Building Brand Loyalty in a Digital Era
In our fast-paced, need-to-have-it-now culture, we’re not very used to things sticking around. TikTok trends come and go, Instagram influencers rise and fall, Amazon fast fashion fads cycle through, and brands seem to launch and disappear just as quickly.
Amidst this chaos of limitless choices and overwhelming information flow, how can brands build, and maintain, a loyal consumer base? While it takes a lot of work (and a lot of time!), I’m here to tell you it’s completely possible to rally a committed community around your cause. We’ll go over what brand loyalty means today, how to build loyalty with your audience, and mistakes to avoid when establishing trust with your consumers. Let’s dive in.
What does brand loyalty mean?
Before we get into how to build loyalty with your customers, it’s important to define what we mean by brand loyalty in this context. With the rise of e-commerce and digital storefronts, it’s possible to build, run, and grow an online business – all from your computer. But as extraordinary as this accessibility is, it also makes it very difficult to build relationships with the people buying your product or service.
Brand loyalty is no longer defined by just having repeat customers. It now encompasses a large spectrum of behaviors that show a shared bond between a brand’s audience and the brand’s values, mission, and narrative.
Among the most important factors of brand loyalty are emotional resonance and advocacy. People are no longer passive buyers – they are active participants in the brand’s growth and success by sparking conversations on social media, participating in brand campaigns, and spreading the word. This level of loyalty is less about the value of a product or service (although this is obviously still important) and more about a shared purpose and understanding between the business and its community.
So how do you nurture these kinds of relationships? It all starts with a shift in strategy, which we’ll discuss below.
Building brand loyalty: the basics
If you want to build a loyal community of enthusiasts helping you grow your brand, you first need to shift the way you approach your audience. Rather than viewing your consumers as one-time buyers, you should recognize them as long-term partners in your brand’s journey and growth. This will help you build lasting, meaningful relationships with your audience and differentiate your brand in the digital landscape. There are a few ways you can align your strategy with this goal, some of which I’ll outline below.
Growing a Community
One of the most important things you can do to increase brand loyalty is to grow a community around your brand. As I’ve discussed in a previous post , an audience is not the same thing as a community.
Launching and growing a community takes time, but there’s nothing like people-powered growth to help boost your brand’s visibility. Dedicate some time and space within your strategy to think about what a community means for your brand and how you can foster relationships with your consumers to make them part of your team instead of just part of your budget sheet.
Consistently Creating Great Content
Another key part of brand loyalty is to put out helpful content – consistently. People are drawn to great ideas, engaging copy, and beautiful design. But to foster a sense of community around your content, you must first be consistent with what you put out. Once people expect to see your newsletter in their inboxes every week or look forward to your weekly blog post, your brand starts becoming more than another content machine – it becomes part of your audience’s routine.
Bonus tip: dedicate a few days a month to creating and scheduling bulk content for your brand. It’s easier to stay in the same gear when creating and will help hold you accountable for posting consistently!
Personalization
Last, but definitely not least, creating loyalty around your brand goes hand in hand with creating a personalized experience for your consumers. When people feel recognized and special, they’ll come back more often and start to take an interest in your cause.
You might think it’s difficult to personalize experiences for hundreds, if not thousands, of consumers, but you can always start small by customizing email flows, creating incentives for repeat customers, and sending personalized emails to the top 5% of your consumer base. A personal thank-you email from the CEO or founder of a business will go a long way – trust me!
Mistakes to avoid when building brand loyalty
When cultivating a loyal community around your brand, there are some mistakes you could be making that can hinder your progress. Let’s discuss a few main ones:
Inconsistent materials: Inconsistency in your branding, messaging, tone, or design can confuse and alienate your customers. Make sure you stay consistent to foster a sense of reliability and authenticity.
Ignoring feedback: A key part of growing brand loyalty is making an effort to make your consumers feel like part of the team. Ignoring feedback, leaving issues unresolved, or never asking for your community’s opinions can lead to your customers feeling undervalued and unappreciated.
Over-promising: While it can be tempting to make grand promises to your consumers, it’s important to never mislead or set unrealistic expectations. This will only put unnecessary pressure on yourself and erode trust with your audience. Under-promise and over-deliver.
Conclusion
Building brand loyalty can be a big challenge – but one that has many invaluable benefits for your business. Remember to treat your customers as part of your team, consistently put out valuable content, and personalize consumer experience, where you can. Taking the time to create a space in your strategy for brand loyalty will contribute to the customer-business flywheel that will help your business survive and thrive.
If you need help with a personalized strategy to grow brand loyalty for your business, fill out the form to get started.
