Customer loyalty in Corona times: is the crisis really an opportunity?

Customer loyalty – does that still exist nowadays?

The ultimate goal of all customer loyalty measures is loyalty on the part of existing and potential customers. Loyal customers are so confident in a particular company or brand that they return not just once, but again and again. Regardless of the product sold or the service offered, companies in the consumer age are under high competitive pressure. Offers are constantly pouring in on potential customers these days. A sea of different providers is at your disposal. Their loyalty suffers as a result. Why should they choose a particular company or brand in the long term? To achieve such loyalty, entrepreneurs must:

know exactly what their customers need.
Show understanding for the customer’s situation.
continually realign their offerings and customer communication with current needs.
Make customers feel like they are there for them.
maintain constant contact with their customers in order to remain informed and present.

The corona crisis can be an opportunity to achieve precisely these goals. If companies now achieve measurable effects through customer loyalty in marketing, the chances of long-term customer loyalty are good. Because: What helps you through bad times, you don’t just ignore in good times. Entrepreneurs can take advantage of this psychological effect during Corona.

How do customers gain trust during Corona?

In times of crisis, companies have to show their customers that they are there for them and that they can be trusted even in bad times. In times of crisis, people long for connection. Whoever talks customers into words and encourages them in dark days, helps them to overcome uncertainties caused by the crisis and has “a stone in the board” in the long term. It is therefore all the more important nowadays to know the priorities of the clientele and to create a long-term synergy based on this. It’s often the little things in life that bring courage during dark times. In the crisis, companies should therefore, for example:

conduct open and authentic discourses with customers.
optimize customer service.
Implement loyalty programs.
plan appropriate social media campaigns.
Offer coupons and discounts.
regularly inform about their own situation in the crisis in order to create customer proximity.

Reality should not be glossed over during crises. Otherwise, customers feel as if their worries are simply being ignored. Solidarity with customers makes more sense. It is best to show them that you have similar concerns yourself and at the same time offer them positive impulses. Even if it’s just daily encouragement on social media channels.

Together through the crisis

Over the past few months, everyone has had to change their habits. Some may now be reinstated. Others have changed forever. What is certain is that everyday life after Corona will no longer be the same. The world will have to struggle with the consequences of the crisis for years to come. Companies should integrate this awareness into their current marketing strategy. Hardly anyone finds change easy. Ideally, companies help their customers make necessary changes during the crisis and at the same time give them something familiar: a piece of the normality they long for. This can be done, for example, through specific products and services that make it easier to deal with the consequences of the crisis. Where this is not possible, companies can also provide support through pure communication. Dreaming of better times together is just as helpful as overcoming the crisis together.

Middle ground between automation and personal contact

Smaller companies in particular often do not have enough time to get involved with the situation and needs of each individual customer. You can automate some important customer retention measures so that you too can increase customer loyalty during the crisis. Nevertheless, it is important to remain personally present. Anyone who automates measures such as communication too much is ignoring what is one of the most important crisis needs of customers: proximity to other people.