5 Effortless Ways to Maintain Brand Loyalty
I’ve talked a lot about personal branding in my blog. Take a look at 5 Tips and Tools for Effective Personal Branding for example; but a topic I have yet to wax lyrical about is Brand Loyalty. What is it you ask? How important is it to your business? What does it take to keep your brand’s integrity?
Brand loyalty involves attracting consumers, keeping them coming back for more and having them share your brand with other consumers. A lot of companies spend millions trying to turn their brands into big hits with consumers but only a few ever reach success in getting their brand to outshine their competition.
Do you know who has an inadvertent monopoly on the art of Brand Loyalty? Ghanaian market-women. No, I’m not being biased, it’s true. Go to any Ghana fleamarket and you will find rows and rows of men, women and children sitting in the hot sun, selling EXACTLY the same goods…. but there is always that one woman who has a queue spanning further than the eye can see, waiting for her service. What they want is available in the empty stall right next to hers, but nope. They’ll wait. That’s the kind of brand loyalty I’m talking about. Seeing that… ehem… I AM Ghanaian, how about I let you in on her secret? In addition to time, patience and commitment, here are a few effortless ways to keep your consumers coming back for more!
Momma’s Recipe is Best
Make your product unforgettable but don’t compromise your company’s values. Even if you decide to take a somewhat different direction from your original business intent, always remember to adhere to the roots of your company. This will ensure that your business does not turn against what it inherently stands for. As the person behind the brand, you must represent your brand well, in and out of the office. The Ultimate Branding Cheat Sheet will give you an idea of what it means to stay true to your values.
Put the Food Within Arm’s Length
I don’t know about you, but if I have to travel 12 miles to buy kale, I’m more likely to reach for the fried chicken a block away. The Ghana market-woman’s set up is perfect because everyone passes by on their way to and from work. Apart from providing a good product or service, you must also put a lot of consideration into making your product convenient for your consumers. Reduce the effort it takes to access your product, making it easier for people to interact with you and thereby increase customer satisfaction. Satisfied customers usually want to come back for more stellar service.
Tell Me Your Story
It is never quiet at a market stall. Our market-woman constantly shouts, laughs, asks questions, shares the latest gossip, asks for the latest news; doing whatever it takes to keep her customers chatting, engaged and interested.
You might ask for the big-business-world equivalent. Take a look at Coca-Cola which is a very successful brand partly because they never stop engaging with their audience, always coming up with campaigns to keep their consumers hooked. The latest Coke craze? Seeing your name on a Coke can. This community engagement campaign is a brilliant strategy to draw people into the Coke community. Likewise, you should never should stop at just providing good products. ALWAYS engage your audience and let your consumers be a part of your brand.
“Thank You Uncle/Aunty”
In Ghana, as a sign of respect, every adult is either your aunt or uncle. Even if you don’t know them from Adam. When a customer receives from you, you BOTH say thank you. They appreciate your service, and you appreciate their business. This seemingly odd endearment creates a sense of community that almost demands loyalty. I mean, wouldn’t you do business with a reliable uncle?
There are plenty of ways to create this sense of community between yourself and your audience. Reach out, through weekly newsletters and blog posts. Reward customers with give-aways of your products or services as a ‘Thank You’ for staying faithful to your brand. When people feel special, they stick around and will almost always refer others to you.
“See You Tomorrow”
“See you tomorrow uncle!” the market woman shouts across the crowded fleamarket as she waves at another satisfied customer.
“Ok my dear” he smiles and waves back.
That little exchange, the promise of delivering the same great service the next day, and the customers swift feedback creates loyalty.
Always deliver what you’ve promised. Failure to deliver opens the door for your competition to snatch your customers from under your nose. As Benjamin Franklin said, “It takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad one to lose it.” So, make it a habit to bring satisfaction all the time. Show your customers that you care by consistently providing the same high quality performance throughout your interaction with them and encourage feedback. Where you fail (being human after all), communicate clearly and take immediate compensatory action. This reassures your customers, gains trust and ensures return business and/or referrals.
Do you know of other strategies to maintain brand loyalty? What are your experiences with maintaining brand loyalty?
Feel free to leave a comment in the box below. Tell us what we’ve missed. We’d love to hear from you!
If you find this post helpful, don’t forget to like and share. Till next time!
