Customer loyalty is something that every company strives for, because who doesn’t want loyal customers who promote your products and services to their networks. Unfortunately, customer loyalty doesn’t just happen overnight. It takes time and effort to build this up and establish it.
These are a few of the things you can do to start building that consumer loyalty:
Listen
Listening to your customers and what they have to say is one of the easiest ways to establish loyalty. Asking for feedback and reviews of your products and services is a great way to gain this insight and hear what your customers think. Another great way is to engage with them on social media. The comments section and direct messages of your social media channels are likely full of feedback (both positive and negative) from customers. Be sure to engage with them on these platforms and respond to both positive and negative comments that were made publicly. While not all feedback will necessarily be put into action, it’s still important to have a pulse on what consumers are saying.
Be Honest & Transparent
Honesty and transparency play a huge role in creating and fostering customer loyalty. To ensure that your brand is being honest and transparent you can do the following:
Make sure any communication with your consumers is always clear and appropriate for your audience.
If there is ever any bad press about your brand, take responsibility and apologize for it.
Share behind the scenes when possible, this shows integrity and that your brand truly lives up to its values and mission.
Treat your employees the way you want your customers to be treated! Honesty and transparency trickle down, it’s important to share these values and principles with your team.
Community Involvement
Another great way to build and foster customer loyalty is through community involvement. This reinforces in your customers that your company is here to stay and that your team members are active participants in the community. This might look like sponsoring a community event or sports team, having team members donate their time at a local charity, or partnering with local organizations to create unique product or service offerings.
Tip - Always keep your brand and target audience in mind when choosing how and where to get involved. It’s a bonus when your community efforts align with the values of your target audience.
Consider a Loyalty Program
Loyalty programs are a sure way to foster customer loyalty. It’s a great way to encourage your customers to keep coming back time and time again, and tell their networks about your company. Loyalty programs can include: offering stamp cards where after a certain amount of purchases they get one free, building a membership and offering them exclusive discounts or creating referral type programs just to name a few.
Not all loyalty programs will work for your company. Do some research and see which one is best suited for your company. Better yet, ask your customers if they would be interested in a loyalty program and what they would like that to look like. The best way to know what your customers want is by asking them directly!
Listening to your customers and being honest and transparent with them should be non-negotiables for your company. Consumers are seeking this from brands they support now so if you haven’t already, you should incorporate these values into your company culture.
