Building Trust Through Your Content

Rarely do we do business with someone we don’t know or never heard of. Usually, especially if it’s a big purchase, we’ll ask for recommendations from our contacts, testimonials of happy customers, examples of their work, or a satisfaction guarantee. We want to get to know the person or business we’re dealing with. We want to trust them before we make a purchase.

I love Bob Burg’s quote: “All things being equal, people do business with and refer business to those people they know, like and trust.”. Being liked and being trusted doesn’t happen over night. It takes a lot of work, patience and follow through. There are many ways to build trust, and one of those ways is through your content.

How Does Content Build Trust?

The information you write about your business, your voice and your consistency all contribute to building trust. You can earn and build trust with your customers through:

Your website. When a customer is shopping around for a product or service you sell, one of the first places they will look is your website. They will want to learn more about you, what you offer, and the perceived level of professionalism you portray. They will learn these things through the content on your website. Does your content make sense? Does it speak to them? Does it sound like you are trying to help them, or does it sound like a sales pitch?

Your blog. Potential customers will also learn about your company through a blog. They may find your blog from your website, or they may find it because the topic you have written about comes up in their Google search. Either way, the blog articles you write, if written correctly, will be giving them advice or information related to your product, service or industry. By writing about it and offering information, you gain credibility.

Your email marketing. Your monthly, bi-monthly or quarterly newsletters or e-blasts are another way to build trust. Email marketing is powerful, because if you’ve been given permission to email them or they’ve opted in to your list, your message is sent straight to their email inbox. When these emails offer information that will help them, or offer a promotion of a product they’ve expressed interest in, you build trust.

Your social media. Everyone is on social media today, and it’s important that your business has a presence. Social media offers unique opportunities to connect with your potential customers personally, through likes, comments, shares and direct messaging. But if you’re going to be there, you must commit to it. Unanswered customer comments is like locking your door during business hours – or worse – slamming the door in their face.

Tips for Creating Trusted Content

As you are creating content for your business, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

  • Be helpful. Always look for ways to solve a problem in your content.
  • Be knowledgeable. You have industry experience and expertise that your customer’s don’t have, but need. Share it with them through your content. Let them know you know your stuff.
  • Be consistent. Being consistent means doing what you say you are going to do. If you’ve committed to sending out a monthly newsletter, then do it. If your customers expect that you’ll be on social media three times a week, then do it. If your last social media post was dated two years ago, or you suddenly stop sending your monthly emails, your customers may wonder if you’re still in business. Inconsistency casts a shadow of doubt that you don’t want your customers to have.
  • Keep your content updated. Take promotions, sales or events off of your website the day they end. If you’ve hired a new team member, add him or her to your website and remove the person who was replaced. Having outdated information on your website leaves the impression that no one is working, or no one cares that the information is old.

Like any other relationship in your life, building trust with your customers is a process. And creating valuable content gives you the opportunity to earn it. Once you have it, treasure it and grow it. Your business will grow too.

If you need help creating content for your business, please feel free to contact me.

 

 

 

 

 

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