Many people still view “loyalty” to a brand as merely a program.
But loyalty is so much more than that. Having a great loyalty program has to be part of the mix, but loyalty is bigger than just one thing.
How do we create loyalty moments throughout a person’s life without being so transactional?
It’s important for brands to create these special moments with their customers outside of the transaction process.
Social media gives you the power to do that. Here are five ways social media impacts brand loyalty.
1. Social is Where Your Customers Already Are
Social media is the place where billions of people are creating multiple moments daily. Be where your customers are.
Decisions are fueled daily by social media. Every second someone spends scrolling on social media influences a decision he or she might make later.
But a mere presence on social media is useless without engagement.
Brands want to control their messaging and respective images and social media is the way to seize control of those reputations with their customers.
2. Social Raises Brand Awareness
Consumers have unlimited choices on top of unlimited information.
In the old days, people were confined to shopping at a local department or grocery store to fill their needs. Purchase decisions were based on things like product assortment and physical location.
Selling direct to consumer can also encompass engagement direct to consumers.
We tend to share the good and great moments of our lives on social media.
Leaving thoughtful comments, not about how great your product would be for someone, but rather how awesome someone’s photo is goes a long way.
Being a part of someone’s life moments has never been easier than now, thanks to social media.
And that doesn’t mean constantly trying to advertise your brand’s products and sell. This is about showing customers you care about more than just their money.
Engaging with individuals on social not only increases loyalty to your brand by association, but also encourages them to interact more. Their engagement with your brand allows more traffic to see what the brand is all about.
3. Social is a Conversation with Your Customers
I spend a lot of time on social media and it definitely has an impact on the brands I think about.
You know how your brain can see your nose, but chooses to ignore it? That pretty much sums up the ad ecosystem for me and other super users of the Internet.
Ads become noise and people tend to ignore them.
Brands need to stop focusing on trying to sell, sell, sell.
Ads are old school. Give people a reason to like you and trust you as a brand. Give them value. Get them to engage but do it without “selling.”
Social media is a golden opportunity to have an ongoing conversation with your customers. Customer engagement at its finest and most personal.
Provide value by establishing yourself as a brand. Share tips, news, information, and trends, all without trying to sell.
Get on social and give people a reason to interact (sometimes people will interact just knowing that they’re going to receive a response from a brand and that’s huge!).
Brand loyalty is developed over time and through every customer interaction.
Some of today’s biggest brands build affinity with Millennials and Gen Z by doing one small, but vitally important, thing: Having conversations.
4. Social is Your Brand Showcase
Social media is a chance to show customers, at scale, how knowledgeable, trustworthy, and authentic your company is. Because when it comes down to loyalty, it boils down to being authentic.
And that’s what people do on social media: Talk.
Your brand has a personality even if you don’t realize it. Grasp the opportunity to let that personality shine.
Scrolling through Instagram and Twitter, you can clearly see big brands engaging with their audiences. People tend to give preference to brands they know and trust.
Social media is your chance to create loyalty moments. Humanize your brand and showcase its unique personality.
Leverage the conversations users are already having and talk to them. Make them feel like your brand is a part of their daily lives.
Find out which platforms customers are using to review your products and leverage those forums to answer any questions.
People want to feel special and part of an exclusive community. When your brand personality permeates social media, it can significantly elevate customer engagement.
5. Social Continues After The Sale
There are several daily opportunities for a brand to interact and create loyalty moments with their customers, all without having to be transactional!
Get on the platforms used by your customers. Monitor what they say. Identify their pain points and address them. Thank them for positive comments. Respond to their direct messages and use these platforms to promote events.
Thanking people who write positive reviews is great way to engage your customers and it gives them a sense of exclusivity.
Solving problems for people who write bad reviews is a key interaction that carries positive ramifications.
Regular engagement through social media will help build your brand image and create customer loyalty.
Loyalty is Built on Moments and Many Happen on Social
Since everyone is super tech savvy with their smartphones in 2019, there’s a sea of information available in the palm of our hands at any given time.
If customers are looking for your brand on the Internet, are they going to see just a storefront trying to draw them into a sales funnel or are they going to see a trustworthy brand that they want to engage with?
ebbo
ebbo helps brands achieve their customer loyalty goals with full-service, end-to-end solutions and also creates original educational content straight from the experts to help loyalty marketers stay on the cutting edge of customer engagement.