3 ways to make your brand magnetic

In our fast-paced and tech-driven world, companies are reeling, wondering if brand loyalty exists any more, says HubSpot’s Katie Lantukh. To make your brand magnetic, follow her golden rules:

1) Be Relevant

Are you keeping up with your industry and its trends? If there are advances or even anticipated advances in your field, prepare for them.

For example: If you have an email marketing company and you catch wind that Google is revamping how Gmail handles marketing messages, make sure you can adjust for that, or at least speak to it if an especially news-hungry client asks you about it.

2) Be Honest

You can take the concept of honesty in multiple directions and I would argue that you should follow all of them. If your company makes a mistake or something goes wrong (your site gets hacked, your hosting lapses or your app doesn’t work), own it.

Tell your customers what happened and what you’re doing to fix it. If you play dumb, your customers will drop you like a bad habit and will never return. If you are candid about the situation, you will gain their trust. They will see your company’s honesty about the bad things as a sign that you’ll be honest about everything else.

Another aspect of honesty is in the way that you sell your product. You don’t have to list all of the things that it doesn’t do, but make sure you’re not making promises you can’t deliver. If you create correct expectations, your customers will know what to expect from your company and product or service and won’t be let down if you don’t deliver on false promises.

3) Be Solution-oriented

Customer service is an extremely important part of building a successfully loyal customer base. There are a few companies that I strictly give my business to, simply because I know that if anything goes wrong with their product, they’ll treat me with respect, no questions asked.

For example, while REI didn’t give me a refund for the shoes that my dog destroyed, they still heard my story and offered solutions. They have exchanged numerous other items and offer excellent customer service. For that reason, I hesitate to shop for outdoor gear anywhere else.

Similarly, I fly Delta because I know that their customer service line is quick and helpful when I’m in a pinch. Even if my patience level is at -10, theirs is always at +10.

Make sure that your customer service team is fast, friendly and has the tools and resources they need to give customers a resolution. Most complaining customers want to be heard and want something in return for their troubles. If you can give them that, you are much more likely to have a customer for life.