In today’s fast paced world, customer experience does not begin and end with purchase. Brand loyalty is an important factor in sustaining a business. It spans a wide range of interactions.
Customer acquisition is important for growing a business. However, making the customer return to make more purchases and leaving glowing reviews to attract more customers can grow your brand faster than acquiring new leads. These interactions shape trust building in the customer experience process.
This article showcases more insight into using brand loyalty to enhance customer experience.
What is brand loyalty?
Brand loyalty simply refers to a customer who constantly returns to make purchases from a brand despite alternative options out there. The decision to stick with a brand usually stems from trust between the brand and the customer. This includes trust in the brand’s products or services, customer service experience and shared values between the brand and the customer.
In other words, brand loyalty entails that a customer remains loyal to a brand even though the alternative offers a cheaper price or similar product. It means that a friendly and efficient customer service interaction makes the customer feel valued and respected. An excellent customer service can transform a negative customer experience into a positive one, thereby fostering trust building between the brand and the customer.
Why is brand loyalty important to customer experience?
- Builds a strong and loyal fan base
When a brand connects with its customers on a more personal level, it enhances brand commitment and drives more revenue. A strong relationship between a brand and customer means that the latter will be willing to pay a premium price to purchase your product.
For instance, Apple has consistently maintained a loyal fan base since the company’s inception in the 1970s. Specifically, iPhone users are well known advocates of the product, recommending the brand to family, friends, work colleagues and even online communities. The glowing reviews from users have also helped the brand attract more customers, sometimes without spending a dime on advertising.
- Sustains customer relationship and increases revenue
Loyal customers tend to spend more frequently on a brand’s product than newcomers, thereby helping to create a financially stable business. In other words, the more a customer trusts your product, the more willing they are to pay for them at a higher price.
- Cost effective advertising
Having loyal customers increases a brand’s chances of attracting new ones, sometimes without even spending a dime on advertising. These customers will talk about your product or service and recommend them to the people they know and care about.
Despite the advent of technology, word-of-mouth advertising remains an excellent way of brand awareness and building trust between a business and customer. This time, a satisfied customer does the talking while the business reaps the financial rewards.
- Customer insight
Loyal customers are more likely to give feedback about a brand’s product or services than new customers. They will likely participate in surveys, reviews, and offer suggestions on how the brand can improve their products or services.
Loyal customers are not just sources of income, they are also the most reliable channels of information to make your business bigger and better.
- Competitive edge
With a loyal customer base, a business does not have to worry so much about selling their products and services. As long as the brand continues to offer a satisfactory customer experience, it will always be ahead of other brands, even the ones that offer similar products and services.
Loyal customers are less likely to be convinced into switching their interests to another brand. As a result, they enhance the brand’s financial stability and growth.
How to use social media to build brand loyalty
In today’s interconnected world, social media has become a tool for growing and sustaining a business. Social media helps to build connections with potential and existing customers. Platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, among others can help create loyal customers and brand followers who will always purchase your products and services no matter the price.
Here are insightful tips on how to leverage social media to boost brand loyalty and customer experience.
- Define your brand’s values and voice
A brand’s values simply refer to what a business represents or stands for. These values guide the brand’s actions, giving meaning to its existence.
Therefore, identify what your brand stands for, whether it is environmental protection, animal rights, human rights, diversity, transparency and accountability, among others. While at it, be consistent with the brand’s voice across your social media platforms. It could be fun, professional, sober anything that effectively conveys your brand’s personality.
- Know your target audience
Understanding your brand’s target audience is essential to creating brand loyalty. Leverage social media tools such as analytics to gain insights into your audience’s demographics, preferences, and behavior. The information will help you tailor your content according to their needs.
- Post engaging content
With social media, content is king. Create high-quality, engaging content that provides value to your audience. It can be in the form of a blog post, infographics, video reels, interactive polls and quizzes, among others.
- Connect with your audience
Creating high-quality content is not enough. You have to connect with your audience on a more personal level. Start a conversation, drop and reply comments, and answer questions. Engaging with your audience shows that you respect and value their opinion, which can lead to building trust in your brand.
- Utilise User-Generated Content (UGC)
UGC is a proven social media strategy to keep your audience engaged and build brand loyalty. Encourage your audience to create and share content about your brand. This strategy helps to build a sense of community and expand your reach to potential customers.
- Run contests and giveaways
Contests and giveaways are effective loyalty programs you can run on social media. Exclusive discounts, early access to new products, referrals or special rewards for social media followers can not only keep your audience engaged, it can help you reach potential leads that can be converted to paying customers.
- Monitor your social media performance
Use analytics tools to track the progress of your social media activities. Monitor key metrics such as engagement rates, follower growth, and website traffic. They will show you what is working and what is not. Then you can act accordingly.
Conclusion
Brand loyalty is not a one and done deal. It is more than convincing a customer to try what you are offering. It is about making your customer your friend and turning them to big advocates of your brand.
