5 Easy Ways to Increase Customer Loyalty in 2022

It’s simple. Companies need loyal customers to keep making sales.

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More people want to stick with your company if they have a memorable overall experience. Actually, SuperOffice says that customer experience is set to be the number one difference-maker from 2020, forward.

But 1 in 3 customer will leave a brand after just one bad experience.

Loyal customers give honest feedback and steer your company toward credibility as they go. That loyalty and credibility lead to long-term brand loyalists spreading the word about your company. 

Sound important yet?

What might stump you is figuring out how to get and keep your customers.

We can help! 

It’s all about being customer-centric instead of company-centric. Here’s how you can do it.

1. Know What They Want

Customers, like the rest of us, want a solution to their problem. Knowing what that problem is, and delivering the answer, will keep them coming back.

Use your resources! 

One solid resource is Iterable. They started Brand Affinity to help companies understand how their customers feel and tailor the experience, all using responsible AI.

If you choose Brand Affinity, your customers will be matched with a tailored experience -- all you have to do is click. Then you’ll keep getting insights to streamline as you go.

But there are a few more easy ways to do it.

Surveys

Creating surveys is an easy strategy to get straight-forward feedback about whether you’re hitting the mark and how you can do better. 

Transitional Offers

Good transitional offers give the customer a sampling of your product and let them test the waters for themselves. 

Try e-books, quizzes, blog posts, or downloads with some of your best tips.

It will give you an idea of the type of traffic you’re getting so you know what else to put out there. 

Bonus: you now have a subscriber list to get started nurturing.

Email Funnels

Once you’ve collected subscribers, you can go into more detail (but please no talking at them). 

Get connected and get them engaged in your emails. 

Start simple. Be relatable. And keep the funnel flowing!

Meetings

Looking to take it a step further? Nothing beats an old-fashioned, one-on-one conversation.

Connect with established clients in a Zoom meeting and get a feel how you’re doing. Show that you care about their journey.

Create a personable environment for feedback so you know just what parts of your business to target and tailor.

2. Be Honest

We talked about how important it is to run your company with integrity over in 5 Marketing Concepts That Will Change 2021. Honesty is vital to running a company that holds onto customers.

But they’ll need solid reasons to trust you before they even think about being loyal.

Show them your values by:

• partnering with companies also known for good values
• keeping your commitments
• being realistic
• taking responsibility
• making time to connect with them
• being transparent about your process
• being open to positive criticism

3. Give More Than You Take

Would you stick around if a company only talked about how great they are, then took your money? 

Probably not. 

Customers don’t want to buy from a company that only takes. They want to be part of a mutual experience. 

Here are a few things you can give:

• Great customer service
• Easy navigation
• Simple subscription and buying
• Quick communication
• Free resources and returns (where that applies)

Always look for ways you can give more to your customers. 

That mindset makes the customer part of the process, gives them a reason to be there, and makes them want to hang out longer.

Plus, it sets you up to hear from them so you can customize their experience.

4. Prioritize Customization

2021 is the year of customer customization. You’ll want to tailor the experience to the customer.

Customize the Products. This could make or break loyalty, especially if you’re a marketer or maker. Offer a product that stands out from the crowd.

Customize the Experience. A custom experience could be something like location-based searches, personalized email and profiles, and regular relevant content.

Customize the Follow-up. Follow-up is essential to customer loyalty. It tells customers that you see them and you’d like to keep working with them. The more you show up in their feeds and inbox, the more exposure your brand gets.

Here are some ideas:

• Send personalized emails
• Get them started and continue support
• Alert them to new features
• Send exclusive, free resources
• Upsell if you know they’d be interested

Nail down what the customer wants from your company, and use that to create options just for them. 

When you do, you’ll get continual insight.

5. Offer Incentive

Give returning customers benefits to jump-start their engagement and start conversations.

• Offer discount codes with each order or access to an exclusive membership.
• Recognize them publicly with a prime spot on your social media feed.
• Ask them to engage by posting a picture of your product on their own feed.

Customers feel important when they get discounts or memberships for coming back. 

When you recognize their contributions, they get to talk about something they love, and new subscribers get to see them succeed. 

Your benefit? Loyal customers turned loyal brand ambassadors.

Customer loyalty doesn’t happen by accident. Know where your company stands in the market. Be proactive, be creative, and find a way to stand out from the crowd. 

Have you used any of these strategies? How much did your loyalty base increase? Any tips you would add to our list?