Ask any marketer who their ideal customer is, and most will tell you the same thing: a loyal one. This is because, as we all know, keeping customers is more cost-effective and efficient than finding new ones. However, the concept of brand loyalty is often difficult to pinpoint, much less cultivate. In order to achieve brand loyalty, one must first understand what it really means.
What is brand loyalty" Brand loyalty is partiality toward one particular business or product over a competitor. On social media, that loyal customer is more likely to comment, share, follow or post user-generated content to your brand?s profile over another. That behavior thereby extends your business? reach and impact on social and beyond.
In the past, loyalty grew solely from a love of a product. While that still holds true in many cases, it is now a two-way street: A loyal customer expects something in return. Today, brand loyalty can be sparked, cultivated and maintained through smart social media engagement. Like any social media strategy, to see a payoff, engagement takes time and effort. Being there–whether it is to answer questions or provide a friendly face for your brand–is important when you?re building lasting relationships with customers.
So how do you exactly build loyalty through social media" Below, I?ve outlined just a few ways you can get a foster a loyal customer base through social media engagement:
Create a VIP customer list
Rolling out the red carpet for...