Back in December, when we were doing some research on what to expect in marketing in 2019, it pretty much always led back to one thing: creating trust. Today, there is so much information and it’s constantly being thrown at us. How are we supposed to know who to believe and which product actually is the best? Sure, asking someone would make sense, but many times, we’ve completely cut out face-to-face communication. We no longer need to go into a store and talk to people to buy products. Now, we can go online. And if we do go into a store, so many of them have self checkout that we still don’t need to talk to people! It’s a crazy world we live in… Anyway, all of this to say, building trust is important.
One way to build trust is to be personal. With so many people and businesses on social media, it can be easy to just get the facts out there and stick to selling. If people see something they like, they’ll purchase and it starts all over again. Not very personal. It’s okay to share something funny that happened to you during the day or share some behind the scenes photos of your office. It’ll be a good reminder to followers that an actual person is running the account and even if you do have some posts scheduled, it shows that it’s not just a machine pumping out information.
An easy way to get personal and give followers an inside look at you and your business is by sharing photos of your team! Have you ever seen those “meet the team” posts with a picture and short bio, and then lots of kind comments saying how helpful they were or something similar? Not only does it remind your team member they’re doing a good job when they see those comments, but others who don’t currently do business with you can see it too! Your employees will feel good, your business will look good. It’s a win-win!
You can create trust and build relationships with your customers by giving back. Once in a while, surprise them with a freebie or a special discount. Let them know you’re thankful for their business. It will be a very pleasant surprise and will show you want to keep them around! After all, most customers are return customers, right? Keep them happy and show you care!
Of course, there are plenty of other ways to build trust with your customers. Whether it’s one of the ideas listed above or something really simple like replying to a comment on social media or reposting a satisfied customers’ post about your business, it’s always worth it to take some time and let current and potential customers know you’re there to be helpful and not just to sell your amazing product or service.
