Introduction
Brand loyalty is the tendency of consumers to continuously purchase one brand’s services over another. Accordingly, these consumers perceive that the brand meets their needs and expectations. As a result, they identify with it on a personal level. This buying behavior and decision-making process can be conscious or unconscious. However, it is always based on trust that the brand will deliver on the consumer’s expectations for it.
A consumer survey from Yotpo found that almost 80% of consumers surveyed said that it took at least three purchases before they considered themselves brand loyal. They also said that they’re more likely to become brand loyal sooner if they get access to exclusive discounts through a loyalty program.
Brand loyalty for law firms is imperative when it comes to business growth. Loyalty is extremely beneficial to businesses as it leads to repeat purchases by consumers, higher revenues and customer referrals. The goal of building brand loyalty is to create long-term ambassadors that support your brand. Furthermore, they are more likely to recommend you to their friends, support future launches and promote your brand on social media.
Despite the challenges, every law firm should be putting extra focus on achieving an exceptional brand image. Here are key strategies your practice should be following in order to build and strengthen brand loyalty for law firms:
Focus on the client experience
Today’s clients want to feel like they are being taken care of from start to finish in the best way possible. Their total experience needs to be held up to a higher standard. That means everything from the first time they visit your website to the first email and conversation. All the way through the end of their legal matter needs to be done with the client’s experience in mind. If you achieve to focus on the client experience, then they will be a real advocate of your practice.
Include your team members
Your staff members need to be a part of your business strategy and follow your brand culture. Therefore, build and reward a highly motivated and engaged front line. They are your greatest resource for generating brand loyalty in your clients. For example, your receptionist is likely going to be the first representative of your practice. Furthermore, they can help to set the tone for the rest of your client’s meetings. Moreover, they should be doing their part towards building strong brand loyalty and living up to the standards of your practice.
Listen to your clients
Try to be the brand that listens. Hear out your clients and answer accordingly. For instance, ask your followers questions or ask for their feedback. Make a habit to listen while allowing your followers to talk. As a result, you will be surprised with the wealth of information and ideas you will get for free. The ones that could lead to launching or updating numerous legal services you provide.
Use your client’s feedback to improve
Your clients are your greatest resource when it comes to getting data and ideas on how to keep things fresh. Therefore, always ask and listen to customer feedback to fix existing problems. Possibly, they will reward you with new business ideas. As a result, your brand loyalty will only continue to strengthen.
Convert Client Interactions into Relationships
Pay very close attention to the conversation with your clients. The quality of your relationship will have a much greater impact on the amount of brand loyalty they hold towards your firm. In addition, consider being responsive on social media. That way every client will feel important and more likely to recommend your services.
Practice Storytelling
The best way to embed your brand in the hearts of your clients is through the use of stories they can connect with. It doesn’t have to be your story, but rather the stories of your clients. However, they need to have that personal touch. Therefore, tell stories your clients can relate to. Furthermore, encourage them to share their stories. For example, the story of their journey before they met you or the transformation after they met you.
Be present on Social Media
How you interact with customers will impact how they remember your brand and how it makes them feel. By building a social media presence that deeply resonates with your target market, you build brand loyalty for law firms. Therefore, use social media to support every aspect of your brand story. For example, create compelling content that generates engagement with your audience.
Run contests, support projects, share your client’s success stories, entertain and educate your audience. Be a person that prospects and clients alike can connect with and share. It will result in a lot of brand awareness for your law firm and attract potential clients to your brand.
Furthermore, stay engaged and in communication with your audience using social media listening. Acknowledging your customers by responding to their comments will build trust and, in turn, brand loyalty. You can build trust and connection by being transparent and responsive. Moreover, by understanding sentiment towards your brand you’ll be able to get ahead of any issues before they become a serious problem.
Be Genuine
People gravitate towards authenticity. Moreover, they want to know that they are not alone and there are people like them they can relate to. Therefore, strive to be real. As a result, they’ll stick around and become your loyal clients and possibly, lifelong friends.
Provide exceptional customer service
The level of customer service provided by a brand to customers plays a huge role in whether or not customers return. Therefore, put your customers at the heart of all that you do. Provide them with excellent service and make them feel special. They are the reason why you are in business in the first place. Behind every true brand loyalty stands a satisfied customer treated properly. Hence, a prospect that is treated well is most likely going to do business with you. Give them a memorable experience that will make them always want to connect with you and show them that they matter to you.
Find your brand voice
Create a unique voice that represents your brand and makes it feel approachable to people in your audience. Furthermore, maintain a consistent brand voice across all channels to make your brand more recognizable and memorable. Practice compelling storytelling and use your voice to share inspiration with your audience. By telling a powerful brand story, you will attract people who resonate with your message. Even if they’re not specifically interested in legal services.
Use rewards programs
Create a rewards or loyalty program to encourage your audience to return to your website. These programs typically offer discounts or coupons to repeat shoppers. Brands that give their repeat customers extra perks can encourage return shoppers, especially if they provide an enjoyable experience.
Build a brand community
To build a thriving online community, you need to know your audience and their commonalities as a group. These brand advocates will spread information about your brand, tell their friends and give honest reviews of your products. You can create a community, like a private Facebook group. When community turns to brand loyalty, your community begins to grow and sustain itself without your direct involvement.
Adopt Transparency
Brand transparency indicates how a brand shows itself to be open, genuine and accessible to internal and external stakeholders. When a brand is transparent, it reveals information about its goals, values, prices, operations, financial statements etc. For example, show what it costs to provide consultations, prepare for the case or provide specific services. In addition, compare it to your competitor’s price.
Conclusion
As seen above, the importance of brand loyalty is crucial for today’s law firm success. For instance, it is based on an emotional involvement that develops between the consumer and the brand. The consumer’s perception is that the brand fulfills some kind of physical need or emotional want in a unique way. There are plenty of marketing tactics to improve brand loyalty for law firms. For instance, providing exceptional customer service, rewards programs, having a strong brand story, community building and more.
Having a loyal customer base can give a business the competitive advantage it needs to succeed in the marketplace. Companies with strong brand loyalty will see their customers repeatedly buy their services, regardless of changes in price or convenience. Hence, brand loyalty for law firms equates to long-term, sustainable law business success. Moreover, it is an indicator of measurement of your brand’s success to date and future performance predictions.