Given the rise of false advertising, maliciously manipulative marketing tactics, and outright scams, it’s no wonder that consumer trust is at an all-time low. As a marketer in 2024, getting potential customers to believe anything about your business requires building trust with them right from the moment of first contact. Here are seven ways you can tailor your marketing approach this year to build a reputation as a business that customers can trust through thick and thin.
Prioritize value. The business landscape may be constantly evolving, but one thing that never changes is that quality speaks for itself. If you provide a product or service that works well and helps people, the hardest part of your marketing will already be done for you.
Be honest and transparent. It can be very tempting to bend your marketing content to make your business seem like more than what it is. While there’s nothing wrong with showing your products and services in the best possible light, avoid stretching the truth to try to outshine your competitors — doing so will come back to bite you in the long run. Focus your efforts on improving your offerings, rather than fabricating claims to try to mask any shortcomings.
Show more than tell. It’s really true that a picture (or video) can paint a thousand words. Product photos, video demonstrations, and other visual media can help people see exactly what your business does, and where it can fit into their lives. Customers want to see your products and services in action so that they know exactly what to expect when they make a purchase.
Tap into social support. Nothing helps people trust a brand more than existing enthusiastic customers. Positive testimonials, good reviews, and independent outside experts endorsing your products can all help lend credibility to your business. As well as your website, your social media accounts are great places for potential customers to see what your existing customers have to say about what your business did for them. Post regularly on those platforms so people always have fresh content to respond to.
Tailor content appropriately. As you guide people through your sales funnel, understand that they will have different needs at different stages of the process. Educational content usually works well at the beginning, while product comparisons and more detailed demonstrations will help customers narrow down their options. Testimonials and reviews at the end are the icing on the cake to help drive conversions.
Provide excellent customer service. It’s easy to be seen as a good company when everything goes right, but how do you handle customers who are high-maintenance or need extra assistance? This is where so many businesses drop the ball when it comes to trust — be there for your customers through good and bad, go the extra mile for them, and they’ll not only stick with you, they’ll let their friends know as well.
Respond to criticism in a professional way. We’ve all seen businesses that go viral for the wrong reasons, when a temperamental owner lashes out at negative reviewers and resorts to personal insults and name-calling. While that’s an extreme example, it’s important never to get defensive or push back when a customer is sharing what kind of experience they had with your business. Let them speak, take accountability, and show everyone that your business takes criticisms on board and makes changes and amends as necessary.
2024 can be the year when your business has a major breakthrough! Contact us for a free consultation, and we’ll give you personalized, actionable tips for a digital marketing strategy that will make this your best year ever.
COGO Interactive is an award-winning digital marketing agency specializing in online marketing strategy, web design, SEO and social media marketing. We work with clients in Virginia, Maryland, Washington, DC and across the nation.
