Last week I presented the Fierce Loyalty model in a half-day workshop and during the Q & A, a gentleman raised his hand and said “I totally see how the pieces come together for fierce loyalty. I’m just wondering, is there a way to make them come together faster?”
This is far and away the number one question I get. Even though everyone understands that creating a fiercely loyal community takes commitment and time (just like any other relationship), we can’t let go of our need for speed.
And I have good news. Yes, there are what I call “Fierce Loyalty Accelerators”. While they cannot replace the essential elements, they can absolutely help your community get to the fierce loyalty space much much faster.
Here are three of my favorites:
1) Create a culture of “We”.
Traditionally, the relationship between a business and its clients is based on an “us” and “them” paradigm. What if there was no “us and them”? What if there was only “we”
No one does this better than Harley-Davidson. Their entire brand culture is built around the idea that everyone from corporate employees to customers is first and foremost a Harley rider. Creating a community based on this idea of “we’re all in this together” breaks down the traditional walls between customers and companies, and gives customers an ownership stake in the success of the brand.
2) Build in exclusivity.
Let’s face it. We all like the feeling that we belong to something that is exclusively for us and people like us. Customers and clients who belong to an exclusive community know beyond a shadow of a doubt that it will deliver value that is specifically designed for their interests and their needs.
Weight Watchers recently launched a program and a community exclusively for men who want to lose weight. Men know this community will speak directly to them and their specific weight loss challenges and they don’t have to worry about sitting in a room full of ladies. Weight Watchers can target their messaging and product delivery directly from men to men. When clients know they absolutely belong, it’s much easier for them to feel Fierce Loyalty.
3) Stand for something bold.
Taking a bold stand 1) allows you to rise above all the noise in today’s marketplace and 2) attract a very distinct group of customers who want to be associated specifically with you.
Hands down the best I’ve seen at this lately is The Dollar Shave Club. Their instantly viral YouTube commercial was an incredibly bold move with an incredibly bold message. Their right customers immediately identified with them and their not-so-right customers tuned them out. The payoff for the incredibly bold stand? Twelve thousand new customers in 48 hours (plus a community of people who can’t wait to see what they do next).
These three accelerators: creating a culture of “we”, building in exclusivity and standing for something bold, don’t cost a lot or money or involve a lot of manpower. They simply require a shift in approach. Put one, two or even all three of them into play and watch the Fierce Loyalty temperature rise in your client community.
What are your thoughts? What “fierce loyalty accelerators” have you discovered that strengthen your community?
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Sarah Robinson is President and CEO of Sarah Robinson Co. She is a seasoned business coach, strategist, advisor and speaker who helps business owners set their companies apart from the pack. Based in Birmingham, Alabama, Sarah advises her international clients on how to build a thriving, successful community, how to increase social media effectiveness, and how to develop a remarkable online and offline business presence.
You can learn more about Sarah and Fierce Loyalty at http://www.fierce-loyalty.com
Leesa Barnes
Your fierce loyalty posts just keep getting better and better. I've just started to embrace #1 after rediscovering that one of my values is connecting. As for #2, I'm still surprised at how many people don't want to offer exclusivity. They feel it is very elitist of them to do so. However, a leader can do their best work amongst those who show a commitment in investing in themselves. Finally, I love #3. It can be quite isolating if your bold statement goes completely against the grain. But I've come to realize that it is that bold statement, that bold belief, that makes one stand out in a noisy marketplace. Stick with it, be courageous and believe in your boldness.
Lesley
I thought this was a great post! I especially liked how it listed the three favorite methods of achieving loyalty in the community. I definitely think the third point that is mentioned is extremely important to create community. Standing for something bold is extremely important if you want to build loyalty in the community. As the post mentioned, being bold will "allow you to rise above all the noise in today’s marketplace and attract a very distinct group of customers who want to be associated specifically with." Great post!
Print Catalog
Another round of great thoughts Kyle. I certainly like how you explained #1 and #3. Breaking the boundaries between the corporate world and the target market makes a lot of difference.
– Blake
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I thought this was a great post! I especially liked how it listed the three favorite methods of achieving loyalty in the community.