Every day on social media you see people talking about the
importance of brands learning how to engage with their consumers, be more “human”
and above all, be honest and transparent. Think about your life – how long
would you stay friends with someone you didn’t trust? Would you continue to
keep working on building that relationship? The same goes for brands. In order
to grow their consumer base, they must build relationships. And those
relationships must be based on trust.
Social media has leveled the playing field, opening up the
opportunity for small brands to have the same chance of reaching as wide an
audience as larger, more established brands. Trust goes a long way in cutting
through some of the “noise” on social media, helping even start-ups gain
attention and interest of existing and potential consumers.
Here are 7 ways brands can begin to build trust with their
consumers using social media:
1.
Quick and
Responsive Communication: If I am happy with a company or a meal or
customer service I’ve received, I am more likely to go straight to Twitter with
my comment. I am less likely to fill out a comment card. I have my phone with
me at all times, so it’s much more convenience to simply pull it out and type
out a quick message to the company. Studies show that if someone has a bad
experience, they will take to social media first to communicate their
complaint. If brands receive a complaint via one of their social media
channels, that is a great opportunity to quickly address the consumer, take
ownership of the complaint and see what they can do to remedy the situation. I
believe that most issues can be resolved and less consumers will be lost if
brands do this in less than 5 hours from the time they received the message.
This also shows on a larger scale to more people that the brand is listening
and concerned with what people are saying. If handled correctly, a well handled
complaint can often turn into a great testimonial for the brand.
2.
People
Buy From People: People often talk about being the same online as they are
offline. In my opinion, that’s the only way to be. You are only one person, and if
you are the face behind a brand, you are trusted to be for a reason. There is
nothing I can think of that would make a good case for making a different
persona online. If you want people to trust your brand as they would a friend,
you have to speak with them as if they were your friend. Being yourself on
social media also helps in keeping a consistent voice. If you are friendly and
engaging one day and the next day you are simply selling your product with
every message, people are going to be confused by your messaging and confusion
leads to mistrust.
3.
Create
More Often Than You Curate: People who are looked at to be thought leaders
have many people that trust them. While sharing posts on social media that you
have not written is very common, if that is all you are doing, you are
essentially showing that your brand has no original ideas of its own. You
become more of an echo than someone to be looked to for answers your consumers
are seeking. If you aim to truly gain respect and trust, you will need to show
you can post timely original content that is relevant to your audience.
4.
Be
Transparent: This does not mean you should reveal company secrets, but the
more you show you have nothing to hide, the easier it will be for people to
trust your brand. A good example would be, if someone posts a complaint on your
brand’s Facebook wall, do not simply delete it. Address it, and leave it up on
the timeline to show that you have nothing to hide and no matter what, you will
listen to what people are saying and will address it.
5.
Be
Accountable: We all make mistakes. You may have forgotten to send something
out on a certain date, making a shipment arrive late, or you may have tweeted
something that perhaps offended people. Don’t ignore or make excuses for these
occurrences. Acknowledge that you understand what you have done wrong, and do
what you are able to, to right the wrong as quickly as possible.
6.
Be
Helpful: Remember, this is not about YOU. This is all about your consumer.
By being a member of the community, and using social listening, you will find
out what your consumers are seeking to find out, or what questions they may
have. This is what should drive your content. Being someone’
7.
Do Not
Auto-DM on Twitter: Just don’t do it. No. Matter. What.
These are just a few of many ways brands can build trust on
social media. Remember that without your consumers, you don’t have a brand!
Focusing on gaining the trust of your community as well as expressing gratitude
for that trust will help you develop and deepen relationships, ensuring your
business continues to grow.
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