Gaining trust with consumers continues to be one of the biggest priorities for companies, and it’s a need that is not going away any time soon. For brands that have that trust, it can lead to an abundance of opportunities. For one, the name recognition alone will help you attract more leads. And having those leads regard you as an expert and leader within your industry will result in more conversions.
However, building that trust continues to be a challenge for companies and organizations, especially in a world where marketers are simply struggling to attract and engage enough leads. That’s why it’s crucial for companies to invest some of their marketing efforts and resources into establishing a solid relationship with prospects, leads and current customers. Doing so will help them kill two birds with one stone, and result in better lead generation and conversions.
Don’t know where to focus your marketing efforts to gain confidence among consumers? These strategies will help you build brand trust and improve your lead generation efforts.
Keep Your Communication Clear and Consistent
A great way to start building trust with your prospects, leads and current customers is simply by showing up on their radar on a regular basis. Keeping your communication consistent will keep you at the top of their mind, and also allow you to establish credibility over time.
Don’t believe us? Content Marketing Institute claims this is supported by the idea of the exposure effect in psychology, in which subjects demonstrate more trust in people who they see walking down the street versus people they’ve never encountered before. What that means is having name recognition alone will elevate you in the eyes of your consumer, and make you stand apart from the competition.
Boast About Your Results
Did you know 58% of people don’t trust a brand unless they have seen proof that it can follow through with what it says it can do? So, if you’re not already one to brag about your results, that’s definitely a good reason to start doing so.
But there’s definitely a reason why some of us stay away from bragging, because it can easily make you look pompous. That’s why you have to be strategic about how you do it. A good place to start talking about your success without making it seem like you’re exaggerating or full of yourself, is to give your current customers a platform where they can brag about you. That way the boasting about how amazing you are is coming from a third party, giving you just a bit more credibility.
Success stories are a great way to provide current customers a space to share how they’ve benefited from working with you. To gather these, start by interviewing customers you know are willing to rave about your product or service, and have excellent results to show it truly does work. Using the insights you’ve gathered, write a success story you can post on your website and share all around the web so prospects can better envision what you can do for them.
If you don’t have the time or resources to write a success story, sharing customer success can be as simple as asking your customers to provide feedback in a place where others can see it. For example, post to social media and ask your customers what they love about your company. Or, if you work in the ecommerce realm, add a section where customers can leave reviews and rate your product. This will help prospects and leads envision what you can do for them, and contribute to more transparent communication that will make you trustworthy.
Show Prospects You’re A Leader
When prospective customers see you as a leader, it helps both your credibility and their trust in you skyrocket. But establishing yourself as a leader in the industry goes beyond providing a product or service that works. Show customers you know your industry, are aware of what troubles them and are focused on providing them with the latest and greatest solutions.
While this task may seem daunting, there are a variety of ways you can accomplish this. To start, you can have your leadership team write thought leadership pieces where they discuss hot topics within your industry. Or you put a spotlight on your corporate responsibility efforts to show them what you’re all about beyond your product. You can highlight some of these efforts on social media and even dedicate a section on your website to discussing your goals and impact.
Make it Personal
Personalizing your marketing efforts is one of the best ways to establish trust among your prospects and improve your lead generation efforts. After all, making your content and communications a bit more personal will show customers that you understand their needs and care about their success. This will help you build a strong relationship with them, and provide them one more reason to choose you when the time comes to make a decision.
Need more proof that personalization works? According to research from McKinsey, personalized marketing can lead to 8X the marketing ROI and increase sales by at least 10%. So collecting insights and using them wisely when it comes to setting up your next campaign can lead to much better results.