Creating targeted promotions
Sending the same discount to every customer is like fishing with a net when you could use a spear. A customer who only buys maize flour does not care about your coffee promotion. Targeted promotions match the offer to the customer, and they convert 3–5 times better than blanket campaigns.
Segmenting Customers by Purchase History
Segmentation means grouping your customers based on what they actually buy. The simplest segments for a Kenyan shop:
Frequent Buyers , Customers who shop with you every week. They already trust you. Reward them with exclusive discounts or early access to new stock to keep them coming back.
Lapsed Customers , Someone who used to buy from you but has not visited in 30+ days. Send a "We miss you" offer , KES 100 off their next purchase. This segment has the highest potential return because they already know and like your shop.
High-Value Customers , The 20% of customers who generate 80% of your revenue. Offer them loyalty points, bulk discounts, or priority ordering. Do not treat them the same as someone who bought once.
Product-Specific Segments , Customers who buy diapers regularly might appreciate a baby product promotion. Tea buyers might try a new brand if you offer a sample. Use purchase history to make relevant suggestions.
Location-Based , If you have multiple shops or delivery zones, segment by area. An offer valid in your Eastlands location should not go to customers in Westlands.
Why Targeted Promos Convert Better
A blanket "20% off everything" SMS goes to everyone, including customers who just stocked up and cannot use it. You waste money on people who were never going to respond.
Targeted promotions solve this:
- You send cooking oil discounts to customers who buy cooking oil
- You send back-to-school offers to parents who bought school supplies last term
- You send weekend meat offers to customers who typically shop on Saturdays
The customer feels understood. The offer is relevant. The response rate jumps from 1% to 4–5% or higher.
How SokoWise Lets You Send Different Offers to Different Customer Groups
SokoWise stores every customer's purchase history automatically. You do not need to export data or build spreadsheets.
To run a targeted campaign in SokoWise:
- Go to your customer list and apply a filter , "bought milk in the last 30 days" or "have not visited in 60 days" or "total spend above KES 10,000"
- Create your offer message specific to that group
- Send via SMS, WhatsApp, or print receipts with the offer
The same interface lets you create multiple campaigns for different segments in minutes. You see which segments responded and adjust your next campaign accordingly.