Customer loyalty is when a customer consistently chooses a particular product or service over other competitor brands. This preference stays regardless of factors such as price and availability. The business reflects this loyalty in its customer retention rate or how well it can keep its customer to return for succeeding purchases.
However, customer loyalty does not happen immediately after a customer makes one purchase. It is about providing the best customer experience at every touchpoint in their journey before and after the sale. Some examples of touchpoints that businesses can leverage to acquire customer loyalty include:
- Engaging customers in social media
- Using e-mail marketing to update customers and give special promotions
- Providing a well-designed loyalty program
- Ensuring that customers receive a seamless omnichannel experience
Businesses should give importance to sustaining customer loyalty because loyal customers contribute to the growth of a business. A study by Frederick F. Reichheld and Phil Schefter established that a 5% increase in customer retention rate results in an increase in profits from 25% to 95%.
Loyal customers increase sales through referrals because they tend to recommend the products they trust. Furthermore, Invespcro reports that studies have shown that attracting new customers cost 5x more than retaining old ones.
Trends in Customer Loyalty in 2022
While the pandemic gave way to the rise of more online businesses, it also changed customer needs and preferences. In the aftermath of this global event, companies and consumers must deal with other concerns, such as rising inflation and economic recession. Consumers have become more discerning in finding value for their money and are more likely to try on new products.
The PwC Customer Survey 2022 revealed that 3 out of 10 consumers are open to experimenting with new brands, with 15% of respondents saying they are now less loyal to brands they used before the pandemic.
Given the changing scenario, a business could try various efforts to retain their customer’s engagement. As an employable example, you could try building a customer loyalty program to help strengthen your database. Here are some customer loyalty trends which are dominant in 2022:
1. Mobile-readiness
With consumers’ increasing dependence on mobile devices, more businesses are doing the same. Through advanced analytics and features, mobile apps allow brands to track customer activities and establish loyalty reward programs.
Mobile apps also allow for more personalization and better customer engagement by making them feel valued.
2. Gamification
Game design elements are a new addition to customer loyalty programs in 2022, with the gamification market currently valued at $11.94 million globally. Furthermore, companies that have invested using gamification strategies became 7x more profitable than their competitors.
Gamifying loyalty programs is a powerful marketing strategy to engage customers through a fun experience regularly. Every customer interaction with the brand is associated with unlocking rewards and points they can use with their purchase. As a result, the business has more sales.
3. Multi-touchpoint omnichannel rewards
With continuous improvements in digital technology, businesses can use multiple options to reach their customers. An omnichannel loyalty program that covers every touchpoint can now be easily accessible and streamlined.
There should be seamless, instant customer access on whatever platform or devices they use to engage the business—in-app, mobile devices and desktops, or in-store.
4. Emotional engagements
Iterable.com shares that 83% of customers who feel an emotional connection with a brand are more likely to recommend it to others. That is why 2022 saw the rise of marketing campaigns that appeal to emotions rather than rationality, which proved to be 2x more effective. Customers seemed to remain loyal to brands perceived as empathetic and concerned about their well-being.
5. Social responsibility initiatives
Consumers are becoming more aware and concerned about global issues affecting environmental integrity. The Havas Group released that 73% of consumers prefer to support products of businesses that show eagerness to act for the improvement of the planet.
Customers have become more conscious of the company’s ethics and how it aligns with their values.
These major trends in customer loyalty for 2022 will most likely retain their relevance for 2023. Economic and social factors will continue to affect businesses and reshape customer loyalty.
Customer Loyalty Beyond 2023
Changing customer preferences, tight business competition, and difficult economic times will challenge customer retention. Many customer loyalty programs fail to serve their purpose because they are no longer relevant to target customers. For businesses to craft the best customer loyalty strategies, they must understand and be guided by what the customers want at these specific times.
Take a look at these relevant customer loyalty statistics and projections for the coming years:
- 70% of customers are more open now to exploring other brands offering better deals.
- 82% of customers stopped buying from businesses with poor customer service.
- Repeat customers try new products and spend 33% more than new customers.
- Only 18% of companies focus on customer retention; 44% target new customer acquisition.
- Companies can get 80% of future revenues by maintaining 20% of existing customers.
Furthermore, additional research has shown that 73% of customers consider good customer experience a significant factor influencing their buying decision, and 83% of respondents associated brand loyalty with trust.
Some important factors affecting consumer loyalty include personalized experiences, emotional connection, shared values with the brand, and the ability to engage with the brand using new technologies.
These statistical data are essential because they can give directions for future customer loyalty strategies for any business. The following is a round-up of additional customer loyalty strategies relevant to the research findings.
7 Smart Strategies to Sustain Customer Loyalty in 2023
1. Good customer service is still the top timeless strategy
Every customer wants to feel important and valued—this will remain a constant even through changing times. Businesses that put good customer service as a top priority will always be at a competitive advantage. Customer service outsourcing is an excellent option for providing 24/7 service.
2. Instant rewards are becoming a trend
Instead of using rewards at another time, an instant accrual immediately redeemable will continue to appeal more to customers. Since people do things instantaneously, customers will not have the patience to wait several days to redeem a reward or use it for a subsequent purchase.
3. Loyalty programs with better perks are enticing to customers
LinchpinSEO states that a survey has established that 80% of millennials and 68% of non-millennial consumers are willing to subscribe to paid loyalty programs as long as the benefits offered are valuable to them.
For instance, some food delivery service apps have a loyalty program with an annual premium payment. However, subscribers can avail of perks like free delivery charges and food discounts. At a time when the value for money is essential, customers do not mind paying for memberships as long as they can take back the perks given by a business.
4. A personalized loyalty program experience means better customer engagement
With tight business competition, personalizing loyalty strategies will be essential in capturing customers’ interest and loyalty. Marketing communications will be more automated to respond to and analyze customer actions.
You can use loyalty programs to gather data on customer preferences, like in gamified surveys. Keeping track of customers’ data, such as purchases, rewards redeemed, and events, will make a customer feel valued. Businesses can also benefit from consumer data by adjusting customer loyalty strategies to fit customer preferences.
5. Loyalty program partnerships with equally popular brands add value
Strategic partnerships with other brands will be a way of providing better service to customers while at the same time growing both partner brands.
It is vital that both parties in the partnership offer products or services that are complementary. For example, Hilton and Lyft’s partnership enables Hilton loyalty members to earn points whenever they use Lyft services. Such an example shows a perfect loyalty program strategy that marries customer needs with specific brand offerings.
6. Tiered loyalty programs will remain a helpful strategy
Companies that implement tier-based loyalty strategies had a 1.8x higher return on investments compared to those that did not offer the program.
Tiered programs work by giving more rewards or incentives to customers who spend more. Customers need to feel important, and you can address this need with the feeling of exclusivity and leveled-up rewards that comes with achieving higher tiers.
7. Businesses will explore non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and cryptocurrencies to reward brand loyalty
With the global acceptance of NFTs and cryptocurrencies on the rise, big brands like Coca-Cola and Nike are exploring ways to incorporate these into loyalty programs.
The idea is to reward loyal customers with valuable limited edition NFTs and cryptocurrency, hoping to increase conversion rate and customer engagement. Through NFTs, brands can also create a community of like-minded consumers, especially the younger generation, who see the potential value of NFTs.
Create A Successful Customer Loyalty Strategy
Customer loyalty programs operate on a simple concept—reward your customers so that you can sustain their loyalty to your products. However, stiff business competition and changing customer preferences require businesses to review their strategies for maintaining customer loyalty. Digital technology such as that from ecommerce has made information accessible to everyone, allowing customers to shift their beliefs quickly.
Customer rewards and retention programs need to be tailor-fitted not only to changing business scenarios but to emerging customer expectations as well. This will be the only way that customer loyalty strategies can remain practical and relevant even through challenging times.
Bio
Michelle Bilan is a Product Marketing Manager at RUSH Technologies – the go-to e-commerce services partner of every business in making digital easy, efficient, and effective in the Philippines. She is highly skilled in the field of brand and project management, specializing in digital marketing, corporate communications, and content creation. During her free time, she enjoys singing, reading, and watching legal or historical dramas.
