• Thursday, March 28, 2024
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BusinessDay

5 ways to build brand loyalty without talking about your brand

Human synergy: becoming one with your business brand

How do you get attention for your brand? How do you become a trusted resource to your audience? How do you build brand loyalty? Believe me, you don’t do it by talking about yourself. Interruption marketing, as good as it is, has been eclipsed by engagement marketing in recent years—and for good reason.

5 Ways to Gain Brand Loyalty
Whether you need some fresh inspiration or a total content strategy realignment, here are 5 tips to help you improve your content, create a community of fans, and build the brand loyalty you deserve.

1) Talk about the things your audience cares about
No one cares about you until they have a reason to. Talking about yourself is not interesting to anyone. But talking about your audience’s interests, needs, wants, etc. is a guaranteed way to grab their attention, immediately prove that you “get” them, and nudge them down the path to purchase.
Think about how your content benefits your audience. Do they learn something? Do they solve a problem? Are they entertained? It’s these moments that make you stand out (and make them want to return to you).

Tip: If you’re not sure what their pain points are, go old school and have real, human conversations. Leverage your people (e.g., account reps, relationship officers, marketers) to get inside their minds.
Example: I must give it to Fidelis Bank as it has established itself as a public-conscious brand, especially as it properly situates itself in critical discourses without pushing its core business in your face. I love its approach in headlining its female executives, a clear reflection of the bank’s support and practise of equal opportunities and gender balance in its workforce.

2) Tell your brand story—not stories about your brand.
Brand storytelling is powerful in marketing. But when we talk about brand storytelling, people often misinterpret the phrase as “endlessly talking about your brand.” Thus, it’s not surprising that so much content marketing is self-indulgent or navel-gazing.
Instead, think about the stories you’re telling through your content. Do you share your failures (and your lessons learned) to help others avoid the same? That humility is part of your brand story. Do you dig into your data to find interesting insights to share with others? That transparency is part of your brand story. Do you create innovative products? The people who create them are part of your brand story. The stories you choose to tell massively influence how people perceive your brand. So, make sure you’re telling the right stories through your content.

Read also: How to create an online brand presence

3) Invite people to share their stories.
Do you want to create community? Three words: user-generated content. Savvy content marketers don’t talk about their brand—they let other people do it for them. With user-generated content, you cannot only engage your audience but celebrate them and make them a part of your brand story.
When we talk about UGC, we’re not just talking testimonials on your site. We’re talking contests, quizzes, surveys, accounts takeovers—all sorts of creative and exciting ways to welcome your larger community into your story. Not only does this tactic let you fill your content pipeline but it makes people feel like they’re a part of your community. The more you can build that community, the more brand loyalty you’ll cultivate.
Example: KFC created the #KFCSecretMenuHacks on TikTok to encourage users to share their favourite KFC menu hacks. It’s a smart way to promote and highlight people’s personal preferences.

4) Let people behind the curtain
If you want people to like you, you’ll have to do more than telling them who you are. You need to show them. From your supply chain to your company parties, there are all sorts of ways to let your audience behind the scenes to cultivate a more intimate relationship.
Ultimately, transparency is the key to building trust—with a variety of audiences. Remember: You’re not only selling to customers. The content you create and the way you present yourself to the world says a lot about who you are as a business, as a leader in your industry, and as an employer.

5) Nurture your relationship—after you sell
Your existing customers are your biggest asset, but marketers are focused on getting new people in the door. But your audience’s needs and wants don’t diminish the minute they buy your product or use your service. In fact, now that they’ve crossed that threshold, you can go deeper and give them that next level of attention.

Tip: There are all sorts of ways to build brand loyalty and engage people after they become a customer. Please, don’t say birthday greetings. I believe that customer relationship tactic has been overused. Fun welcome emails, gifts, guides, tutorials, surveys, etc. can help you keep your relationship with your customers strong.

Last Line
Pestering people with adverts that talk about how great you are, obnoxiously pushing your product on people, or creating overly branded content that doesn’t provide true value is not the way to build a community of lifelong fans. The only way to do it is by meaningfully engaging with people, getting to know them, and giving them what they need. The good news is you can do this through content marketing—if you know what you’re doing.