One big goal of every business owner is to attract and retain customers, which is a lot easier with brand loyalty. But, how do you build brand loyalty? Although there isn’t a formula or surefire tactic that works on every business, there are brand loyalty strategies you can test to build relationships and trust with customers. Ready to learn how to create brand loyalty? Then keep reading.
7 Brand loyalty strategies
How can companies create brand loyalty? Glad you asked. There are a number of customer loyalty strategies you can use to strengthen your relationship with customers. Here are seven strategies to increase customer loyalty to try out at your business.
1. Make every experience memorable
A good brand makes each and every experience (both in store or online) memorable. And if you don’t shoot for memorability, customers could wind up forgetting your name and moving on to a competitor who knows how to create an unforgettable experience.
To make experiences memorable for your customers so they keep coming back for more, start from the get-go with their very first experience with your business. For example, you could give out a freebie to a new customer the first time they shop at your store (e.g., free cup of coffee). Your gesture doesn’t have to be big, just memorable.
Other ways you can make things more memorable for customers is by:
- Personalizing experiences
- Prioritizing customer service
- Showing appreciation for your customers
- Being proactive
- Going above and beyond if an issue arises
- Showing customers that you listen
2. Be consistent
You’ve heard it before (and you’ll hear it a billion more times while running your business): Consistency is key. And if you want to build brand loyalty, you have to be consistent in everything that you do.
From marketing to customer service, your brand should be consistent all around. That way, current and potential customers know they can count on and trust you. Make sure things like your messaging, advertising, and quality remain the same (if not better) over time.
3. Prioritize customer service
Fun fact: 96% of consumers say customer service is an important factor in their choice of loyalty to a brand. With so many people agreeing customer service is oh-so-important, your business can’t afford not to prioritize customer service if you want to create brand loyalty.
If you want to stand out amongst other brands, make sure your customer service goes above and beyond. To prioritize customer service and show customers that they can trust your brand, you can:
- Create memorable experiences (ahem, tip #1)
- Personalize messages and responses
- Follow up regardless of if there’s a problem
- Respond quickly to issues and concerns
- Provide fast and friendly support
- Ask and listen to feedback
The more you show your customers you truly care, the more likely they are to stick with your brand. So, go the extra mile for each and every customer, and try to nip problems in the bud as soon as possible.
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4. Respond quickly to issues
Picture this: You email a company’s customer service team because you’re experiencing an issue. It takes a week for them to even respond to the email. And when they do respond, they don’t offer any solution. Instead, you go in circles with them to try to get your issues resolved. Because of their lack of responsiveness, you decide to give up and take your business elsewhere.
Do you want the above scenario to happen to one of your customers? Of course not! To ensure customers stay loyal to your business and are satisfied, respond quickly to problems (no matter how big or small they are).
On the importance of responding to customers, Pedro Hernandes, Demand Generation Manager at Groundbreaker, said:
Response time is the backbone of any customer service department or organization. Customers don’t like to call back or repetitively point out a single issue. If you’re able to answer customer queries quickly and effectively, you stand to increase your brand loyalty ten-fold. Brands with the ability to build flawless customer experiences and offer exceptional standards of customer service can set themselves apart from their competitors in a notable way.
Whether it’s a comment on a social media post, an online chat, email, phone call, or review, you need to show customers that you’re responsive. As soon as you find out a customer has a problem, respond to their concern immediately and see what you can do to make things right. That way, you can show customers (even the disgruntled ones) that you care, appreciate their feedback, and want to do whatever it takes to resolve the problem.
5. Follow up on a regular basis
Checking in with customers is a must if you want to build strong customer relationships that last a lifetime. But, this doesn’t just mean following up with customers when something goes awry. It also means following up with them about onboarding, quality, new features, products and services, and so on.
Do a check-in with customers on a regular basis. But, be careful not to do it so often that you scare customers away or annoy them. You can do a quick pop in via phone call or email and ask questions like:
- How are you liking Product A?
- Is there anything we can do to improve XYZ?
- Do you have any questions I can answer?
A simple question can go a long way with customers. So, take a minute or two per customer to reach out to them to see if your business is meeting (or hopefully exceeding) their needs.
6. Act on feedback
Chances are, you probably ask your customers for feedback in some shape or form. But, do you actually act on it? Aka, do you respond to bad reviews (and good ones), follow up with customers, and make improvements based on feedback? If not, it’s time for a change.
If you want to increase customer loyalty, you have to accept both the good and bad feedback and take action on it. Not sure that acting on feedback actually matters? Approximately 52% of people believe that companies need to take action on feedback provided by their customers. And, 77% of consumers say they favor brands that ask for and accept customer feedback.
Customers are more inclined to stick with a business that values their feedback. By showing that customers’ opinions matter, you can gain trust and loyalty. And who knows—maybe it’ll help you attract more customers in the process.
7. Offer loyalty incentives
To help boost brand loyalty, you can also create brand loyalty programs and offer other incentives to entice customers to stick around for the long haul. Plus, customers love them (84% of consumers say they’re more likely to stick with a brand that offers a loyalty program).
Not sure where to start on the brand loyalty program front? Here are a few ideas:
- Offer freebies to loyal customers
- Send out coupons
- Include discounts for signing up for newsletters, rewards, etc.
- Create a punch card
- Establish a loyalty program for small business (e.g., customers can earn points with each purchase)
A well thought-out loyalty program can help retain existing customers, attract new prospects, and reactive dormant customers. Not to mention, it can push customers to spend more at your business.
This is not intended as legal advice; for more information, please click here.