I recently wrote a post on the truth about customer loyalty. That truth, which I stumbled across in an excellent article by A.G. Lafley and Roger L. Martin, is that customers aren’t exhibiting loyal behavior when they buy the same products over and over. People return to a product because the buying process is simple and automatic, and they haven’t encountered a reason not to purchase it.
In short, it’s good experiences that keep customers “loyal” and bad ones that push them away.
How Customer Loyalty Impacts Your Marketing Strategy
What you say about your product or service matters, but not more than the experience it delivers. Once you get your foot in the door, the rest is about keeping that door open.
With the truth about customer loyalty in mind, I came up with a few concrete ways it impacts your marketing strategy.
An Altered Psychology
If the real reason customers remain “loyal” to a brand is the human brain’s desire for automaticity, marketers need to recognize this altered psychology and more importantly, that it changes their outlook on marketing.
I said it last post on this topic and I’ll say it again: marketing messages still matter. A lot. But there’s a need for more care and consideration when crafting those messages.
Here’s a staggering stat: according to a new study by Deloitte, 89% of customers in the US and UK said they make decisions based on customer experience ahead of price and product.
It’s not about promising the lowest prices or the fanciest features, or saying and doing absolutely anything to sell.
It’s not about convincing existing customers to keep purchasing your product or service over and over. They already want to do this.
It’s about grounding your marketing message in reality, trusting your product and delivering the exact customer experience your customers expect.
Build the Experience With Your Marketing Message