In today’s ever-changing social media and marketplace landscape, it can be difficult for brands to convert one-time purchasers into loyal fans. Brand loyalty is all about a customer’s commitment to a particular service or product. It focuses on why customers return again and again to a certain brand, even when there are dozens of similar offerings available from other companies.
A loyal customer doesn’t happen overnight. It takes trust, dedication, and a bit of legwork, too. Read on for why the future of brand loyalty and retention lies in tech powered customer journeys.
Automation Allows for Dynamic Exchanges
Speed is the name of the game for businesses today. A product launch two weeks, or even two days, after a competitor’s launch can be detrimental to overall success. Companies today must act swiftly while keeping their brand objectives and key pillars in mind. Even the most talented teams can get bogged down in process, running the risk of miscommunication errors, delayed launches, and miscalculated projections. However, many of these mundane workflows and processes can be automated with the help of AI-driven tools.
These tools can enhance communication, track project progression, and even analyze large datasets to provide actionable insights. Best of all, these tasks can be done automatically, allowing the business to operate efficiently while your employees focus on complex initiatives or strategic requests. To take it a step further, business-to-business (B2B) automation can work with other partners to assist in invoicing, order processing, and even inventory management. The tools can help facilitate data-sharing to ensure you’re never left with too much inventory on your shelves due to a changing marketplace.
When it comes to exchanges with customers, AI can help with this as well. AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants can respond to inquiries around the clock. Your customer care team can log off for the day knowing that an AI bot will be able to answer impending questions from consumers around the world.
Service-based businesses, such as car dealerships, can deploy seamless customer experiences via platforms that answer commonly asked questions and schedule appointments. Embedding AI in automotive technology gets answers to potential virtual leads immediately while car sellers are on the ground handling in-person inquiries.
Whether it’s being a front leader in innovation, ensuring products get to the customers at the right time, or providing 24/7 service, automated exchanges create more positive experiences for consumers.
Personalization Puts the Customer’s Needs First
Related to automation is personalization. With AI and machine learning, personalization is incorporating tailored recommendations and customized experiences for individual users. These experiences are based on insights gleaned from prior data searches and behaviors. A lead who signs up for your brand’s email newsletter may be seeking product recommendations based on their level of engagement. An individual who recently followed your brand’s Instagram page may need more education on the brand before they’re ready to make a purchase.
That goes to say that what a customer wants one day, they’re uninterested in the next. Consumers today are demanding more than ever. They’re looking for brands to provide for their needs, often without fully understanding what those needs are to begin with. This can be a huge demand for businesses that are facing new competitors every day. However, AI-powered tools can help ensure that customers’ needs are prioritized while creating an emotional connection between the brand and them.
Using a customer’s name in an email subject line, referencing past interactions or purchases, and even sending a birthday SMS greeting can make a world of difference in terms of creating brand loyalty. Also, by looking at historical trends and shopping behaviors, AI tools can suggest other products that an individual may like. Amazon currently does this on its heavily personalized homepage, suggesting relevant products, deals, and new releases tailored to individuals’ preferences. Streaming services such as Netflix take homepage personalization a step further by suggesting new movies and shows based on a viewer’s prior watching experiences and ratings.
Personalization isn’t going anywhere, and companies that can leverage AI to their advantage will have an upper hand on competitors. The key is to continue to learn and elevate customers’ experiences as your brand grows and expands.
Data-Driven Touchpoints Keep Businesses on Track
The “guess and see” model can only go so far. Even the luckiest CEO won’t be able to correctly guess every business decision with the same precision that predictive analytics and AI can. Instead of making decisions based on a hunch, the best leaders are making smarter decisions with data-driven insights. Having concrete facts means that marketing, sales, and product development teams know exactly what customers are looking for, what resonates, and how to act next.
This “what to do next” conundrum can be especially taxing to brands today. With economic uncertainty and shifting mindsets, consumers may be more hesitant than before to make a purchase. Because of this, a brand’s projections may be off for one quarter or the entire year. While this is bound to happen to just about every business at some point or another, the key to success is to pivot and respond effectively and quickly. Predictive models can forecast when sales may be low, allowing businesses to respond by putting a pause on purchasing more inventory or creating additional marketing materials around a sale.
By relying on data instead of gut instinct, businesses can bounce back quicker while keeping their focus on customer engagement and retention. Even during times of economic despair, businesses can be there for customers and show why their products or services can enhance their livelihoods or solve one of their current dilemmas. When customers feel understood and valued, their loyalty to the brand will increase.
Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed here by the authors are their own, not those of impakter.com — In the Cover Photo: The Future of Retention Lies in Tech Powered Customer Journeys — Cover Photo Credit: Freepik
