How Gift Guides Can Help You Understand Your Customers

Written By Arden Bodnar

One of the most important foundational marketing tools is truly understanding your customers. From in-depth customer interviews, data and insights, and focus groups, there are many ways for businesses to get a deeper understanding of their customers. However, one surprisingly effective tool for gathering customer insights, especially in the health and wellness and retail space, is the gift guide.

These curated lists of perfect presents are great for people looking to find gift inspiration for those who may have everything. But these can be much more than just seasonal content, or a way to get customer referrals. They offer a window into what your customers care about, how they perceive health and wellness, and where their interests lie.

Let’s explore how gift guides can be a powerful resource to help you connect with your audience on a deeper level. We have also curated our gift guides with links as a starting point for understanding your customers and building your own.

Why Gift Guides Resonate with Customers

Gift guides tap into the universal emotions of thoughtfulness, generosity, cultivating social connection and the desire to find something meaningful for a loved one. In the health and wellness market, these emotions are amplified. People aren’t just giving things; they’re gifting experiences of self-care, mindfulness, and vitality.

For instance:

  • A fitness-focused customer might gravitate toward products like resistance bands, wearable fitness trackers, or yoga mats.

  • Wellness enthusiasts may seek out aromatherapy kits, organic teas, or gratitude journals.

  • Beauty-conscious individuals could prioritize skincare bundles or spa-inspired treatments.

Each choice offers insights into their lifestyle, values, and aspirations.

What Gift Guides Reveal About Your Customers

1. Customer Priorities and Trends

What’s in demand this year? Are sustainable wellness products flying off the shelves? Is there a growing interest in tech-enabled fitness solutions? Gift guides can highlight emerging trends your audience is excited about to help you stay ahead of the curve.

2. Personalized Wellness Goals

The products customers choose often reflect their personal wellness journeys. Someone purchasing meditation cushions might value mental health over physical fitness. Others buying protein powders could be focused on muscle building or weight management.

3. Budget Insights

The price ranges customers gravitate toward provide clues about their spending habits. Are they investing in high-end wellness gadgets or opting for affordable self-care solutions?

4. Gifting Personas

Gift guides often help customers shop for others, which means you can indirectly learn about their network. A person shopping for a fitness-loving sibling might reveal an affinity for group workout classes, or someone buying organic bath salts for a friend might lean toward relaxation-focused products.

How to Create Insightful Gift Guides

1. Segment Your Audience

Craft gift guides tailored to different personas in your customer base. Examples of ours inclue:

  • For the Chill Seeker

  • For the Studio Star

  • For the Granola Girl

By segmenting, you’ll better understand which categories resonate most with your audience.

2. Use Polls and Surveys

Engage your audience directly by asking what they’d love to see in a gift guide. Not only does this make the content more relevant, but it also provides firsthand insights into their preferences.

3. Track Engagement

Monitor clicks, shares, and purchases from your gift guide to identify popular items. This data is invaluable for shaping future campaigns and product offerings.

4. Highlight Storytelling

Gift guides that connect products to real-life benefits—like "reduce stress with this calming tea set" or "boost recovery with this foam roller"—can reveal what solutions your audience is searching for in their health and wellness journey.

Leverage Insights Year-Round

The insights you gather from gift guides aren’t limited to the holiday season. Use this data to refine your messaging, develop new products, or even tailor your loyalty programs. If weighted blankets were a hit in your gift guide, consider a campaign around better sleep habits.

Our Wellness Gift Guides (with links)

Arden Bodnar
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