How do I brand for more loyal customers? 

The truth is that you do not brand to get more loyal customers; getting your branding right will naturally attract customers that will stay loyal if you stay consistent. Customers actually make or break your business. 

Loyal customers are consumers of your product or service that are extremely familiar with what you do. They advocate for what your company believes in, and support your products and services by paying, referring, and even going as far as investing in the company. So, essentially it means that they bring in the money or they increase brand awareness through word-of-mouth.

With no loyal customers, not only will the business fail, but building a successful brand would be impossible. No business gets to the next level if people only use its product or services once and never return to patronize. Customers’ loyalty is continuous and keeps the business running – this is why it should be highly prioritized with respect and great customer service. To increase the customers who are loyal to your brand, here are some strategies to consider:

1. Use color psychology

When designing your logo, be mindful of the colors which you incorporate. Colors represent different things and have the power to represent exactly what your brand stands for. Black is often associated with mystery and white stands for purity, simplicity, and goodness. When put together, they make for a minimalistic logo that can signify a different thing altogether. Some colors express luxury and confidence such as blue and purple. Understanding color psychology and how it affects your brand would definitely garner more loyal customers for your business. People want to be associated with concepts they can easily relate to, so branding with the right colors is a good thing for your business.

2. Make them contribute.

People love being part of the process. Give them that honor with your brand. It is a great way to increase loyalty. When they make complaints, listen to them and act on it till they are satisfied. Your customer service should be impeccable – pick up their calls within your stipulated working hours, respond to messages left on social media, check your business mails and give responses or assistance when necessary. Nothing beats being there for the customers and letting them know that their concerns are being taken into consideration. Be responsive and do what you say you’re going to do. It is also great when you engage the customers with trivia about your business and opinion polls.

When your brand does not resonate with your customers and the behind-the scenes-brand is not responsive to them, it dampens their loyalty. Customers feel more connected to the brand if there is an open two-way dialogue. The customers who take the time to give feedback are usually your biggest advocates. By capturing feedback, mostly through surveys and follow-up questionnaires, you can find out exactly what your customers are thinking and what you can do to improve. Build brand loyalty by refining your product and services with some of your customers’ input.

3. Be like Jeff Bezos. 

In building Amazon, Jeff always looked at it as encompassing; that’s why the Amazon logo has the arrow pointing from the A to Z, signifying how the brand completely caters to you. Look at your business from the consumer’s perspective so that you can spot the gaps. This way, you can effectively personalize your marketing efforts and increase brand loyalty. Collate the data to create more personalized experiences for your customers. This is a sure way of giving them what they want. Create customized offers and content based on your data. 

Also, align yourself with complementary brands. Brand collaboration is a big deal to consumers. Through cross promotions, you would be reaching new customers and enforcing the loyalty of the existing ones.

4. Give a boatload of value

Always ask – if I wasn’t the owner of this business, would I patronize it? Your business should be more than just you and what you care about. You cannot just create content or offer discounts and promos. You have to provide something the customers care about. Focus on their needs; this usually means solving a specific problem or enhancing their life in some way.  Understand why they like your product and work that angle to the maximum. Never compromise on quality. Instead, you should learn to under-promise and over-deliver. Maintaining a certain level of quality that is based on giving your customers value for their money is a sure way to have them coming back to you. They would willingly tell others about the wonders of your products too.

5. Be consistent and authentic.

Loyalty is based on trust; so to get your customers’ loyalty, you must not let them down. Repetition builds your reputation. Consistency always produces the desired results and trust results from consistency.  Consistently delivering high-quality products and services will make your customers stick with you because they know they can count on you.

The nursing mother will stick to the diaper company that promised that its products eliminate the chances of her baby getting rashes after using it because she trusted that her baby will be safe and she was not disappointed. Now, she would recommend the same diapers to other mothers who would test for themselves as well as still patronize her when she has more babies.

As long as you stay in business with your authentic products and services, you have earned yourself a loyal customer who goes out of her way to market your brand to more people within her niche who are also the business’ ideal clients. You never know how far the word can spread about your product, so you must stay consistent with your brand and whenever you can, go beyond the expected.

One period of inconsistency could be the unraveling of your entire business. Some businesses never truly come back from such hits because there are tons of choices out there with the same products and services and customers can easily jump ship. Do not drop the ball by being inconsistent. 

In conclusion, customers’ loyalty to your brand is an inside job.

It starts with the strategies you implement.

Do you overlook your existing customers and focus on getting new ones? That would hurt your brand loyalty. Consider your customers and expand on how they respond to your products. Be proactive about feedback and adjust your operations to address any negative feedback. A potential customer could be discouraged by a one-time customer because you didn’t address an existing issue with your products.

Also, people are intensely loyal to brands that identify with a cause.

When independent sources share some of the socially responsible work you partake in or sponsor, it resonates well with customers as they see you giving back to the community in your own way. They would not mind patronizing because they feel that a percentage of their money is also going into the cause as well. Be transparent with your dealings and always let them know that they are appreciated. 

If your business can afford it, you may introduce loyalty packages and rewards for returning customers. Everyone loves to get more value for less money.