When we fall in love with someone, we go through a process of developing that relationship. Initially, we connect visually to create that first impression; the phrase “love at first sight” comes to mind. Next, we make a decision, based off of trust, whether we will continue investing our time and energy in this person. Then a deep emotional connection is formed as we discover more about the person. Whether we are conscious of it or not, we will then make a decision as to whether or not we can live without them. We fall in love with them. Similarly, a customer progresses through these stages when they fall in love with a brand.
Per Forbes, the top five brands in the world are as follows: Apple, Google, Microsoft, Coke and Facebook. There are five common strengths these companies emphasize on to deliver the best experience to their consumers.
1) Credibility – These top brands have built a genuine relationship with their consumer and have been trusted to help solve their issue. These companies have integrity and show a tremendous value to you.
2) Visual – More than 90% of buying decisions are influenced by a visual factor. A positive image is portrayed in your mind when you see or hear that brand’s name again.
3) Customer service – 73% of consumers love a brand who exceeds their expectation on service. Companies like Nordstrom and Amazon both welcome and encourage feedback. They invite you to share your experiences, even if they fall short. They see this as a learning opportunity to improve their company and, more importantly, their relationship with you.
4) Social brand – Interesting content is another top reason people follow brands. Successful brands create an online community to share how their product or service has inspired users. A brand should take advantage of all the technological resources available to connect with like-minded consumers. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and blogs are all great places to share relevant content with your consumers.
5) Emotional connection – 3 out of 4 customers say they spent more money with a company because of their positive experience. When we fall in love with a brand, we share that experience with everyone we know. Additionally, you’ve probably heard the phrase that “people buy on emotion and rationalize with logic.” We have all experienced that moment where we are so in love with a product or service that we justify in our mind why we can’t live without it.
Discover more ways for people to fall in love with your brand. Love what you do and love what you provide for your customers. Make them feel special and valued; after all, they have chosen to do business with your brand!