Whether they’re waiting in a line outside the Peet’s Coffee near you or scoffing at your competitor for a different type of legging, some brands have a hold on consumer loyalty. But what drives this loyalty?
A recent study compared customer satisfaction and loyalty. And it found that satisfied customers have about three and a half times the impact of being “dependable” or “better.” Why?
Visual Identity
There is a distinct difference between brand and visual identity. Branding is an umbrella concept that encompasses a company’s image, values and promise — all of which should be cohesively expressed by the visual elements that make up its design system (logo, font, color palette, photography style, illustration style, typography).
Visual identity, on the other hand, refers to the graphical assets a company uses to communicate its brand message to consumers. Generally speaking, any visual asset that can be used to identify your business is part of your visual identity, including logos, color schemes, icons and other graphics, and even the shape or styling of text.
Creating a strong, impactful and cohesive visual identity is essential to building brand recognition and loyalty. In fact, a recent survey we conducted at 99designs by Vista found that 88% of small business owners believe that their brand’s visual identity helps attract new customers and build trust.
To be effective, a visual identity should tell your brand story in a way that speaks to and resonates with your target audience. In order to do this, you must understand who your audience is, what they care about and what sets them apart from others — all of which should be reflected in the style, tone and messaging of your brand’s visual assets.
A strong visual identity also allows for consistency across marketing channels. This can help your brand stand out in a crowded marketplace and creates an opportunity to develop a sense of familiarity that leads to loyalty.
One of the big challenges with brand consistency is that there are many different ways to represent a business, especially when it comes to digital design. However, a consistent and well-thought-out digital design strategy can help businesses create a strong, lasting foundation for growth and success.
The good news is that with the right mix of traditional and modern drivers of loyalty, your company can create a culture that makes consumers want to return again and again. And with it costing five times less to retain a customer than to acquire one, your company can’t afford not to do everything in its power to foster that type of connection.
Visual Communication
Whether it’s infographics, data visualization or an interactive product demo, visual communication is an efficient way to convey information quickly. The human brain processes visuals more easily than text, so they’re more accessible for the audience and can enhance engagement. They also offer a higher level of clarity, which is critical in any type of communication.
Using visual communication tools can save companies time and money by replacing lengthy emails, providing employees with clearer context to better comprehend tasks and increasing the overall efficiency of teamwork. This helps employees stay up-to-date with product changes, new initiatives and upcoming projects.
Visuals help businesses connect with customers in a more emotional way. They can communicate stories, create memorable experiences and evoke feelings that can’t be achieved with words alone. Moreover, they can inspire creativity and allow users to explore multiple perspectives. This is crucial for a brand that wants to develop loyal customers and create lasting relationships.
As technology advances, retaining loyalty is essential for any business. It costs five times less to retain a customer than it does to attract a new one, and loyal consumers are more likely to buy from you again. Loyal customers can represent your company in a positive light, which increases brand recognition and promotes customer acquisition.
To encourage loyalty, businesses must focus on the customer journey and make sure all touchpoints are seamless and enjoyable. This includes marketing and customer-focused advertising, the website or online storefront and even a brand’s social media presence. It doesn’t mean every interaction has to be perfect — in fact, it might take more than one negative experience to break down the trust that makes a customer loyal.
It’s also important for businesses to know the drivers of loyalty so they can target their efforts where they will have the greatest impact. For example, if customers want to be treated fairly and have a sense of belonging, an organization can nurture these connections through its marketing efforts, product development and rewards programs. In addition, a brand can reinforce its values and mission through its visual identity, which is critical for building an authentic relationship with customers.
Visual Marketing
Using visual marketing to build brand awareness, promote products or services, and connect with consumers is an important part of any business’s online marketing strategy. However, if not done correctly, it can damage your brand’s image and confuse your target audience. Here are some tips to help you create a successful visual marketing strategy.
As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. In fact, research has shown that people retain 65% of the information they see when it is accompanied by an accompanying image as opposed to only 10% of the information they hear or read. Visuals also help your brand stand out in a crowd of competition, and can increase the number of views of your content on social media.
According to the latest trends, the use of visuals is becoming more and more important for marketers. In 2023, it is expected that over 84 percent of communications will be visual, so it’s important to have a strong content strategy that includes visual marketing.
One way to ensure that your visual marketing is effective is to have clear goals and objectives. This will help you understand if your efforts are paying off, and will also allow you to make changes if needed. You should always run A/B testing with different versions of your visual marketing pieces to see which ones perform better.
It is also important to remember that the customer experience has a direct impact on loyalty, so it’s essential to provide your customers with top-notch service. This will help you maintain your customer base and grow your business.
Another way to measure your customer loyalty is through the Net Promoter Score (NPS). This metric measures your customers’ willingness to recommend you to friends and family. It is also a great indicator of future revenue and customer growth.
It is also important to make sure that all of your visual marketing content is consistent with your branding, and reflects the voice of your brand. You can do this by using a tool like Canva, which provides you with thousands of customizable templates, millions of stock photographs, and intuitive software.