Emotions affect every part of our lives. From our friendships to what we eat and what we buy, everything is affected by emotions - whether we realize them or not. If you want to be serious about marketing, you have to understand how to evoke emotions in your audience that encourages customer loyalty as well as purchasing. In fact, emotions are often more important than other factors when consumers make decisions.

* Understand What Your Brand Is – Your brand is a mental and emotional representation of your products and services. When a consumer thinks of your brand and you’ve done your job by branding your business, they will feel an emotional attachment and loyalty toward your version of the product or service. This is true even if there is competition that produces exactly what you do. Even if your price is more expensive, their loyalty and emotions keep them with you.

* Benefits over Features – One thing that elicits emotions in a person is learning about the benefits of a product or service. Consumers don’t care about attributes, features or facts; they care more about what the product or service does for them.

* Experiences Matter – One thing that affects emotions exponentially, and by extension customer loyalty, is experience. If you can ensure that every customer has great a experience no matter where they are within the product funnel, then you can ensure good emotions that encourage loyalty which they’ll share with others.

* Emotions and Reason – At first glance you may feel as if emotion and reason don’t work together. But, the truth is that if you can combine emotional cues with reason, you’ll affect your customers’ loyalty at a much higher rate. Emotions require you to use triggers, but reason requires you not to exaggerate or lie.

* Emotions Build Trust – When you know exactly the words to use and the experiences to offer your audience, you will build trust that cannot be broken. People tend to look back on their experiences with a brand and judge future potential based on those experiences. Seek to provide awesome experiences and the trust you build will grow your business exponentially.

* Share Your Mission – Consumers love businesses that have a mission outside of the bottom line. For example, if you can connect your business to a charity that your audience would enjoy being part of, or you can demonstrate sound employment practices, offer excellent benefits and show care of other humans, you can cause your audience to become emotionally attached to you.

* Engagement Builds Community – Another way to encourage customer loyalty is to make your customer feel as if they’re part of a community. The emotions they develop being part of a close-knit community will translate into them also being loyal to your brand. Engage with your customers by creating a Facebook group or message board and keep discussions going.

* Make Your Costumers Feel Special – Work to build special relationships with your customers individually and as a group. Find ways to make them feel special by offering consumer loyalty discounts, specials, freebies and other offers. Don’t just make all the great offers for new customers.

Remember to treat your customers generously and look at them as human beings instead of wallets or ATMs. Customers can tell if they’re not being treated well and will go elsewhere - no matter how good the value you offer is. That’s because emotions and loyalty go hand in hand.