How to Gain Customer Loyalty	Visited: 1195 5.0/5.0 (2 votes total) Rate: Select 1 - Terrible 2 - Poor 3 - Average 4 - Good 5 - Outstanding
by Shannon Suetos April 09, 2010

In an economy that is still trying to make a comeback, everyone is tightening their spending habits—on a personal and professional level.  For marketers it is our job to find new ways to reach our audience, but find an economical way to do so.

Although social media can play a roll in getting your name out to the masses, and help with your brand message, there are other ways to do so as well.  In an article by DM News, it talks about how many companies are focusing on brand loyalty rather than getting new customers.

“To combat a widespread reticence to spend during the recession, many brands beefed up their existing loyalty programs to meet consumers' needs.”  They found companies like Target and Best Buy are ramping up their loyalty programs to offer more discounts and rewards.

In doing this, you should make sure you don’t break your bank in the process of discounting items.  Before implementing a new rewards program, make sure you go over every detail and crunch every number. You wouldn’t want to lose money instead of making money.

Best Buy’s senior director of loyalty told DM News that, “We've [changed] the rules to require that we have a valid way to connect to the customers — primarily through e-mail addresses — and introduced a high-value tier that gets additional benefits."  

Implementing email campaigns and social media tactics along side your traditional marketing efforts can add a personal touch to your campaign and make your brand seem more personable.  If you feel connected to a brand, you are more likely going to be a loyal customer and sign up for a rewards type of program.

This is why Facebook fan pages and groups are so popular for marketers.  They actively engage your customers and can bring in more loyal customers.  Twitter is helpful for brining in more information and customer service help as well.  Being able to tweet a question to a company is very convenient, and cuts out the long wait times that can occur when calling a 1-800 line.

In these ruff economic times, everyone needs to watch how they spend money. With more and more people looking into a debt management program to stay afloat it is imperative to keep a tight rein on your finances. Thinking of creative fun ways to reach your target audience should help with brand awareness as well customer loyalty.