3 Easy Ways to Increase Brand Loyalty on a Budget
Building trust and strengthening your brand will immediately increase your brand loyalty, but there are other things you can do as well to try and turn
your first-time customers into repeat customers and your one-time visitors into repeat visitors. Below are some brand-loving tactics don’t have to
‘break the bank’:
FIRST: PEOPLE LOVE REWARDS
One obvious example is to use some kind of reward or loyalty program. This way, when someone buys from you, you and your brand will be able to offer them
a discount or an extra incentive for buying again (and again). Likewise, you can also achieve increased brand loyalty by up-selling and giving your
customers ways to increase their order (whether you’re selling online or from your brick and mortar).
You can go so far as creating a ‘walled garden’ — in other words, make your incentive only purchasable or receivable from you! This is something
that Microsoft, Google, Amazon and Apple all do to varying extents. When you buy a product like an iPhone, for instance, you will then likely buy apps
for that device which will then only run on iOS devices. This, in turn, means that those customers have an incentive to remain with Apple – otherwise
all the money they spent on apps will be wasted. Likewise, if you buy a Windows Phone, then you might have extra reason to get a Microsoft Band – as
the Microsoft Band has added functionality for Windows Phone users.
SECOND: GIVEAWAYS ARE LIKE MAGNETS
You can also give away promotional gifts as a way to enhance brand loyalty. This might mean giving your customers t-shirts with your logo on it or mugs
with the same branding. Either way, this has the effect of enabling you to ‘over deliver’ once again and at the same time your customers and visitors
will be able to feel like a ‘part of something.’ Essentially, as soon as someone puts on a t-shirt with your company name on it, they will feel as
though they are true fans of your business and will increase their brand loyalty (of course this is also free marketing/advertising!)
THIRD: STAY TOP-OF-MIND
Finally, make sure you create a mailing list (email is great, here, because we know that email has not dropped off with the advent of smartphones). With
a mailing list, you can use email marketing which will allow you to reach out to your previous visitors and customers. In doing so, you can remind
them of your brand, bringing you top-of-mind once again. You can encourage customers to come back to your business by offering deals and discounts.
Email marketing is highly effective because it is not reliant on social media accounts or on your fans remembering to check in with your website –
you can reach them directly and right in their inboxes; which are more often at the tip of their fingers!