How To Grow Your Business by Building Brand Loyalty

Let’s face it, we all have our brands that we choose every time, always. No matter what other options come on the market or what they might have to offer, we are loyal and devout consumers to our favorite. There’s multiple reasons why that may be the case; how affordable they are, how often they come out with new product or how popular or well-liked they are. In several cases though, the reason we are loyal and consistent in choosing our favorite brands goes far beyond those factors. It all boils down to brand loyalty.  

Growing your business can often feel like an uphill battle, especially in the beginning. It’s hard to gain traction, get attention and land clients. More important that landing clients, however, is keeping those clients once you have them. If you can build brand loyalty within your business, the art of keeping your clients and also gaining new ones becomes the easiest part of your business. In this blog post, we’re going to dive deeper into what brand loyalty is and how to grow your business by building brand loyalty.

What is brand loyalty?

Considering the title, brand loyalty is fairly self-explanatory. Brand loyalty is when a consumer chooses to invest in a certain product or service, consistently, regardless of what else is on the market. It is when a customer makes a choice to commit or stay “loyal” to a specific brand over any other brand.  

Here’s the deal: if given the choice, without a doubt, I will always choose Nike; shoes, clothing, and literally anything else they tell me I need. Adidas may have just released a new state-of-the-art pair of running shoes that will do wonders for my pace, or the cutest sweatshirt that looks good with everything, but I won’t even pay them any mind. I will choose Nike without a second thought. So, why is that, you ask? Is it because they’re the least expensive option? Probably not. Is it because they have a smokin’ deal going on? Not likely. The answer is simple: brand loyalty. I choose Nike 10/10 times, simply because of the relationship I have with their brand.  

There are many contributing factors to brand loyalty and it goes far beyond price or what is trending. Brand loyalty is a tried and true method to build your business and one that will withstand the test of time. Brand loyalty is built on a personal connection; the way the brand makes you feel and the lasting impression they have on you as a consumer.

Why is it important?

Building your business from the ground up is hard work, but I don’t need to tell you that. There are so many things to consider, but one of those things takes the cake: obtaining clients. As you know, clients consuming your product or service is what keeps your business thriving. 

Customer Loyalty vs. Brand Loyalty 

While both forms of consumer commitment can sometimes bleed together, customer loyalty and brand loyalty are two different animals. It’s important to know the difference when growing your business, so you can pour your heart and soul into where it counts the most. 

Customer Loyalty

Customer loyalty is when a consumer continues to purchase your service or product based on these things:

• Price

• Availability

• Consistency

• New deals and offers

• Frequent new product releases 

Essentially, customer loyalty correlates significantly to the price and accessibility of your products or services. If you are aiming for customer loyalty, which is also beneficial in building your business, it would be in your best interest to get to know your ideal client’s financial capacity. Find out what their ideal price range is to afford your product and cater your prices, discounts and deals to that.

Brand Loyalty

Brand loyalty, on the other hand, has very little to do with cost at all. Brand loyalty is built on a much more personal foundation with factors including: 

• Customer care and experience

• Brand trust

• Personal connection

• Engagement with consumer/client

• Consistent and attentive communication

Brand loyalty far surpasses cost, affordability, deals or anything of the like. If someone is loyal to a brand they very likely don’t even care how much more they are paying in comparison to a brand in the same pool. Brand loyalty is built from a place of trust. If a client or consumer feels that they are able to trust your brand or feel that you genuinely care about them, they are likely to stick by your side every step of the way. If you show that you care about your consumer through excellent customer care and communication, in addition to consistently providing them with service or product they enjoy and value, you can almost consider them lifetime subscribers.  

Of course, it goes without saying, maintaining customer loyalty and brand loyalty is the goal, and if you can obtain both you are excelling in building your business. But if you ask me, focusing on brand loyalty is the most worthwhile energy you can expend in your business. Now that we’ve explained what brand loyalty is, it’s time to fill you in on how to build brand loyalty in your business.

How to Build Brand Loyalty 

1. Find your voice and be clear on your mission and values. 

What sets a good brand apart from a great one? Their heart and soul. Their values. Their “why”. If you’re wondering where to begin in building brand loyalty, or building your brand in general, focus your time and energy on discovering who you are and what you’re all about. 

Ask yourself these questions:

• What matters the very most to you?

• What is your “why”?

• What mark do you want your brand to make on the lives it touches?

• What feelings do you want to impress on people and which do you absolutely not?

Once you answer these questions and feel really clear on your values and mission, you’ll be better able to serve your ideal client the very best you can. Because brand loyalty is completely built on trust, you want to be your truest and most authentic self. You want your brand to represent the heart and soul of your business and then convey that to your client. If they can feel your genuine passion and connection – they will be a loyal client for sure. 

2. Establish your brand

We emphasize this A LOT, but for good reason. How can someone become loyal to your brand if you don’t even have one? Spoiler alert: they can’t. So, start from the beginning and build your brand. If you don’t know what that looks like, you can go read our latest blog about what branding is and just how to build your brand. As brand designers, we cannot stress the importance of branding enough – and once you know, it’s easy to see why.

Your brand is the face and voice of your business, basically a first, and lasting, impression. If done right, it can take your business to the next level and keep it growing infinitely. While there is a lot of components that go into your branding, with the right brand designer you can build a powerhouse brand for your business. 

Some of the most significant brand components include:

• Logo design

• Brand color palette

• Website design

• Typography

By establishing a brand for your business, you will show your clients that your business is… 

• Professional

• Consistent

• Reliable

• Worthy of investment

Branding your business can show your potential clients all of the things above, but the real beauty is that it can convey whatever you want it to. Your brand can represent your business in a way nothing else can. Having a clear, well-built brand will give your clients something to rely on and trust.  

3. Get to know your ideal client. Like, really well.

In order to build brand loyalty, you have to know who your target audience and ideal client really are. Doing the deep digging on your ideal client will give you the information you need to really build a strong brand relationship.

Things you want to ask about your ideal client:

• How old are they?

• What industry are they in?

• What is their location or are they a remote business?

• What are their interests and hobbies?

• What is their social media platform of choice?

• What are their core values and beliefs?

• What is their business’ mission?

• Where do they go for news? Inspiration?

• Where do they spend their time, online and in-person? 

It’s like any reciprocal human-to-human relationship; the better you know your ideal client, the better you will be able to connect with them. If you can cater your brand to their specific wants, needs and desires, you will build a strong, personal relationship with them.

4. Only produce your very best. 

Once you secure your first clients, the goal is of course to keep them coming back for more. In addition to all the other important values we’ve already listed, creating the best service, content or product you possibly can, consistently, is one of the key components in building brand loyalty. If your consumers know, without a doubt, that they can trust you to give them the very best, they will never feel a need to look elsewhere. It’s important to remember that while your loyal clients may be committed to you, there are also other fish in the sea. If someone isn’t feeling fully satisfied with the product or service they’re getting anymore, they will be more likely to seek out other options.  

Here’s a tip: act as if they are a brand-new client all the time. Instead of viewing them as someone who will absolutely return every time, view them as someone who is receiving a first impression of what you offer. You want to wow your client and give them the best you’ve got right away, so they feel good about their investment and feel inspired to stick with you. If you keep that same passion to impress, you will likely give each client the product they will return for. 

5. Keep it personal and show you truly care. 

A considerably significant piece of owning a business, one that leaves a lasting impression, is customer care. I’m pretty sure we’ve all had those experiences with customer service representatives or business owners directly, that have stuck with us. Good or bad, customer care interactions carry the weight to make or break a relationship between a client and a brand. If a consumer reaches out to you, the business owner, wanting to ask a question or even address a problem, it is in that moment that you can either gain their trust and connection or do quite the opposite. The way you handle client interactions in any setting is a leading factor in building brand loyalty.

Brand loyalty is built on personal connection, trust and the way your brand makes your consumer feel. Pour your energy and resources into building a brand, marketing that brand and finding ways to connect in a genuine and organic way with the people who need you. Commit to constantly keeping your potential and current clients and their needs in the forefront of your mind with every step you make and figure out how best to show them you are there, you actually care, and you are the right choice for them.

 Let Us Help You

Like we stated above (see step 2), building your brand is one of the first, and most necessary, steps in building brand loyalty. We recognize that the world of branding is foreign or overwhelming to many business owners, and that’s why we’re here. We have the expertise and experience to create the brand your business deserves, and we care deeply about your business. If you’re ready to dive into outsourcing your brand design, book a consultation with us today. We are eager to collaborate with you to build the most authentic, powerhouse brand that will support you in creating brand loyalty and growing your business. 

As you embark on the journey of building or growing your business, there will be many “things” that come up in learning how best to gain traction and get to where you want to be. Brand loyalty is among the top of that priority list and hopefully now you can see why! As much as the emphasis is so heavily focused on landing new clients, there should be equal focus on KEEPING them. Brand your business with intention, care genuinely about your clients (and make sure they know that), practice good business, communicate candidly and always, always produce your very best. Not only will you have happy clients, but you and your business will thrive.