Authentic connections build customer loyalty and trust

You own a small business, and you’re trying to build a loyal customer base. So how do you accomplish that? According to a recent survey done by Salesforce, personalized experiences, and memorable interactions are two of the primary reasons consumers support a small business.

Not surprisingly, the perceived trust of any business by its customers also plays a vital role in building consumer loyalty. The same study finds a 90% higher likelihood of Millenials and Gen Z members sharing their consumer experiences if they personally trust that business, with nine out of ten customers more likely to recommend a business or company brand they trust to others.

Personalized experiences created for your customers should always be authentic and specific. Connecting with all of your customers on a personal level, however, doesn’t require that your efforts be customized for each individual. While beneficial to learn about individual customers, introducing a more comprehensive promotion for all of them that still has the potential to connect to many of them personally is also essential.

Consider a recent promotion from a local coffee shop in Massachusetts called Lucky Finn. The coffee shop wanted to celebrate its baristas and Valentine’s Day during February. The first 10 “Finners” who collected 7 emoji stickers of their barristers won a custom growler.

Let’s break down this promotion.

For starters, Lucky Finn created stickers for each barista that included their emoji and name. Customers collected these stickers as they would with Valentine’s Day cards when they were younger. A personal one-to-one connection and mutual recognition between the customer and their specific barista who served them began to form. Recall what the business labeled their customers? Finners. This makes them feel like they’re part of a unique (and exclusive) community with personal recognition.

Lucky Finn wisely implemented a second (and what would turn out to be advantageous) component of this campaign…no mention of this February promotion on their website. Instead, they chose to communicate this campaign in-store and on various social platforms, thus better enabling and promoting the sense of personalized engagement, reach, and connection.

Finally, the same Salesforce survey also refers to the importance of knowing where your customers want to learn more regarding their favorite businesses. Almost half of those surveyed said they preferred to discover new information and promotions from that business on social media, where they (the customers) already are.

There are many ways to create personal and authentic relationships with your customers. Authenticity develops sustainable trust and brand loyalty with your customers, which enables retention, viral promotion, and return patronage for your business.

At dwellio, we’re creating a platform for businesses with the tools, insights, and campaigns to make these personal connections possible with your customers. Local businesses are a vital member of every community, and we understand the challenges of reaching your audience. Join the conversation @mydwellio