How to Build Strong Brand Loyalty (5 Must-See Tips)

When you think of the word loyalty, what comes to mind? If you're like most people, you may think about things like trust and dependability, which is 100% accurate. The textbook definition sums it up nicely; "a strong feeling of support or allegiance."

You want people to feel loyalty towards your brand, right? Building relationships with your visitors and turning them into loyal customers is pivotal to your success, especially in industries where competition is fierce.

There are plenty of benefits that come with building a loyal audience. In many cases, brands with dedicated fans see a higher retention rate, increased profits, and a competitive advantage when compared to new businesses entering the market.

Today, I want to share several tips and tricks you can use to skyrocket brand loyalty and increase brand awareness.

Let's get started!

Provide Unmatched Value

The most important thing you can do to build brand loyalty is to offer your visitors unmatched value through content and promotions. You will have a hard time convincing visitors to come back if they aren't getting anything for their time.

I suggest finding ways to offer value to your audience, regardless of whether they are a paying customer. You'll obviously want to establish a system where existing customers get extras for their dedication, but you can't forget your first-time visitors.

Your blog is an excellent way to show readers your value proposition and explain how you want to help them resolve their pain points or reach goals. Research shows that this strategy works. A whopping 70% of consumers prefer getting to know businesses based on their content.

The key to getting users to stay engaged with your blog is to post relevant content for your buyer personas. At this point, you should have a decent understanding of your ideal customers and their interests. Use this data to create compelling content that intrigues and inspires your audience. If implemented correctly, you'll likely see a significant boost in retention and engagement on your blog, which is one of the signs of a loyal fanbase.

Send Follow-Up Emails to New Subscribers

Next, let's talk about how you can use email marketing to boost audience loyalty. There's a good chance you subscribed to an email list in the past. Many brands make a common mistake: they wait too long to reach out to their new email subscribers.

A welcome email can help establish trust with your audience and encourage them to open future messages from your brand. Welcome emails have an open rate of 82%, which is the highest out of every possible marketing email you can imagine.

Subscribers are primed and ready to learn about your business from the moment they hit the "sign me up" call-to-action on your subscription form. Use this chance to touch base and let them know what they can expect from your business.

Focus on how your emails will benefit the readers, and you can bet they will open your next message. Promises can only go so far, though. If you want to truly establish loyalty with your audience, you have to deliver on your promises, whether it's blog content, promotions, or a lead magnet.

This is also an excellent opportunity to allow your audience to self-segment. When you consider that 4 out of 5 shoppers want more personalized content and offers, it's easy to see why this strategy is such a powerful way to build loyalty. People are more likely to open emails that resonate with their interests, especially if the brand is packing a ton of value in their emails. In fact, research shows that customers are 26% more likely to open a personalized email.

Invest in a Loyalty Program

The next tip I'm going to discuss has loyalty right in the title. That's right, let's talk about why including a loyalty program can help you build meaningful connections with your target audience. We all like feeling rewarded when we shop on our favorite websites. There's a good chance some of your favorite sites reward you for your purchases.

There are several types of programs you can use to encourage loyalty. Some businesses prefer a points-based system where users rack up points for spending money or by purchasing specific products. Users can then redeem their reward points for cash back, free gifts, and much more.

If you're looking for something a bit easier, cash-back programs are the way to go. Essentially, this system lets you pick a flat reward rate. For instance, you can give users back 5% of their purchase in store credit. This type of rewards program encourages users to come back for repeat orders so they can build up their points and get something they want from your online store.

Master Customer Service

Your customer service strategy can quite literally make or break your business. A stunning 63% of people say they are likely to return to a website if there's a live chat option. In other words, 37% of people will leave and likely never return if they don't have the chance to talk to a support agent.

If you want to nail your customer service strategy, I suggest using a hybrid system that involves both chatbots and live service agents. Chatbots are an excellent way to help customers with fundamental issues that can be answered with a link to a blog post or an automated email. This saves visitors that need a quick fix time while also easing the burden on your live support team.

On the other hand, your chat agents should be there to help customers with complicated issues, like processing payments or a problem that's unique to their situation.

I also suggest using social media to help customers with their problems. An impressive 3.96 billion people use social media, so you can bet that some of your customers will reach out for help on popular platforms like Facebook and Twitter.

Build Trust with Social Proof

Finally, you can build loyalty by showing social proof on your website. Essentially, social proof is any piece of content that shows visitors that your company is trusted by consumers, influencers, and other businesses. The most common form of social proof is customer reviews. This idea is based on the fact that 83% of people trust reviews over advertising.

When your visitors see that other customers had a positive experience with your company, they are likely to follow in their footsteps.

Influencers and brand endorsements can also do wonders for enhancing customer loyalty. Many shoppers turn to their favorite brands and influencers when they want suggestions on what they should buy next. If your product is endorsed by a well-known internet personality or company, consumers will approach your brand with built-in trust, which can inspire confidence and loyalty before they even make it to your product page.

Final Thoughts

Loyalty is a lot like trust; it takes a lot of work to gain loyalty, but it can be lost in seconds. The tips presented today will help you deliver a well-rounded experience to your target audience, which can help you generate more sales, engagement, and audience loyalty.