If you’re in the business of selling, you know that it’s important to build trust with your audience. It is the key to success. Even if the product or service is life-changing and will help your target audience solve a crucial problem, you won’t be able to sell if you haven’t gained trust.

When you think about it, we are all consumers at one point and we gravitate toward brands and retailers that we are familiar with and trust. Here are 5 of the best ways to build trust with your audience so you can increase sales.

1. Be Authentic

   Authenticity always performs better on social - and I always recommend my clients not be afraid to show off the authentic side of their story as it relates to their business. Share the obstacles, the mistakes, the behind-the-scenes. No one likes a Perfect Penelope or a lack of transparency. When you talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly, people relate to you.

2. Share Your Expertise

   Whether you share on social (which you should), have a blog, or share with your email list - sharing your tidbits and pieces of your expertise and how they help solve your audience’s problems are one way to build that trust. Adding some of your personality and authenticity into your content to show HOW you relate to your audience (maybe it’s a “been there, done that” kind of relatability) takes that content even a step further.

3. Show off the Testimonials

   They say that 93% of online consumers read reviews before purchasing. So, capturing these reviews should be a part of your overall online strategy - and sharing them should 100% be included in your social media strategy. Sharing reviews and client testimonials goes a LONG way to building that online trust because it’s not just a “trust me, I’m great because…” statement but rather a “trust me because other people have too!” kind of statement. This is also true of showing off results! Case studies are a fantastic way to show exactly how you solved a problem for a customer, got results, and what you did to get there!

4. Engage with Your Audience

   Social media is meant to be social! Don’t post and ghost - engage with those who leave comments! When you’re interacting with your audience it shows that you care about their comments. Same with reviews - thank the ones who leave positive reviews and help solve problems for the ones who leave the one stars. Don’t just let them fester. Not everyone is going to have a great experience 100% of the time but showing that you’re willing to take that criticism and use it to grow and do better next time, humanizes you and shows that you’re compassionate and care about the experiences or products you offer to your customers.

Listen, I had a former boss who used to say people do business with those they “know, like and trust.” I’m sure he got it from someone else, but he’s not wrong. Trust goes a long ways when building your business’s presence on social media and your overall digital marketing footprint. Showing your brand, your values, and being authentic while you do - and even showing the missteps, goes a long way to building goodwill and trust with your audience. Chances are, you’ve been in your audience’s shoes before and you know perfectly well how you solve their problems, and what those problems feel like. Focus on how to communicate that, how you overcome their objections and provide plenty of those testimonials to authenticate that trust from current customers and you’ll see your engagement, leads, and eventually sales all rise.

Need some support to build trust with your audience? Let’s talk!