchase: link to the video or attach it. Subject: "A small thank-you from us".
• Order confirmation page: a short wide film plays after checkout.
• Printed card in the parcel: a QR code that opens the film.
• Social post: tall for stories, square for feeds.
• In the shop: on the counter screen for a week around your milestone.

How do you make a thank you video for customers?

1. Step 1

   Choose the moment. First order, milestone, year-end, or a specific customer.

2. Step 2

   Write two honest sentences. What they did, what it meant. No offer.

3. Step 3

   Make it look like you. Your colors, your typeface, your shopfront or product drawn simply.

4. Step 4

   Send it where they are. Email, parcel card, or your feed. One place is enough.

For bigger customer messages like an opening or a year in review, see messages to customers and partners. For the festive version, our animated holiday card for clients covers December. And if your first customers have not walked in yet, start with a grand opening video announcement.

A customer thank-you film in Nine

Start from your website address and Nine reads your name, colors and typeface, so the thank-you looks like it came from your shop and not from a greeting card rack. Then add your two sentences, or use a template: a card that holds still suits a simple "Thank you, from all of us at Spoke and Chain." You can upload your logo or a picture on any paid plan. The crew makes the drawn film with a voice, music and sound effects while you watch, and checks it before you see it.

Want a version per top customer? Change the name and say "same film, for Maria". You get video files in wide, tall and square to send yourself; Nine never emails anyone for you. Up to 20 seconds on the Film plan at $29 a month. See pricing, or read how a film from your own website works.