Building Loyalty Through Connection
This past summer, the YouTube creator Mr. Beast opened a burger restaurant in a New Jersey mall. Over 10,000 people showed up for that opening. That type of turnout - and loyalty - would make any brand happy. When it comes to Mr. Beast, those people weren’t necessarily there for his burgers, they were there for him. Mr. Beast and his brand are one and the same (also worth noting that the 24-year old YouTuber is now well on his way to becoming a billionaire).
Celebrities used to get paid a lot of money to represent brands in order to create an association and subsequent affinity. Now celebrities often are the brands. The idea of loyalty has fundamentally changed (and frankly, the idea of celebrity has changed as well - we’re not talking about Michael Jordan here).
The internet and social media have lowered the barriers to create connections… and increased competition in the mindshare of consumers.
The implications go beyond celebrities and influencers. People are longing for deeper connections with the brands they do business with. Quality products and reasonable prices are the minimum barrier to enter a consumer’s mind and consideration. But they may not be enough to grow a genuine, lasting brand affinity. Brands need to think about loyalty beyond just points and rewards. Ultimately a successful loyalty program needs to focus on connection rather than transactions.
Ways to create connections:
Give them a reason to tell their friends about you.
One of the most straightforward ways to do this is by creating a smooth digital experience that makes their lives easier. This is where understanding pain points comes into play. The more you can recognize these meaningful inflection points on a customer journey, the better you can design experiences that are different enough that they’re worth bringing up over dinner or drinks.
Provide something that benefits them beyond the transaction.
This could mean little extra free gifts, but it could also be valuable resources that will benefit your community: a play guide for parents that shows all the different ways you and your kid can interact with their new toy, a digital budgeting tool for a savings account, or educational classes on things like buying your first home or car. A loyal customer needs to feel connected to your community beyond just their single purchase.
Demonstrate that you reflect their values.
This starts with a deep understanding of who your ideal target consumer is - what they care about and how they spend their time. From there you can tailor messaging that reflects an understanding for their life situation, create programs that donate to causes that resonate with them, choose the celebrity / influencers that you want to partner with, etc. Whatever you do, make sure it is authentic to not only what your customers want, but also what you stand for as a brand.
Incentivize multiple interactions with your brand.
This doesn’t just mean for transactions, even if that’s the end goal. Think of all the ways that people would potentially interact with you - mobile apps, reviews, newsletters, social media, tools & resources. Provide them with opportunities to engage with you in meaningful ways (not just through ads) as often as possible to keep your brand top of mind.
We’d love to talk to you about ways to create loyalty through deeper connections with your customers. Send us a note if you want to learn more!