Is there a product that you use from one brand that you would never, ever buy from another business? Customers develop deep preferences to everything from laundry detergent to boutique gyms to cars—and it isn't always because the product is so vastly superior. It’s because they’ve developed loyalty to the brand. We don’t just want our customers to pick our product off the shelf or click on an ad and convert once, or even twice; we want to be our customers to be excited about our brand-- dedicated to our brand.

So how do you build brand loyalty, especially when you’re an online business without the personal interaction of brick-and-mortar stores? Using user-generated content (UGC) to tell your brand story is one of the best methods for creating brand loyalty available to e-commerce businesses.In this post, we’re going to define brand loyalty and show you how to create it with user-generated content.

‍What is Brand Loyalty? The definition of brand loyalty is the tendency or pattern of customers purchasing the same brand repeatedly. There is a clear preference for their chosen brand, and they don’t automatically consider the competition. This doesn’t mean they can’t be swayed by sales or discounts, but they go in and automatically look for their chosen brand.

According to some brand loyalty statistics from Access’ Blog,

• 86% of consumers say loyalty is primarily driven by likeability, and more than 80% also value trust
• 77% of people are considered “brand loyal,” but only about 37% of these customers do so intentionally and not out of habit
• People who use social media more often are more likely to be loyal to brands they follow
• 77% of consumers like when brands share their appreciation to customers

These statistics start to paint a picture of the users who are willing to engage and be loyal to brands—if the brands are willing to engage them. And the best way to do that is with UGC. Fortunately, there are three simple steps to building brand loyalty with user generated content. We’ll show you each, and a few brand loyalty building examples.

1. Share it Everywhere

If you want your user generated content to have the biggest impact possible, share it everywhere and increase its visibility. Share it across your social platforms (and give credit and say thank you when you do), and—most importantly—share it on your website.

Users like when you acknowledge their contribution to your brand, and posting the content they’ve created on your website shows that you value it a great deal. Pixlee’s social feeds automatically finds, curates, and displays UGC for your brand on your site, providing a warm welcome to all new users and nurturing brand loyalty for visitors in every stage of the digital sales funnel.

2. Center Your Online Community Around UGC

After you’ve prominently placed your earned user-generated content on your site and social media, try to center your online community around it. This feels organic and helps users not only connect with you, but with other customers. You create a community around your product, instead of just an email list to send discounts to.

Sharing UGC that helps tell your brand’s story and your customers’ stories is a great way to do this. Share the customer’s content, and then follow up immediately with a call to action for other users to share their story or opinion. This generates discussion, but it can also generate further content creation. All of this helps to build a brand story—and a community.

3. Use UGC in Marketing Materials to Tell Your Brand’s Story

By using user generated content in your marketing materials instead of just as casual posts on social media, you’re letting your customers tell your brand story with you. This story will then feel more authentic and organic, and it will make other users trust you and like you more.

Use these materials everywhere; put user-generated content in displays on your store, in Facebook Ad campaigns, and in emails promoting sales. Share other users’ stories of how your brand has impacted them, and you’ll build brand loyalty across the board.

Final Thoughts We live in a world where there’s so much competition for consumers' attention, it’s essential to create brand loyalty; it matters just as much as your product’s superiority, and it’s essential to both gaining and keeping customers in today’s highly competitive world. Fortunately, user-generated content is one of the best ways to leverage that brand loyalty.