Ask Us Anything: Marketing expert Jo Schmid shares the one thing your competitors can’t copy

In this month’s Ask Us Anything series, SmartCompany asked That Marketing Club coach and founder Jo Schmid to share her tips on how to turn first-time buyers into repeat customers.

From how to get repeat customers to whether investing in acquisition or retention for your business, Schmid’s advice will help your business build customer loyalty.

1. What are the biggest drivers of brand loyalty in 2026?

The biggest driver of loyalty in 2026 is the one thing your competitors can't copy - how it feels to be your customer.

Anyone can match your product or undercut your price. What they can't replicate is the experience around it — the way you talk to people, how easy you are to deal with, whether buying from you feels like a relationship or a receipt. That's what brings people back, and it holds true whether you sell a service or ship 1000 parcels a week.

The trap, especially for newer business owners, is treating loyalty as something you bolt on at the end, like a repeat-purchase discount, a "tag us for 10% off." The problem is that discounts don't create loyalty. They create bargain hunters. A discount only holds someone until a competitor offers a bigger one.

What actually earns loyalty is simpler. People stay when they feel seen — when a brand treats them like a person, not an order number. They stay when they get real value and when the price feels fair for what they got. For a service business that lives in the relationship. For an e-commerce brand it's in the packaging, the emails, and how you handle the moment something goes wrong.

When I look at businesses with raving fans, it's rarely driven by price or discounts - it's because they've built a strong brand and trust.

2. How do I turn first-time buyers into repeat customers?

The first is a clear next step — and that next step has to exist. Leave someone at a dead end and they've got nowhere to go but away.

I like to describe it as a sample menu. The first purchase gives customers a taste of what it's like to buy from you, and there should be an obvious next thing waiting for them.

For an e-commerce brand, that could be a complementary product, a bundle or a subscription — or a follow-up email with something that pairs well with their purchase. Ongoing touchpoints are so important.

For a service business, it might be a larger package, ongoing support or a premium offer. The path should feel natural, not forced.

The second is an after-sales process. I've seen a lot of businesses stop engaging after the first sale.

The order ships, the invoice is paid, and communication stops. And that's a missed opportunity.

The period immediately after a purchase is when you should aim to capture them - a thoughtful welcome from the founder that doesn’t look generic, a follow-up message, useful advice or a simple check-in can dramatically increase the likelihood of a second purchase.

Repeat customers are usually the result of a deliberate customer journey. And honestly, this can be set up easily with good email marketing software like Klaviyo for the e-commerce brands. There are loads of automations you can lean on — like after-sales sequences or win-back flows for customers who haven't bought in a while.

3. Where should I invest more – acquisition or retention?

Give retention your attention, 100?%.

This is something every business should be thinking about, because I so often see the focus go on attracting new people rather than showing love to the ones who've already bought from you.

Acquiring new customers is expensive, because every sale starts from zero. You have to earn attention, build trust and convince someone to take a chance on you.

But you've already done that with your existing customers.

They know your brand. They trust your business. And if they've had a positive experience, they're far more likely to buy again and recommend you to other people. That's why retention is often the highest-return investment for a business versus chasing new customers.

Once you’ve already delivered value, stay connected and give customers a reason to stay in your world. You'll always need new customers. But the businesses growing most sustainably are usually the ones paying just as much attention to the customers they've already served.