5 Steps to the Top of the Brand Loyalty Pyramid
Popularity and loyalty often go hand-in-hand, but in many cases, they do not. Loyalty takes effort from both parties. It’s a lot more than quick viral moments fade over time. Loyalty is something you earn if you want to build your brand. In fact, customers are 50% more likely to try your product if they are already loyal to you.
Customer loyalty focuses on prices and discounts. Brand loyalty relies on the perception of the audience. This is a tricky distinction that marketing strategies often struggle to balance. Read about the different mobile marketing strategies to learn the nuances.
Should you stand as your own or cater to those that pay you? In reality, it’s a bit of both. In this article, you will learn the steps to brand loyalty through the lens of the Brand Loyalty Pyramid.
The Brand Loyalty Pyramid
Creating a strong brand requires more than naming and designing. Getting buyers to both like and stick with you is a continuous process. You have to understand your buyers to begin with. This is where the Brand Loyalty Pyramid comes in.
The Brand Loyalty Pyramid categorizes buyers based on their behaviors and attitudes. The concept represents a pyramid from lowest to highest level of loyalty. Identifying where your buyers are in the Brand Loyalty Pyramid informs you on the next steps to take.
There are five types of buyers according to the Brand Loyalty Pyramid. These are:
Switchers: Switchers are exactly what their name suggests. They switch from brand to brand and buy a product without caring who made them. Switchers sit at the bottom of the Brand Loyalty Pyramid, having the lowest brand loyalty.
Habitual buyers: Habitual buyers only buy from brands out of convenience, whether nearby or available. They can get swayed by another brand under the right conditions. They only rely on the habit of buying from your brand.
Cost switchers: Like regular switchers, cost switchers are prone to be attracted by a better offer from another brand. However, unlike switchers, cost switchers do enjoy your services. Cost switchers actively assess the time and financial investment required to get to your brand compared to others.
Brand likers: Brand likers generally appreciate your products or services. Yet, this is an emotional response that can still change over time. It is the second-best category in the Brand Loyalty Pyramid, making it a high level of brand loyalty.
Committed buyers: Committed buyers are often your repeat customers. These buyers choose your brand for deeper, even personal reasons. They believe in your brand enough to recommend it to others. This is the ideal stage in the Brand Loyalty Pyramid.
Easy Guide to Brand Loyalty
The Brand Loyalty Pyramid serves as a guide to understand what your existing pool of buyers need. Depending on where they’re at, you may need to adjust or focus on certain steps over the other. Even so, knowing the factors that encourage buyers to proceed helps in any area. Here are the five steps to gain brand loyalty:
1. Give them a reason!
If your buyers are switchers, take time to establish the value of your presence in their lives. Set a vision that solves the problems you want your buyers to solve through your brand. In simple terms, give them a reason why your brand is more important than everybody else’s! The only way is up in the Brand Loyalty Pyramid.
“People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.” — Simon Sinek
Read Simon Sinek’s book “Start with Why” to learn how to communicate your value to consumers and executives, aligned with the Brand Loyalty Pyramid.
2. Clear and Professional
If your brand has habitual buyers, build your authority compared to your competitors. Take the necessary steps to build your status within the chosen niche or industry. An important thing to note is brand loyalty requires quality. Be clear and professional in all your presentations. This includes, but not limited to:
- Profile pages
- Landing pages
- Social media posts
3. Guiding the Journey
If you have cost switchers, guide your customer to the next steps. Keep engaging them with new offers. Reward systems work well for this, where the longer they stay, the better offers they get. Take this opportunity to invite your buyers to your world. This is your chance to truly introduce your brand. Produce culture videos showcasing your character. Relatable and genuine content goes a long way when building brand loyalty.
Read John Warrillow’s book “Built to Sell” to learn how to make your offers more appealing for the customers, based on the Brand Loyalty Pyramid.
4. Quality Experience
If your brand has brand likers, keep the engagement going! Improve customer experience to maintain your brand’s reliability. Even though customers are satisfied, stay on top of your game to avoid a sudden drop in retention from unexpected changes. There are many personalization tactics to keep your brand updated. These include:
- Loyalty programs
- Early access
- Exclusive content
5. Customer first!
Committed buyers in the Brand Loyalty Pyramid are likely to stay loyal for a long time. Their commitment offers valuable insights on what you can improve on. Listen to these buyers with care through online reviews and stories. Take note of the things that work. You can also ask for direct feedback. This shows your appreciation of their support!
Building brand loyalty is a long but rewarding journey for your business. Watch our video on “Generate Passive Income By Investing In Stocks Through Brand Loyalty” to see how it operates in investing!
Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. Clicking on these links and buying these products may result in us receiving a commission at no additional cost.
Takeaways:
- There are five categories in the Brand Loyalty Pyramid, each playing a part in the buyer’s journey.
- To earn brand loyalty, your brand has to offer unique value in a professional and reliable manner.
- Building brand loyalty is a continuous process. It requires you to keep adapting and improving your customer experience.
Sources
Kopp, C. M. (2024, August 24). Brand loyalty: what it is, and how to build it. Investopedia. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
Lunio. (2023, April 13). Brand loyalty pyramid: Turn PPC clicks into repeat customers. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
Wachtel, T. (2020, August 11). What brand loyalty means for your business—and why it matters. Element Three. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
