Building Trust is Worth the Investment

In today’s world, trust is something that organizations are seeking to gain from their audience. For a brand, it can mean big dollars in customer engagement and loyalty. Customers who trust a brand are more likely to invest in new products, advocate for a brand and stay loyal when things go wrong. Trust in a brand is becoming a major deciding factor when considering a purchase. However, even as trust in a brand is more important than ever, it is in decline across the board.

Here are a few ways that you can help build trust for your organization.

Take the time to know who you are and what you stand for

All organizations have ideas of who they are, but often when you get into the nitty gritty, the “brand” can be a little more complicated. Make the effort to facilitate a conversation within your organization about who you are and what you offer clients. It can often be very eye-opening and lead to new and exciting messaging.

Create authentic and meaningful content 

It is important to take the time to create authentic content for your audience. Storytelling is a great way to build relationships both within your organization and with your clients. Brands that have meaningful stories outperform their counterparts according to Forbes.

Share your story on multiple platforms

It’s not enough to only share your story on one platform, especially with only advertising. We’ve all been guilty of skipping the top item on Google because it’s sponsored and, instead, going to the first site in the actual search list even if they’re the same. Today’s audience is more tech savvy than ever and often checks a variety of sources before making a decision. This also helps your exposure to audiences that you want to reach. No one will visit your website if they don’t know about it, no matter how great it is. Also, social media can be restrictive in what you can share, limiting your ability to fully educate your audience. By creating a strategy that ties a variety of platforms together, you can not only share in depth who you are but also present highlights via social media.

Build credibility by becoming a thought leader 

Finding opportunities to share your organization’s story is a great way to help your audience connect with you via channels you don’t control. Since they are presented by objective third parties, this can raise your credibility and trust with your audience. By reaching out to news organizations, researching speaking opportunities and submitting bylined articles for publication, you are vetted by outside sources. This can not only share your organization with a new audience but also raises your profile by increasing your credibility.

Being thought of a trustworthy organization takes time and energy. You want to create sincere, impactful messaging that best illustrates who you are and share that information across a variety of platforms. Crafting an integrated marketing plan is a good way to streamline this process. While this may seem a bit daunting, it can help keep you on the right track as you build credibility with your desired audience.