Can you use social media to build trust with your audience? You can, and you should!
According to a global survey conducted by PwC, trust in a brand strongly influences consumer’s buying decisions, with 35% saying this was among their top three reasons for purchasing from a specific retailer. So, how does social media tie into this? Using your online presence the RIGHT way can create a community of people that support your brand and even market your business for you. When you are openly engaged on social media, it allows you to build a strong brand-consumer relationship and position you as a leader in your industry.
Here are our top tips on how to engage your audience in five steps:
Step 1: Consistent Branding & Voice
Your branding is the first thing people notice. Professional and polished branding will automatically make consumers take you seriously and will create brand recognition. Having a consistent voice builds trust, positions you as a thought leader, and allows you to really show your brand personality which connects with consumers on a deeper level.
Step 2: Quality Content & Collaboration
Once you’ve identified who your audience is, what they like, and why they want what you have, you can start creating content that engages them in a way that’s true to your brand. Overly promotional content will annoy people and lose you followers, whereas providing valuable content that consumers want to come back for will create exponential growth. Value can come in many forms, make sure you’re focusing on educating, entertaining, igniting discussions, and gaining insights so that you can constantly optimize your social media strategy. Collaborations also create brand trust by showcasing partnerships and getting your page in front of new audiences.
Step 3: Create Conversations and Engage
Nurture interaction on your social channels by not only sharing quality content, but also engaging and responding to your audience. You can do this by responding to questions in a timely manner, asking questions on comments to further conversations, and thanking customers who are talking about you and your product/service. Imagine you are having a conversation—if someone stopped talking to you, you would move on. Social media is the same.
Step 4: Share User-Generated Content & Reviews
We all know the best form of marketing is word of mouth and recommendations from a friend. It’s one thing to toot your own horn but it’s so much better when others are tooting it for you. Encourage consumers to share their own photos and videos of your product or service and make the experience more compelling for them by creating unboxing moments, branded hashtags, and rewarding consumers who are faithful to your brand.
Step 5: Authenticity & Transparency
To be successful on social media, you have to communicate with these two core values. Today’s consumer responds well to brands that they can relate to and a story they can buy into. According to @Forbes, 77% of buyers say they are more likely to buy from a company if the CEO uses social media and 82% trust the company more. Don’t be afraid to respond to negative feedback with good customer care and even speak about some of your failures—humanizing your brand will create loyalty.
How to Use Social Media to Build Trust with Your Audience
