Customer Retention vs Customer Loyalty

The very beginning of a customer’s loyalty for a brand, you could think, happens through the first purchase. This might be true in most cases, but it does not mean you are done. For a future brand-customer relationship you need retention; with retention, you are on a true path to loyalty. However, you might be confused when it comes to the concepts of customer retention vs customer loyalty.

Customer retention refers to repeated customer-brand relationships. A customer might buy from you the second time or more, or maybe not. On the other hand, loyalty is more of a broader concept. A loyal customer does not only buy from you multiple times but also will talk about you. Of course, loyalty involves retention, but both require further understanding.

The need for understanding this became of higher importance especially during times of Covid-19. Many brands, especially small ones, are going through anxiety and uncertainty because this is a time where their expert teams cannot really predict even short-term customer retention. In fact, a loyalty program during Covid-19 became a vital tool for retention marketers.

As cliche as it may sound, customer loyalty is a journey rather than an item to be crossed off from your retention strategy to-do list. Customer retention vs customer loyalty – let’s try and find ways to articulate these concepts better.

The Difference between Customer Retention vs Customer Loyalty

Customer retention is more than calculating the number of customer-brand interactions. It is also a measure that is shaped by two sides. Achieving customer retention relies on your efforts as a brand, but it is up to the customer’s decision to buy from you or not, in the end. The customer’s behavior or emotional drives to buy from you might change over time. Therefore, retention does not imply stability.

On the other hand, loyalty, as much as it embodies retention obviously, also talks about whether your customers choose to engage with your brand on various levels, or not. The realms you can unveil for engagement opportunities are the case here. Measuring them and converting them into data is equally important. But we will get there later.

The engagement factor is what brings stability to sustaining the B2B channel loyalty program.

Don’t get us wrong, customer retention strategies are important. Our point is we should use it as part of a broader view, and utilize its potential for long-lasting relationship-building.

How does Apex Loyalty work in achieving so? We offer a flexible structure to integrate with your business dynamics, as well as powerful metrics to evaluate any effort you are putting into your B2B loyalty strategy.

Building Loyalty in Every Bit

Imagine you have shifted your brand to such a level that you are recognizable in everything you do. Your customers will approach any of your marketing efforts, almost in the intuitional way, knowing it has something to do with you. This can be an ad, a product, a website, or a message on social media. Wouldn’t it be a massive success?

This is usually for the giants league, but it doesn’t mean you cannot implement the same mentality to your brand, regardless of your business scope. And this is only possible through a single and strong tone, and consistency.

A B2B loyalty program is extremely helpful in this journey because its foundation is directly aimed at the idea of creating a seamless omnichannel customer experience. Such an experience, in other words, “being recognizable in every move”, passes a message to customers on various touch bases.

How do We Pass on Your Message?

With Apex Loyalty, you not only pass your message in the most fitting way but also create the very touchpoints where you need your message feature.

The B2B engagement metrics we utilize will help you gain insights about active business-to-business engagement. This involves to what extent your customer base finds your content meaningful, and how much they are willing to consume it. We also offer various reward programs, and they are all tailored on the basis of what your customers need and appreciate.

These very personalized content are all possible thanks to the dynamic rules engine Apex Loyalty adopts. Your business or go-to-market needs may vary depending on time, location, or any other parameter authentic to your own organization.

Effective channel management is key when it comes to B2B loyalty. Apex Loyalty provides a real-time and seamless communication platform. This way, you’ll be training, rewarding, and leading your base while staying in touch, and making your presence felt 24/7.

If you want to have a good look at our success stories, visit our customer success stories page.

You can read our previous post on https://www.apexloyalty.com/b2b-loyalty-programs-for-retail-sector