Brands and retailers must understand the factors that influence consumer loyalty. Nowadays, consumers’ decision to buy anything is frequently influenced by their emotional connection to the brand. According to a CapGemini survey, 70% of emotionally involved consumers spend two times as much money with their preferred companies. Brands and merchants must foster emotional loyalty among their customers if they want to have an influence.
Emotional Loyalty: What Is It?
True loyalty transcends a points or rewards card system. When customers feel valued and appreciated in every message, activity, and input they receive from a company, a deeper bond known as emotional loyalty is created. In other words, emotional loyalty appeals to the heart rather than the head of the customer.
In other words, emotional loyalty occurs when a customer develops a romantic relationship with your brand and continues to use it to make purchases even when your rivals are providing a better bargain. Customers want to believe that your brand is supported by real people, not just computers.
These are the five essential elements of emotional loyalty.
- Trust
The ultimate objective of emotional loyalty is to earn a customer’s respect and trust. Customer trust is significantly increased when they feel valued. If every interaction and channel exhibits the same sincere behaviour, customers will trust a retailer or brand.
Tips for using a loyalty programme to gain members’ respect and trust include:
Show customers that you take care to safeguard their private information
Customize your email correspondence.
Create periodic campaigns that enable participants to donate points to a good cause.
- Identification
By rewarding customers for a variety of soft behaviours, you may demonstrate your concern for them. Despite not requiring a purchase, these gentle acts nonetheless offer tremendous value. With the help of a loyalty programme, you have many chances to reward clients for their engagement even when they aren’t making purchases.
Techniques for interacting with clients outside the buying cycle:
Reward clients for referring friends, finishing their user profile, or writing product reviews.
Give rewards for completing gamified surveys.
Include a sport tracker app so that users can receive incentives for their workouts.
- Enthusiasm
When a customer’s values and the brand’s mission are in alignment, brand affinity is created. Affinity for the customer fosters a close relationship, much like trust does. Affinity is a far stronger connection, though. It indicates that customers are eager to go above and above to support the business. Some members are more likely to support a brand in a loyalty programme that can create affection.
How can your brand increase consumer affinities?
Send relevant product recommendations and personalised communications.
Invite members to neighbourhood celebrations and VIP clubs
Create social media competitions so that participants can contribute images or amusing comments and become a part of the community.
- Attachment
Being attached is more about establishing a long-lasting connection than it is about enjoying a company. A brand’s loyal customers are more likely to engage with it frequently and are less likely to switch brands.
Generating attachment influences numerous business KPIs, whether customers make more purchases or are more inclined to take soft actions.
Tips for increasing brand loyalty:
Treat members favourably by providing worthwhile experiential incentives
Create a tier structure that recognises and rewards your top clients with extra-special attention.
Offer several gamification options
- Long-lasting effects
Your clients should remember the rewards they receive. If members only ever receive coupons, how can they possibly develop an emotional bond with your brand? Create lasting memories with a vibrant range of rewards, both tangible and digital.
For unforgettable prizes, we suggest:
In the eyes of followers, signed items offers a high emotional value if you frequently collaborate with designers, celebrities, or influencers.
Offer early access as a coveted perk and cost-effective incentive for your company.
Include pertinent prizes from partners in your rewards catalogue to create diversity.
True love is reciprocal at all times.
By developing emotional loyalty, you may go beyond the power of your product or brand to create a genuine connection with your customers. Don’t forget: a committed consumer is one who has invested emotionally. Because of this, you should concentrate on the five components of emotional engagement: connection, affinities, trust, recognition, and recognition.
Loyalty programmes are a simple way to add the “personal touch” that your company requires. Put your attention on comprehending, connecting with, and empathising with your consumers’ perspectives.
Want to know more about the capabilities of a modern loyalty programme? We would be delighted to begin a conversation. Simply schedule a demo or mention us in your RFP.