What is Brand Loyalty?
One of the most important things that differentiates brands in nearly every industry is the extent to which they are able to create loyal customers. Brand loyalty, after all, is what prevents people from switching products or services in search of a better deal or experience with another brand.
At its core, brand loyalty refers to customer satisfaction with an organization and their willingness to remain with it indefinitely. Brand loyalty can be built through many avenues including treatment during interactions with company representatives, consistency between marketing promises and actual performance, delivery of quality products/services on time at competitive prices, offering personalized care or guarantees.
The effects of brand loyalty cannot be understated since they help companies maintain market share when they might otherwise lose customers when business is slow or competitors roll out new products. Brand loyalty can also help a company’s bottom line by limiting the amount of money they have to spend on marketing and promotional activities, which can include discounts or coupons in order to attract new customers. Brand loyalty is often difficult to achieve because people are primed from a young age to challenge authority figures, question information and take nothing at face value. This “independent” mindset can be counter-intuitive for brands that rely on customer satisfaction.
Advantages of Brand Loyalty
Brand loyalty can also be effective for sustaining market share during periods of economic slowdown or when new products compete with existing ones . For this reason, brand loyalty helps contribute to the bottom line since it reduces the expenses brands pay out for advertising and marketing efforts. Brand loyalty is often difficult to achieve because people are trained from an early age to challenge authority figures, question information and take nothing at face value. This independent mindset can be counterproductive for brands that place importance on customer satisfaction and word-of-mouth referrals.
Brand loyalty is a pretty common thing these days and many companies try and achieve it. Brand Loyalty can be defined as “the relationship between a consumer and a brand.” Brand loyalty is when consumers remain devoted to one’s product, whereas if they switch to another similar product or shop at another company. Brand loyalty isn’t something that happens overnight, you’ve got to work for it over time by providing an excellent service/product and going above & beyond others in the same category.
There are different levels of brand loyalty:
1. Mild Loyalty – Consumer may or may not continue buying from a particular company due to convenience or personal preference, but would not go out of their way to purchase.
2. Medium Loyalty – Consumer is satisfied with the quality of product/service they receive and are somewhat likely to continue buying from a company due to personal preference.
3. Brand Commitment – Consumer would forego the purchase of another brand just to buy your Brand! They are willing to pay more, travel further or wait in longer lines for your Brand.
4. Brand Advocacy – The consumer is extremely loyal and will ask others to buy your Brand when given the opportunity! These consumers are also known as Brand Promoters or Brand Fanatics. They are likely to provide your brand’s image & reputation by word-of-mouth referrals, social media support, etc…
To create this level of loyalty you need to provide an excellent product/service, customer service and build up a community. Brand loyalty is built over time if you provide ongoing value to your customers. It’s about them feeling comfortable enough with you & knowing that they can trust you. Brand Loyalty is essential for success if you want to grow your company beyond its current location or demand more of your services in the future. Brand Loyalty isn’t easy to achieve, but once it has been done correctly the consumer will be extremely satisfied!
Brand loyalty is defined as a long-term relationship with a brand that results in repeat purchases. Brand Loyalty is very important because it can lead to many positive outcomes for your business and customers:
A loyal customer base means:
Higher Brand Awareness:
Brand awareness simply refers to how well know you or your product is to people outside of those who follow you, like your social media following or those who have purchased from you before. The more people become aware of your brand, the better chances you have of them recognizing it next time they’re looking to purchase something like what you offer – which leads us to the next point…
Brand Recommendation:
Brand loyalty builds up credibility; when someone trusts your brand enough to make their third, fourth, or fifth purchase with you, the chance have increased that they’re going to recommend it to their friends. Brand recommendation can lead to Brand Awareness because if someone has already purchased from you once or more before, they are much more likely to trust your product or service enough to refer it to others – especially if their friend is in need of what you provide. Brand Loyalty can have a huge impact on referrals! Brand Experience: Brand experience goes hand-in-hand with brand loyalty; when someone knows and trusts your brand, they are much happier when shopping with you. Asking yourself how happy were people after working with us? Referrals also play an important role in customer experience…
Brand Retention means:
Returning Customers = Higher Prices: Brand referrals can be a great way to maximize revenue. 89% of consumers say they’re likely to try new products when referred by family and friends, and 80% will consider purchasing something if their friend endorses it. Customer Support: Brand loyalty also has the added benefit of helping you provide better support for your customers; repeat customers may not need as much consumer support because they are more familiar with how your business works.
In order to create brand loyalty with your customers, it is important that they have a great brand experience each time they work with you. Make sure that this experience exceeds their expectations and builds trust in your company as a whole. In addition, building brand loyalty should be an ongoing task; every interaction with the customer after the initial purchase is an opportunity for someone who may feel neutral or on the fence about doing business with you again – do this by surprising and delighting your customers with excellent service.