Brand Loyalty

What is brand loyalty ?

Brand loyalty is a consumer behavior pattern where consumers become committed to a particular brand and make repeat purchases over time. Companies use creative marketing strategies, such as loyalty or rewards programs, trials, brand ambassadors, and incentives like free samples to build brand loyalty.

Breaking down brand loyalty

In a highly competitive market overwhelmed with new and established brands, companies employ different tactics to create brand loyalty. Loyal customers will purchase their favorite brand regardless of convenience or price. Companies follow consumer buying and shopping trends, build relationships with their customers through active customer service, and engage brand spokespersons.

Brand loyalty is most successful when it addresses the values that are most important to their customers. Customer loyalty leads to repeat customers and increased profits. Marketers will study consumer buying and shopping trends to help them develop brand loyalty.

Consumer trends and brand loyalty

Consumer trends are the habits and behaviors exhibited by consumers regularly and over time. Some trends are static, but most evolve periodically. Companies will collect and analyze data on customer spending habits to better understand how to market their product. Marketers will track changes and create a corresponding marketing campaign to help the company acquire and keep its loyal customers. Companies hire brand ambassadors to be spokespersons for their products. By promoting the brand’s image and stimulating interest, the company hopes to influence purchasing behaviors. Brand ambassadors can be an effective way of disseminating positive word of mouth.

Continuous monitoring and research are needed to measure the utility of products and identify modifications that will offer additional consumer benefits and increase brand loyalty. When a company ignores consumer trends, they forfeit potential profits, erode their market share, and lose brand-loyal customers. Many giant companies such as Blockbuster, which once had a monopolistic advantage, have failed because their product was misaligned with their customers’ growing needs and environments. To assume that a product will always meet anticipated needs of the consumers is a certainty for failure.

Brand loyalty and the Internet

Before the internet, the most common way to build brand loyalty was through the interaction of a salesperson and a customer. Today, the internet provides access to thousands of consumer products and services without the salesperson as the intermediary. Consumers, empowered to conduct independent research and compare competitors’ offerings, make informed choices and are less committed to specific brands. As a result, firms are challenged with how to distinguish their products from competitors and how those differences add value. Building brand loyalty via the internet is challenging, yet can reap significant rewards. Brands that continue to meet the needs of the consumer will flourish. Incorporating the internet in marketing strategies can increase the base of customers dedicated to a brand.

15 Ways To Increase Brand Loyalty And Retain Your Customer Base

1. Don’t Let Your Customers Down

If you consistently deliver high-quality products and services and stay on top of trends, your customers will stick with you because they know they can count on you.

2. Be Authentic And Consistent

The importance of being authentic and consistent cannot be underestimated. Customers must be able to count on the company to deliver the same outstanding products and services over time. And if an issue ever arises, they need to know that it will be addressed immediately and with individual consideration.

3. Have A Noble Edge

Scientific studies show that people are intensely loyal to brands leveraging the Noble Edge Effect. This is when an independent source shares the socially responsible or charitable work your company does. Be authentic about giving back and let others tell your story. This is especially effective with customers who have strong moral aspirations or who have little product knowledge and experience.

4. Live And Breathe Customer Service

Nothing is perfect in life. We all get that. But when that something goes wrong with your product, a great way to increase brand loyalty is to simply be there for your customer. Live and breathe customer service, because without them, you won’t have any following. Answer the phone, respond to the messages left on your social media channels, and do what you say you’re going to do.

5. Provide Value

Don’t just write content for the sake of content or throw out minimal discounts or offers. Provide something your users actually care about. What do they want to know, see, do, have? Give them more of that. Understand their personas, what drives them and why they like your product in the first place. Following this pattern will increase results.

6. Keep Your Eye On Quality

Customers expect a certain level of quality. Exceed it. Maintaining a consistent level of quality that offers a no-brainer level of value to the customer will keep them coming back. Exceeding your customers’ expectations while giving a level of quality they can count on, will earn you their loyalty and advocacy.

7. Be Responsive

Responsiveness is critical to brand loyalty. While your brand may resonate with your persona, if your behind-the scenes-brand is not responsive to your audience, you can quickly lose that loyalty. For example, if someone sends you a message on social media or a question by social or email, having a process to follow up with those individuals is critical to maintaining loyalty and trust.

8. Follow Up With Your Customers Regularly

Checking in with customers after the sale is critical to establishing long-term relationships, especially in business-to-business. Check in with your customers during onboarding, right after onboarding, and at regular intervals. This is key to staying on top of their satisfaction. Sometimes, all it takes is a quick phone call to prevent a major issue.

9. Stop Spamming

It can be tempting for brands to create as many touchpoints as possible, especially by sending direct emails daily or multiple times per day. But the more I hear from a company, the more likely I am to delete everything it sends me. I’m most loyal to brands that, in addition to offering great products and value, respect my time by only reaching out with educational content or about good sales.

10. Personalize Your Marketing

Personalizing your marketing efforts will increase brand loyalty. Use the data your users give to you to create more personalized experiences to deliver what they want. Create customized offers and content based on your data.

11. Align Yourself With Like-Minded Businesses

When possible, align yourself with complementary brands and like-minded businesses. A huge trend in 2017 was brand collaborations. The right partners can provide tremendous value to your brand because, through cross promotions, you are not only increasing your customer reach, but you are providing your current customers with added value.

12. Listen To Your Customers

Companies should always listen to their customers. Regardless of positive or negative feedback, every piece can be useful information. Customers will feel more connected to the brand if they open up a two-way dialogue, and these passionate customers who take the time to give feedback will be your biggest advocates.

13. Focus On Killer Operations And Systems

Consumers have tons of choices for where they get their products and services, and they are just waiting for you to mess up to jump ship. Make sure you have great systems in place — from ordering to production to delivery — and that your business runs smoothly. You’ll set yourself apart from other businesses that drop the ball.

14. Anticipate

Go beyond the expected. When a company is able to anticipate my needs and goes above and beyond expectations, they earn my loyalty. For instance: A client of ours provides a lifetime warranty on their quartz products. So if something goes wrong with the product during or after installation, customers are covered. When you invest thousands into your new kitchen, peace of mind is essential.

15. Treat Every Day Like Groundhog Day

What I mean is to consistently repeat a brand’s message the same way each day. One of my mentors, “Rocket Ray” Jutkins, used to quip, “Repetition builds your reputation.” Loyalty emerges when trust is established. Trust results from consistency.