Five Ways to Build Your Own Brand Fan(atics)

The Bell: A Taco Bell Hotel and Resort will be a completely branded experience for the 18+ Taco Bell superfan.

Building brand loyalty is crucial to the success of a business. Building life-long relationships with customers is what makes a brand last. Taking care of these relationships is something every brand needs to focus on. The Bell: a Taco Bell Hotel and Resort is a great example of a brand engaging with its fans in new and unique ways. Here are a few things brands can learn from their example and apply to their own business.

Focus on your ‘special something’

Successful brands attract and keep customers by offering something unique. Once you’ve identified that “special something,” tell the world about it and build on it. It is what’s going to drive your brand story, your marketing efforts, and all of your communication. Brand loyalty is earned over time when a brand continues to deliver an unforgettable experience.

Reimagine and remake the customer service experience

When someone mentions customer service, do you immediately think of huge call centers, bad hold music, and computer prompts that either make no sense or don’t work right? We’ve all experienced the bad part of customer service or a website with no “contact us” information. If brands want to build loyalty, they need to improve the entire customer service experience. A positive experience can have a lasting impression, and consumers will be more willing to invest money in what the brand has to offer.

Celebrate your customer

Who doesn’t like free stuff? Make sure you’re personalizing your customer’s experience with your brand. Use big data — focusing in on a customer’s previous purchases and browsing history — to customize your outreach to them. Celebrate your customer’s milestones with them. Additionally, loyalty programs give customers a reason to love a brand. Customers love a good deal, exclusive access, regular discounts, and even the occasional gift.

Use social media to build brand loyalty

Social media is a great way to engage customers. Establishing an account will help communicate your “special something” and why they should care. It will also help humanize your brand by providing an opportunity to showcase its personality and feel through thoughtful content marketing, such as blog posts, videos, and infographics. But make sure your posts and online branding are consistent with the rest of your marketing and print campaigns.

Create ways for your customer to engage

Whether it’s through contests and social media, or through pop-up events and experiential marketing experiences, give your fans a reason to engage. Give them a unique experience they can’t get anywhere else. Make them feel special.

Also, brands can even give customers a seat at the design table. By using co-creation, brands can build a new product, service, or experience alongside their customer. When brands partner with their customers (and non-customers) to create together, the partnership fuels engagement and loyalty in ways a marketing campaign never could.