In 2019, 81 percent of B2C content marketers care about creating content that builds customer loyalty, according to SRMailing.uk . And it's easy to see why: 66 percent of American consumers will spend more when they feel loyal to a particular brand.
From supporting your customer's own business goals to creating customer profiles to offering rewards, businesses are seeking out all sorts of creative ways to retain their audience's attention, and encourage repeat business from existing customers.
What role does your content play in developing a meaningful, long-lasting relationship with your customers? And what types of content are most effective at boosting loyalty?
First and foremost, quality is key. If you're releasing low-quality content, like stock images and illustrations, it will be hard for your customers to feel proud about working with you. It will also be difficult for them to justify your partnership to their stakeholders. Meanwhile, potential customers will move on to better content.
With that in mind, let's take a look at six types of content that can help you build customer loyalty -- keeping in mind that all of these need to be high-quality and custom-made if you want to see real results.
1. Interactive calculators.
If you provide a useful tool, like a mortgage calculator, that people can use again and again, that will keep them coming back. It will also build their trust in your expertise.
Keep in mind that this interactive calculator doesn't have to sell them something directly. In fact, it may be better that it doesn't. What it's selling is your expertise and generosity toward your audience.
2. Videos and motion graphics.
On average, motion graphics increase conversions by 80 percent. This may be because people can absorb information more easily through this highly visual medium.
In fact, human eyes can register 36,000 visual messages per hour. So while motion graphics and videos can be incredibly information-dense -- not only in what you tell, but in what you show -- your viewers can handle it and they'll feel more informed as a result. This, in turn, builds their trust in your company, product, or service.
3. Visual e-books and white papers.
This type of trust-building helps you develop longer-term relationships with your customers. That's probably why marketers are more successful when they prioritize educating their audience over selling to their audience.
Visual e-books and white papers are a great way to share real, actionable expertise -- information and strategies that are truly useful to your audience. Make sure you incorporate plenty of visual communication -- illustrations, data visualizations, and more -- to keep their attention and improve comprehension.
4. Quizzes.
Audiences love personalized content, and quizzes are no exception. Interactive quizzes can be fun, enlightening, helpful, or a little bit of everything. Some are designed to help them learn more about themselves, while others guide them to the product or service that is best for them.
In any case, the results of a quiz are personalized, and therefore help the user feel more confident that any recommendation at the end is right for them. This makes the shopping experience easier and more reassuring, and keeps them coming back.
5. Thought leadership content.
Whether you're writing an article for Inc. (ahem) or speaking on a conference main stage, your company needs to position itself as the leader in its field. Your customers want to partner with innovators who have cutting-edge insights and strategies. Make sure your content marketing continually works to position key figures within your organization -- and your organization as a whole -- on the cutting edge.
6. Visual campaigns.
Earning your customers' business over and over again requires more than just one great piece of content. All your content needs to have consistent messaging and a coherent look and feel, whether they're looking at your website, reading an ebook, or visiting your booth at a conference.
If even one piece of content isn't up to the same quality standards as the rest, they might start to wonder whether your company is capable of achieving consistent quality -- and whether their next project with you will be as good as the last.
So when you're developing visual content, organize it into larger visual campaigns to ensure quality and consistency across the board.
Try these six types of content, and you'll keep your customers coming back.
BYAMY BALLIETT,
CO-FOUNDER AND CEO,
KILLER VISUAL STRATEGIES
@AMYBALLIETT