How To Build Trust In Your Marketing

Spammy messages and being sold pipedreams – we’re all getting sick of it as consumers. And it’s no wonder we’re losing trust.

Selling your services online is hard. Fact. And it’s not getting easier.

The good news is that because so many people are tired of the nonsense, it’s the perfect chance for genuine and heartfelt businesses to be heard. In fact, research carried out by Gartner found that 83% of consumers won’t buy from a brand they don’t trust.

And don’t forget, with trust comes loyalty. If customers really buy into you, they'll stick around and recommend you to other people.

So, how can we build trust in our marketing?

Transparency is key

Yep, it’s simple – you’ve got to be open and honest.

When it feels like you’re surrounded by so much competition, it might be tempting to bend the truth a little to get your desired outcome. And I see people do this all the time. But in the end others will see through it all and the trust will be gone, and so will those potential longstanding customers.

It’s okay to screw up and admit mistakes you’ve made - people will appreciate your transparency. And if you’re open about the bad parts, they’ll trust the good parts are genuine.

Let’s talk about offers and pricing. . .

Whatever you do, don’t market a service as being discounted or on sale when you’ve never have or ever will sell it at your supposed full price. For one, it can get you in trouble with the ASA, but even more importantly, being potentially deceitful to make a quick sale is going to damage your reputation. If you’re offering a discount as part of a launch, that’s no problem, but stick to the cut-off date; otherwise, those early bird sign-ups are not going to be happy.

And the thing we love to hate – data. If you’re gathering customer information, you’ve got to be open about how you’re going to use their information and reassure them you’ll be storing it safely. With so many unsolicited emails heading to our inboxes each day, you don’t want to be one of the businesses making your customers mad. If you’re going to use their email address to contact them about promotions – tell them.

 

Communicate Consistently

Making sure your brand voice and tone is consistent across all platforms will avoid sending out any mixed messages. If you’re confusing people, they won’t trust you.

If you haven’t already, put together your own Brand Voice Guide to make sure you:

• Have consistent messaging

• Keep your content relevant

• Address your customer’s problems

• Give your customers a clear guide on who you are and what you do

• Use consistent language

And this leads onto how you communicate with your customers. Think about how you want them to contact you – should it be via email, WhatsApp, or social media? Keep your call to action simple and easy to follow.

Collect those testimonials

Building social proof is going to be integral in building trust and credibility over time. Yet, it’s one of those things so many of us are rubbish at! I’m certainly guilty of it.

If you haven’t got any testimonials already, reach out to current or past customers and ask them. You can make it easy by putting together a quick Google form or email them some brief questions to get specific feedback you can use.

Then make sure you use them on your social media, website and marketing emails.

If you’re new to your business, don’t worry – now’s the time to make collecting reviews as part of your processes so you’re not scrabbling for them at a later date. Want to get them quickly? Then you could offer a limited number of people a free service in exchange for a review.

Be Personal

No one’s asking you to share your whole life story, but creating relatable and personal content will help build trust in your marketing.

Weave in your own experiences and stories that relate to your product and service. Show your customers you understand how they feel – you’ve probably been in their shoes at some point. The more they get to know you on a personal level, the more they’ll feel like they can trust you.

This isn’t about creating a picture-perfect brand - it’s about creating a real one.

Final thoughts

Building trust in your marketing isn’t going to be an overnight thing – you need to put in the time. Yes, it may mean things take longer than you want, but getting people to buy into you on a genuine level is going to serve you better in the long run.

So, remember:

Transparency: own your mistakes and share what you’ve learned.

Be consistent: your messaging, tone of voice and language should feel as one.

Ask for feedback: don’t be afraid to ask for testimonials. They’ll help build your credibility and are a brilliant source for marketing content.

Keep it personal: let your customers see the real you in your marketing – they’re going to buy into you before they buy from you.

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Lucinda -  Copy Connects

Helping values-based businesses sell themselves without selling their souls.