How You Can Harness the Power of “Know, Like, and Trust” to Build a Customer Base
We recently established the importance of why you want your customers to know, like, and trust your brand. These kinds of relationships help build your customer base — they’re vital to your growth as a business. So now let’s focus on the how.
As discussed in our blog post on why, a lot of the how comes down to your digital presence through your website and your in-person presence through networking. Here are seven ways you can get people to know, like, and trust your brand and ultimately earn their customer loyalty.
1. Be present.
The primary way for people to know, like, and trust you is for them to actually have a connection with you as a business owner and with your staff through a physical presence. This can be especially difficult during the coronavirus pandemic when in-person events are canceled for the foreseeable future, but this makes it all the more important for you to seek out virtual networking mixers and similar opportunities for real-time interaction with others. When it comes to the day-to-day operations of your business, don’t be an absentee owner—customers appreciate knowing that the owner of the business is there on a regular basis and involved in what’s going on.
2. Be a human being in your web presence.
No matter how active you are at networking, your in-person presence (or your Zoom presence in 2020) will reach only so many people. Your web presence, on the other hand, has the potential to reach hundreds or even thousands of people every day! But if your web presence just feels dry and boring, then it won’t resonate with people—they won’t see you as a personable brand they’re inclined to like and trust.
So you need to have a personality in your digital presence. Figure out who your target buyer is and use the tone and language that resonates with them. Make jokes, be conversational, and keep the atmosphere approachable.
You should also strive for two-way conversations on social media. If somebody comments on one of your posts, be sure to reply to them! It shows you’re actually engaged.
Finally, don’t be afraid to use visuals like photos and videos. Written words can sometimes feel impersonal. A photo, on the other hand, puts a face to those words. If you go with a video, people will be able to see your expressions, hear the tone of your voice, and almost feel as if you’re looking them in the eye. It’s great for letting people feel as if they know you better.
3. Demonstrate your expertise.
A big part of trusting a brand is being assured that those who are driving it know what they’re doing. You want to show your customer base that you’re an expert in your field. Therefore, your web presence needs to be less about being salesy or spammy. It should instead be about sharing information regarding your products, services, and industry in general.
A great way to do this is with a blog, but you can also get creative. Hold a webinar, start a podcast, release videos, or put together infographics. The more content you put out, the more people have an opportunity to get a sense of who you are as an industry leader.
4. Have a network of influencers.
You might associate the term “influencers” with people who are active on social media and who promote products simply by showing them off on Instagram. While these sorts of influencers can be helpful, your influencers encompass anyone in your networking who supports the online presence of your business, whether that’s through commenting on your posts or tagging you in their own posts. When you have a vibrant network of business relationships and loyal customers, this will create a sense of trust for people who are new to your brand. They see others have embraced you, so they’re more inclined to embrace you as well.
5. Be ethical and demonstrate good morals.
Now more than ever, people are basing their spending decisions on companies they know have values that align with theirs. They’re less inclined to spend money with businesses they perceive as unethical, morally unsound, or just fake and pretentious. Having values—and honestly living by those values—is important if consumers are going to know, like, and trust you.
Does this mean that you have to donate a portion of your profit to saving the dolphins every month? Not necessarily (though if there is a charitable cause you wish to support, you should definitely do so). Instead, it’s more important that you’re able to back up what you say with action, that you don’t make false promises, and that you apologize if you ever find yourself in a situation where it’s appropriate.
6. Consistency is key.
When people see that you’re consistent, they recognize that you’re reliable. Don’t let your social media presence fizzle out for weeks at a time. More importantly, don’t waiver in the quality of the content you’re putting out. It makes you look too erratic and unpredictable if you put out high-quality videos one day and then follow it up with blurry photos or a rushed blog post the next day. An inconsistent web presence suggests that you might be inconsistent in other areas of business too. You might not be, but it’s hard for people to trust that.
Which actually makes a nice transition to the last point…
7. Don’t neglect your quality.
Yes, you are concerned with how people perceive you as a business owner or how they perceive your team, or even what they think of your web presence. But all of those notions will dissolve pretty quickly if people decide they don’t like your product. If you want people to know, like, and trust your brand, then your products and services need to be the best you can possibly offer. People will learn to dislike you pretty fast if your quality starts to slide or become unreliable.