It’s the time of year when our inboxes and social media feeds are flooded with inspirational tips and tricks to make this your best year yet, and predictions about what the next big thing will be this year.
We invite you to slow down for a moment and think about what is truly important to you and your business. Trends are great if they align with your goals and bigger vision, but jumping on a trend because it’s trendy won’t serve you, your business, or your bottom line. In some cases trying out a trend can hurt your business.
The trust recession is being talked about a lot right now. People are bombarded with content and there is so much noise, so much automation, and so much AI-generated content, that it’s hard to know what is real.
People are looking for ways to build real connections with their audiences, and in turn your customers want to feel a connection to the story behind the brand. They want to know you and what makes you special. Whether your brand is a service or a product, you can ensure that you are building that trust.
How to stand out and build trust in a loud world
If you are feeling the pressure to show up and be loud in the new year, you are not alone. But is louder better? Not necessarily. Yes, people need to know that you exist, but pushing out more content for content’s sake is not going to help your business.
Here are a few simple ways to make sure you are building trust on your website, in your marketing materials, and anywhere else your brand is showing up.
Ask yourself “is this what I want to be known for?”
Before publishing a blog post, posting on social media, or adding something new to your website, stop and ask yourself this simple question: “Is this what I want to be known for?” If the answer is yes, great! But if the answer is no, maybe, or I’m not sure, stop and think about whether what you are about to publish is aligned with your brand.
Revisit your brand values and mission to make sure your website, socials, and marketing materials are sharing the right message.
Ask yourself “is this consistent with my brand?”
If you have heard Andrea speak at any workshop, or on any podcast, you have heard how important consistency is to your brand and building trust. If your content isn’t aligned with your brand (the vibe, the colours, the brand voice, the imagery) then you are going to create confusion. People need to immediately recognize your brand every time they see it for you to build trust. Nothing breaks that trust quicker than you showing up inconsistently and making it hard for people to know who your brand is and what it stands for. If you are nothing else in your marketing efforts, be consistent.
Ask yourself “are my brand assets a good reflection of the brand now and where I want to take the brand this year?”
The first place to look is at your brand photos. If someone visits your website today, will the photos they see of you match how you look today? Brand photos are so important on your website to help build a connection with your audience and have them get to know the human behind the brand. But if those pictures are more than a few years old or if you have had any major shifts in your appearance, then it is time for new brand photos. People want to meet the same person on that first discovery call or when they visit your in-person location that they have met on your website. Yes, most of us looked younger and more rested a few years ago, but keeping your favourite (older) photos on your website will not help build trust with your audience.
Look at your other brand assets too. Are you using templates or graphics that have not evolved with your brand image to attract the level of clients you are seeking? If you are using dated or DIY assets you are showing people that your brand is still working from that place that you came from, not from where you are today or where you are striving to be at the end of the year. If you want to build trust with your target audience, show them that your brand is professional and strong.
Ask yourself “who do I serve?”
Take a few minutes to think about your ideal customer. Whether you are providing a service or product, you want to be clear on who your customer is, before you can get clear on how to communicate with them. If you are talking to everyone in your marketing, you won’t build trust with the people you are trying to attract. Your marketing should be speaking to one person, so that the right person can hear you through all the noise online, and feel the connection needed to build that trust.
Ask yourself “is it obvious how I help my customers?”
If people can’t determine what you do and how you solve their specific problem when they arrive on your website, they won’t trust you as the expert they need. Make sure you are clear about what your product or service is, who it is for, and how it helps them. If you have too many competing products or services or messaging that tries to share too much, you are going to confuse your visitors. A clear message and streamlined customer journey on your website will set the foundation for the trust needed to convert visitors to customers.
What else are you doing to build trust with your audience right now? Share it with us!
