Reputation and trust go hand in hand. Today’s reputation is a life raft that can help to keep anyone afloat long enough to reinstate the status quo. Remember J.K. Rowling’s case, or Johnny Depp’s, that’s still ringing in social media? Despite serious accusations at the beginning, not everyone joined in throwing a stone. For a devoted fan, it’s easy to weigh the facts against the emotional reaction of the crowd.
The same is true of a customer: once the brand trust is gained, it’s quite a task to betray it. Partly, this is due to the fact that a person is keen on supporting the “positive image” of whatever they believe in.
Brand Trust Concept
Following the idea of human trust, transferring it to the business level is simple. Customers should be confident that the brand is authentic and shares their noble values.
However, there are certain key features, according to an online survey of 16,000 consumers conducted by marketingcharts.com:
- The quality of the product or service should be as it was claimed;
- The products or services have high rating marks and get positive reviews;
- The price-performance ratio is fair;
- The attitude to customers is polite and friendly;
- There’s a short reaction time to customer questions.
The tendency for quality over profit started with the younger generation. They are particularly sensitive to double standards. It’s a tricky target audience: it takes seconds for them to google the brand CEO’s unethical tweets made some years ago. And youngsters are not as bound to old habits as the older generation. It’s not a problem for them to change their preferences.
A business is not a human, and no one expects to be treated by a brand as if by a loving spouse. Also, the imitation of trust won’t do the trick.
How to Be Authentic in Building Trust
There are several tips below that may help to earn the trust of the audience.
Customer-Oriented Approach
A user-friendly website with localized content, responsive tech, client support teams, and mobile versions of the websites – all these make the whole experience pleasant. Having special offers for loyal clients works, too – Yves Rocher is one of the prominent practitioners of this approach.
And Ikea demonstrates it offline, allowing visitors to experience the goods rather than just look at them.
Values Consistency
To build brand trust, it’s vital to post responsibly on social media, especially when it comes to executive team members. This means that cosmetic brands who are against testing on animals shouldn’t upload videos on how to hunt a rabbit.
Collective Work
Another feature that adds points to the brand is how the staff is treated there. Not only job blacklist websites can reveal the truth about a tyrant boss. Angry Facebook posts regarding pay delays, Instagram stories, and YouTube hidden camera videos are more than informative and can go viral.
On the other hand, it’s possible to get positive reviews just as effortlessly. There are memorable examples of Google team members who were quite proud to boast about their comfortable working places.
Privacy
Data protection is a feature that customers value, too. Sensitive information with financial details, emails, and phone numbers – all of it should remain where it was entered. No one will appreciate unwanted calls and unknown emails. Just like with best friends, keeping secrets is a measure of trust.
Content Marketing
Social media today, perhaps, is one of the most effective tools for building brand trust. To be authentic, it’s ok to focus on those channels that work best for the business in question. However, the tone of voice there should invite customers to a safe space. A cold narcissistic narrative certainly won’t help with brand trust.
One of the main concerns in social media is getting positive reviews. Yet the fun fact is that potential customers will be more than happy to see how a brand works with negative reviews. When they occur, it’s a chance to demonstrate politeness, compassion, and, sometimes, a good sense of humor, which is one huge trust mark.
Final Thoughts
Building brand trust requires a certain level of responsibility. It’ll bring about some changes in a business process. It will probably lead to staff replacement.
It’s a bad idea to imitate reliability or to copy it from a competitor. Authenticity correlates with trust, and people feel it without knowing about it. Being fake no longer works for gaining popularity.
Today trustworthy people and companies feel like a safe harbor. Safety is a fundamental need of human beings, which means they will return to a place where everything works well for them.
Brand trust is not a shortcut. It’s a long-distance marathon that’ll lead to the Olympia of marketing.
