Today’s consumers are overwhelmed with choices. Simple brand awareness isn’t enough anymore. All businesses need brand loyalty to succeed and thrive. Brand awareness or identity is just the knowledge that a product or brand exists. The customer may not know much more than that and will need a compelling reason to try a new product over their current choice. Brand loyalty, on the other hand, is what keeps a customer around and pushes them to recommend products or services to their friends and family. Building this kind of dedication is the ultimate goal of any business that wants to succeed long-term.
Today’s connected consumers give us new opportunities to reach out to customers and build brand loyalty through social media marketing of Chicago businesses.
Effective Social Media Marketing Can Directly Impact Brand Loyalty
You may think there is nothing you can do to influence customer loyalty other than keep making your current customers happy. But there’s a lot more to it than just having a good product. Consumers rank quality, price, and customer service as the top three influences of their loyalty to a company. The first two are fairly easy to keep consistent. The third one, though, customer service, has changed. It’s no longer just the face-to-face interaction a customer experiences in your store or over the phone. It’s as much their online interactions with your company as either of the other two. And today, the vast majority of those interactions happen through social media.
Social media marketing is a form of word-of-mouth advertising and plays a huge role in building both brand awareness and loyalty. Word-of-mouth advertising is some of the most effective advertising you can ask for. Social sites have made it very easy for consumers to connect with your company in a direct and meaningful way. Whether they “Like” your page, “Pin” a product, “Share” sales information, or just post a shout-out to your company, your followers are building loyalty to you.
It’s your job to nurture that devotion and make sure the customer stays happy. If they don’t stay happy, it is just as easy for them to spread the word about one negative experience as it was for them to crow about their positive experiences. Nurture your fans. Social media is a perfect place to stage contests and giveaways, hand out coupons and discount codes to loyal followers. You’ll develop a stronger connection with your fans and they, in turn, will spread the good word about your company.
Social Marketing Must Be Managed
With so many people accessing these sites several times a day, businesses absolutely must be marketing on these sites at all times to remain competitive. The marketing must be managed though. Social sites demand constant monitoring and swift responses to comments and questions from followers. In short, you can’t post static information on a site and leave it at that. The whole point of these forms of communication is to connect with your customers. Make sure you respond to the comments and questions on your page – both the good and the bad. Whether the comment was positive or negative, the poster will be impressed that they got your attention and were heard. Hopefully, this boosts their opinion of you and your dedication to customer service, one of those core influencers of loyalty.
Marketing has always been about reaching customers in the best way possible. Today, that way is through social media. If you are serious about building brand loyalty, social media marketing is a must. Getting tired of doing it yourself? Request a free phone meeting with our SEO consultant to learn more.
