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Customer Lifetime Period (CLTV)

8 June, 2024 1 min read

What Is The Customer Lifetime Period (CLTV)?

It represents the average length of time a customer remains a paying customer and generates revenue for your business.

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A longer CLTV signifies stronger customer relationships, higher profitability, and sustainable growth.

Understanding CLTV helps you prioritize resources, tailor marketing strategies, and predict future revenue.

How To Calculate Customer Lifetime Period (CLTV)?

There are multiple formulas depending on available data:

Basic: CLTV = Average Customer Value / Customer Churn Rate
Advanced: CLTV = (Σ Customer Revenue over lifetime) / (Σ Customers Acquired)
Average Customer Value (ACV): Average revenue generated per customer during their lifecycle.
Customer Churn Rate: Percentage of customers leaving your business within a specific period.
Reduce customer churn by 2% with the #1 customer success software

An Example of Customer Lifetime Period (CLTV)

A subscription service has an average customer value of $100 per month and a churn rate of 5% per month.

Basic CLTV = $100 / 0.05 = 2000 months (around 16 years).

Insights Customer Lifetime Period (CLTV)

Understanding CLTV helps you:

  • Identify the profitability of different customer segments.
  • Predict future revenue based on existing customer base.
  • Prioritize initiatives that improve customer retention and increase CLTV.
  • Evaluate the effectiveness of marketing and acquisition strategies.

Additional Considerations for Customer Lifetime Period (CLTV)

  • Segment customers based on demographics, behavior, and value to understand variations in CLTV.
  • Track CLTV over time to measure the impact of retention efforts.
  • Utilize predictive analytics to forecast individual customer lifespans and personalize engagement strategies.
  • Analyze reasons for customer churn to identify areas for improvement.
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Note: Customer lifetime period is a key metric for understanding the true value of your customers. By analyzing and optimizing it, you can foster long-term customer relationships, unlock sustainable growth, and build a profitable business model.

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