A study into the impact of social media on consumers published this month has revealed that one of the most profound effects social media has on consumers is to build trust in brands. By facilitating conversations between consumers, and between consumers and brands, trust increases, as does intention to buy.
So how can you harness the power of social media to help consumers trust your brand? Here are three rules to make your brand’s social presence trustworthy:
1. Be there: first of all make sure you have a presence on the social channels which your consumers use most. By being there you can start forging the connections, starting the conversations and demonstrating the expertise that will ultimately build trust in your brand.
2. Be authentic: don’t make promises your brand can’t deliver. In the transparent digital world all brands now must inhabit, any outright lies or even half truths will be likely uncovered and your brand authenticity viciously sacrificed to placate the gods of digital outrage.
3. Listen, hard: listen to what your customers and prospects are saying on social media. When they talk about your brand, are they expressing trust, if not, why not? Use this insight to make changes necessary to develop trust, and then use social to communicate these changes.
Are you using social media to effectively drive growth for your business? Try our one day social media training course to start seeing a return on social activity. Call Sophie on 0207 269 6990 or click here to find out more.