Taking your users from lukewarm fans to true brand evangelists is no easy task.
Would you rather have a user who pays for your product, says nothing about it, and jumps ship whenever something similar or better comes along, or a user who pays for your product, talks about it all the time, and is so fiercely loyal to your brand they can't stand the thought of leaving? The answer is obvious, even though both are paying you the same amount of money.
The latter user is a brand evangelist, or in other words, is a loyal fan of your brand who goes out of his/her way to sing your praises. Their value as a customer is far more than a typical customer because they'll naturally attract more outside people to your product or service.
So how can you earn more brand evangelists?
Showcase your branding everywhere
Your first step is to make your brand an experience. Showcase your branding, consistently, in everything you do, from your core product's functionality to the messages you post on social media. Get your users involved on multiple platforms until they start to see your brand as a true identity, beyond just a service offering or a single product.
Implement a loyalty program
This doesn't have to be fancy, but any type of loyalty program will keep your customers coming back, and will help them feel like they're a part of your community. Offering bulk discounts, special offers for repeat customers, or some kind of accumulated point system can go a long way in securing more brand evangelists.
Incentivize sharing
Most brand evangelists need a jump start before they start spreading the word about your brand. You can give them this jump start by giving them more opportunities to talk about you. Add share buttons to every page on your site, engage individuals directly on social media, and host competitions that reward active sharers.
Give individual attention
On social media and in the context of customer service, the more individual attention you can give to your customers, the better. It makes them feel special and it shows that your brand is a personal, relatable one.
It's neither impossible nor exceptionally difficult to attract more brand evangelists to your business, but it is a time-consuming process. Stay committed to your users, and they'll return the favor.
Jose Vasquez is a serial entrepreneur and tech enthusiast dedicated to helping startup technology companies get the direction and momentum they need to succeed. As the founder of Build. Brand. Blast., Jose has established a collective resource for tech entrepreneurs to consult when brainstorming, creating, launching, or expanding a new business. Jose is also the founder and CEO of Quez Media Marketing, a marketing firm that combines technology and creativity to help new and growing companies get the results they need.
Jose graduated from Goldman Sachs' 10,000 Small Businesses program. Goldman Sachs is a partner of the What Is Working: Small Businesses section.
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