Brand loyalty is the pattern of repeat purchases from the consumers of the same brand over and over again, where the consumer get committed to the same brand, regardless of the price and convenience.

Brand loyalty is something that is deep rooted in the minds of the consumers. We can say that it is the preference of the consumers for certain brands, when they buy the same product consistently over and over again some people confuse brand loyalty with the habit purchasing but they have some differences.

Today every brand on this planet wants to build brand loyalty among their customers, because of the immense benefit of the loyal customers that one gets. Different brands try different strategies to build their brands such as brand loyalty programs, reward points, getting brand ambassadors, giving away something free and many more.

A prospect can never be brand loyal, so for a customer to be loyal to your brand they first must come in touch with your brand, People stick to a particular brand only after considering some purchases.

Example:- If you want to know the example of the brand loyal customer, the one brand that I can recommend instantly is Apple. Apple has a customer base of some really loyal customers and we all know how much they benefit from it.

Just like anything else, It’s too begins from inside your company and goes into the heart of the consumers by satisfying them and knowing them the best.

Brand Loyal Customers provide organization an immense benefit and also open their way to higher profit by selling at the higher prices as people are willing to pay higher as per the degree of brand loyalty they have toward a particular brand and their service, brand loyal customers are ones valuable assets as they also spread positive words out there in the market that lead to the Mouth to mouth publicity and add new members and customer in the brand.

Some statistic also finds that 

• The consumers that are emotionally attached to the brand and have a relationship with the brand have a 306 percent higher lifetime value compared to those who don’t have it.
• Almost 50 percent of brand loyal customers left their brand because they realized that the competitor brand was a better fit for their needs.
• Just one bad experience leads to 33 ,Percent of the customer to shift their brands. That means that you cannot afford even a single mistake.

Companies and brands keep on trying new ways and  marketing techniques in order to build the brand loyalty among their consumers such as offering a free trial, getting a brand ambassador, Loyalty programs, improved customer service to name the few.

Brand loyalty is build with the experience and that mean people cannot become loyal to your brand unless they experience your brand, They should be able to connect with your brand and must trust your brand, you can build a brand loyalty, ether by providing an excellent product that people can dream of so that they have to come back to you or by providing the excellent service that make them happy. The experience you create for your customer is what matters the most .

Benefits of Brand Loyal Customer

• Brand Loyal customer help you to earn higher profit margin as people are willing to pay higher
• Brand loyal customers lead to the better brand recognition 
• Brand loyal customer base provide a competitive edge to you over your competitor
• Brand loyal customer spread mouth to mouth publicity and add new customers
• Brand Loyal Customers Help you to enter a new market.

Some ways to Build Brand Loyalty:- Here are some ways that can help you to build a brand loyalty among your customer base given below:-

• Try to get in touch with your customers, engage with them
• Build a community that people trust and respect
• Try to know their pain points.
• Be consistent in what you do and stand for a cause.
• Make your brand more than just a product for them to connect at an emotional level.
• Start a loyalty program and show them you care about them.
• Focus on the things that you are best at and wants yourself to be known for in the marketplace
• Make your customer always come back to you by providing an extraordinary service or products.

So these are some tips that can help you to build your loyal customer base and bring your customer back to you, always remember that it’s easier to retain a customer than acquire the new one.

Lack of brand loyalty will make your customer shift to another brand and that is the problem that many brands all around the world are facing today.

Importance of Brand Loyalty

Building brand loyalty is crucial for any business that wants to succeed in the long run. It refers to a customer’s commitment to repeatedly purchase or use a specific brand’s products or services over other options available in the market. In simple words, a loyal customer is someone who prefers your brand over others and is willing to continue using it in the future.

Now you might be thinking, why is brand loyalty so important? What benefits does it offer to a business? In this blog post, we will explore some of the benefits of building brand loyalty among your customers:

1. Valuable Edge Over Competitors

Brand loyalty can give you a valuable edge over your competitors. When customers are loyal to your brand, they are less likely to switch to a competitor, even if the competitor’s offerings are similar or better. This can give you a significant advantage in the marketplace.

2. Higher Brand Recall Value

Brand loyalty helps in building higher brand recall value. When customers are loyal to your brand, they are more likely to remember your brand and recommend it to others. This increases your brand’s visibility and recall value, which is essential in today’s competitive business environment.

3. Ensure Continuity in Supplies

A loyal customer base ensures continuity in supplies. This means that you can plan your production and inventory management more efficiently, as you can predict the demand for your products or services more accurately.

4. Customers are Willing to Pay Higher Prices for Products and Services

Customers who are loyal to your brand are more willing to pay higher prices for your products or services. This is because they believe that your brand offers higher quality, reliability, and overall value.

5. Attracts New Customers

Loyal customers are more likely to refer your brand to others, which can attract new customers to your business. Word-of-mouth recommendations are one of the most powerful forms of advertising, and they are especially effective when they come from satisfied, loyal customers.

6. Open a Gateway to Other Markets

Brand loyalty can open a gateway to other markets. When customers are loyal to your brand, they are more likely to be interested in your new products or services. This can help you expand your business into new markets and attract a wider audience.

7. Ensure More Profit

Brand loyalty can ensure more profit for your business. Loyal customers are more likely to make repeat purchases and spend more money on your products or services. This can lead to increased revenue and profitability for your business.

8. Help the Marketing Department

Brand loyalty can help your marketing department in a variety of ways. Loyal customers are more likely to participate in market research surveys, provide feedback on new products or services, and spread positive word-of-mouth about your brand.

9. Build Relationship Between Customer and Firm

Brand loyalty helps in building a strong relationship between the customer and the firm. When customers are loyal to your brand, they feel a sense of connection and trust with your business. This can lead to long-term relationships that are beneficial for both the customer and the business.

10. Low Customer Retention Cost

Finally, brand loyalty can help to lower your customer retention costs. It is much more expensive to acquire new customers than to retain existing ones. By building brand loyalty, you can reduce your customer acquisition costs and increase your overall profitability.

Above are some of the benefits that can help us to understand why brand loyalty is important and why every company is working hard to own it.

Ways To Build Brand Loyalty:-

Today the world is very competitive and the people are consistently looking for new ways to satisfy their needs through trying and searching entrepreneurs and businesses that can help them to do so. Modern days people dig out full information from various sources, before actually purchasing the product/service. One cannot rely only on the traditional methods to build brand loyalty, Brand loyalty is profitable as loyal customers have less retention cost and buy repeatedly from you. Here are some ways that can help you to build brand loyalty, within your customers.

1. Tell A Story:- Telling a story can be a great way to build your brand and keep people engaged and help them to connect with you, make sure that your brand story has your customer in it. Great brands have a great story to tell.
2. Connect and engage with your Customer:- Try to reach and connect with your customer, understand what they want and how you can help them to achieve their objective using your brand.
3. Deliver Value greater than price:- Make sure that the value you provide is always greater than the price paid, as no one buys anything that doesn’t pay enough  value in return to the price paid.
4. Make Sure That the Brand Is Consistent:- It’s important for your brand to be consistent in all their marketing efforts and messages as if you are not consistent, someone who is consistent will surely take away your customer.
5. Take Help From Infulencer to promote your brand:- Innfulencers play a key role when it comes to promoting your brand, connect with the influencers in your industry and ask them to help you to connect with your audience.
6. Reward your Customer:- Make sure to reward your customers for their loyalty back by various methods such as a Thank you message, discounts, free products, Loyalty programs and much more.
7. Focus on customer Service:- Excellent customer service help your brand to stay different and allow your consumer to trust you and your brand.
8. Put Your Customers First:- Always put your customer in first place and money second to it, make them feel special.
9. Ask for a Feedback:- Your customer knows better, what they need, ask for their feedback through survey or any other method you find suitable.
10. Listen to your Customer:- It’s not enough for you to take feedback, but also try to understand it, what your customer is trying to say.
11. Be Responsive:- Once you know what customers want and where you are lacking, do not sit back, be quick and solve their problems before competitors do.
12. Earn Customer Trust:- Loyalty happens when the customer trusts you, and you need to earn it, you can earn it through being consistent, true and responsive.

Stages Of Brand Loyalty:-

Every Company is looking for ways to convert their one time buyers into a consistent and Brand Loyal Customers, but that’s not a easy task to do, here are some stages of the brand loyalty that can help you to convert your buyers into loyal customers

• Cognitive Loyalty:-  This is the weakest loyalty point where the customer is mainly concerned with the price versus value and in case if the competitor provides a better value for less price the people tend to shift from one brand to another.
• Affective loyalty:- This is a stage, when the consumer is aware about your brand, and is even ready to pay a little extra for the service they are getting from the same brand, and prefer it more than the competitor mainly due to satisfaction level.
• Conative Loyalty:- This is a stage when the customer is willing to make repeat purchases from the same brand and is also willing to recommend it to other people and also buys the other products of the same brand. But at this stage users also keep an eye on the competitor offering and do not exclude it.
• Action Loyalty:- This is the stage when consumers start to see brand as a means, they start to connect with the brand and think that the brand reflects the society they live in, their behaviour, financials. And also spread the positive words about the brand.

Unlike previous stages, action loyalty is not only about intention to rebuy but they start to associate the brand with the particular thing and start to monitor the activity of the brand.

So based on the stage in which your customers are, you can use various strategies to engage and take your customers to the next level.

 Types Of Brand Loyal Customers:-

Different Customers have different degrees of brand loyalty and all are not same, here are some types of the brand loyal customers.

1. Hardcore Loyal:- Hardcore loyal are those customers who are loyal to only one brand and stay stik to it all the time.
2. Split Loyal:- Those Customers who are loyal to two or three brands are known as split Loyals.
3. Shifting Loyal:- Those Consumers who keep on shifting from one brand to another brand.
4. Switcher Loyal:- Those customers, who show no loyalty to any brand and keep on switching between brands.

Factors Affecting Brand Loyalty

There is no doubt at the fact that in order to build a brand loyal customer base you need to have the best product, target the right Audience with best in value, satisfying their needs perfectly. Here are some factors that affects your brand loyalty

1. Convenience:- Many times consumers want your product but the shop does not have it any longer and it’s hard for him to find another shop with your product and the alternatives are available, so they decide to buy your competitor brand.

2. Expectation:- Sometimes consumers have high expectations from your brand products and when you are unable to meet those expectations, they leave.

3. Customer Service:- Customer Service is Integral Part of any Brand And if you lack it, they will surely leave you.

4. Personal Relationship:- Many Brands fail to establish a personal relationship with their customers, which in turn lead to dissatisfaction and attraction toward other brands.

5. Reward:- The behaviour that is appreciated is repeated, and if you do not reward their Loyalty they will leave you.

6. Reputation:- Your Brand reputation is very important, if other people around you start to stand against you or spread negativity about you, your loyal customers are surely gonna be affected.

7. Community Outreach:- How well do your brand reach to the communited out there, when you stand for a cause, people stand with you, try to engage in the community of your brand loyals.

8. Perceived Value:- Perceived value is something that customers think in their head and your product perceived value should be higher than amount paid.

9. Marketing Activities:- Your Marketing Activities deliver your message and it must be for the betterment and must align with the brand.

10. Trust On Brand:- People Buy products, not because they are great, but because they trust them, so never lose their trust.

Customer loyalty is a choice that customers make everyday, and the best part is they don’t want to shift to another brand’s daily as it is frustrating and time consuming, so they prefer to stay with the brand that they trust on a regular basis.

Brand Loyalty and Internet:-

Gone are those days when the only way to build a brand loyalty was through interaction between the salesman and the consumer. Today everything has changed for better or worse, its hard as well as easy to build brand loyalty in this digital case.

Today consumers tend to search about the products on the internet and then compare them online and make informed decisions. According to some research, the online consumers are less brand loyal and look for the best deal.

But there is a great opportunity in the form of social media sites, review sites help you to spread the word about your brand, you can also interact with the mass audience and connect with your customers online. You can collaborate with the influencers that help you grow your brand.

Conclusion

In conclusion, brand loyalty is essential for any business that wants to succeed in the long run. It offers a wide range of benefits, including a valuable edge over competitors, higher brand recall value, continuity in supplies, the ability to charge higher prices, the attraction of new customers, the opening of gateway to other markets, increased profitability, help to the marketing department, building a strong relationship between the customer and the firm, and lower customer retention costs.