It’s always exciting when a new customer purchases a product or service from your company; however, that excitement grows once that customer becomes loyal to your brand. But with younger generations wavering from brand loyalty, many businesses are struggling to adapt to this new consumer landscape.
Here are five tried-and-true ways to boost your brand’s loyalty across the board.
Communicate Directly with Your Customers: Your brand needs to start with building relationships with its customers. Engaging with them directly and consistently is a great way to start building brand loyalty and can now be done easier than ever thanks to social media. Making use of live streams and published video allows you to engage with your audience by connecting with them directly and, even better, engaging with them to help answer questions or gain useful feedback. We’ve entered an age where people want to see the face behind the brand, and video lets you do just that when you can’t be face-to-face.
Make Them Want to Come Back: Incentives make it more likely for customers to return. Find new ways to reward customers for their loyalty, like providing a promotion when referring friends or even holding contests where the winner receives a branded prize. Having an incentive is a fun way to communicate with your customers and also functions as a way to convert awareness into loyalty.
Keep Product Quality High: Maintaining quality and keeping consistency is a crucial part of brand loyalty. People want a product that doesn’t leave room for mystery. They want to know what they’re buying is going to work or make them feel a certain way. If your product begins to backslide, repeat customers will notice and likely switch to a competitor. Increasing the value of your products or simply maintaining your current quality is crucial to also maintaining loyalty.
Consider and Implement Feedback: One of the best habits a brand can get into is listening to their customers. So few brands put into practice what their consumers actually want from them—and to their detriment. When customers provide feedback, it may not always be feasible to change or consider, but the more you listen, the more you’ll know what they want from you. And the more you listen and implement, the more you serve your true audience.
Show Them That They Are Appreciated: Building a better relationship with your customers must come from a place of authenticity and appreciation. Show your audience you’re grateful for their support through heartfelt videos. Express your gratitude for their support and humanize your brand by breaking down the wall between you and them. People want to see the “man” behind the machine. They won’t easily connect with a faceless brand.
Building brand loyalty is a slow process that requires consistency, quality, and authenticity. But if you meditate on those three concepts, those three words, the rest will fall in place.
As originally published on Forbes.com. Clearbridge Branding Agency is a digital marketing agency located in Glassboro. Visit ClearBridgeMedia.com.
