How to Earn and Maintain Brand Loyalty

Your brand’s admiration and loyalty are not a given; they are earned. Once you have them, you have to work to maintain them. They rest on a series of pillars, which are not permanent. They grow, change and evolve. Think of the pillars as a relationship, both require attention and work in order to thrive.

The public having trust in your company, and showing you are forgivable, are major factors in your brand maintaining loyal customers. This helps in gaining new customers as well. We as humans know that mistakes and errors will be made, and it can happen with your company as well. What customers, and potential customers, are looking at is the frequency in errors: is it consistently the same issue, how are these issues being handled, and what is the frequency of issues that arise? Consumers are quick to voice their opinion on social media, and their friends or followers take that into consideration while making decisions. Taking the time to respond to complaints and helping resolve the issue shows your customers you care and will handle each situation with the necessary attention it deserves. Perhaps something happened and you’re trying to get ahead before the complaints roll in. Offering your customers a form of compensation will show you know something happened and you’re attempting to right the wrong.

Ignoring trends and change in technology can also potentially damage your brand. In 2000, almost 20 years ago, Blockbuster was essentially a household name and Netflix was the fly you couldn’t seem to get out of your house. However, as we remember, technology drastically changed during the years immediately following, which initiated an attempt at partnership from Netflix. Blockbuster thought they could weather the storm and refused Netflix’s offer. Blockbuster is now a distant memory, while Netflix continues to grow and adapt to the changes. Like many aspects in life, there’s always an exception to the rule. Trends and changes in technology need to be taken into consideration by yourself and your team. Keep in mind, not everything out there is meant for everyone.

While on the subject of growth and change, this doesn’t mean you need to lose your central core value or cause people to feel alienated. If your brand was built on the premise of using organic, all natural products, this should not go by the wayside because your company is growing. Adapting to trends is different than abandoning ship—the key is to find what works for you and your brand. Your customers want to see that you’re willing to grow and adapt with your values and their loyalty in mind.

What this all boils down to is a few common principles; be up front, apologetic and realize what will or won’t work best for your brand. Nurturing these pillars will help to ensure brand loyalty, admiration and growth.