Building a Trustworthy Image on Social Media
There are millions of businesses on social media – Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, etc. offer a way for businesses to connect with their target market in a relatively easy, cheap way. This means your business needs to stand out from the rest and your image needs to be trustworthy and credible. The reason being there are a number of people and businesses out there that use social media as a way to take advantage of trusting customers. In order for people to feel comfortable doing business with you, you need to prove your legitimacy. Having a professional website can do this for you, but if social media is a person’s first encounter with your business you want to establish a good rapport with them from the get go so they want to visit your website.
There are a few ways that you can create a credible image on social media that will inspire people to visit your professional website or contact you for more information. One way is to establish your brand as “likeable”, a business that shares similar values and ideals to your target market – social media research shows that 92% of consumers want to do business with companies that share their values. Social media should not be used solely for the promotion of your brand with constant advertising and pleas to purchase your products and services. People see through this and oftentimes find it off-putting. Producing content that is relevant and interesting to your social media followers is more valuable than constant ads because it demonstrates your knowledge and value. You can follow the follow the 80/20 rule presented by SalesForce – 80% informational, relevant content and 20% about your company and what you can provide to the customer. After all, 70% of people prefer getting to know your brand through content, not ads.
When you are posting be sure that you sound like a human, not a sales robot. People want to connect with people, not robots. Create interesting and engaging posts, add pictures, and mix up your posts and use videos or infographics. It’s OK to be a little more casual in your language, but keep it professional. Respond to comments and be sure to like posts that add to your profile. Share stories of how your business started and who are – expanding more on what is in your About Us on your website. Social media is for personal connection and you want to be sure you are standing out to your target market. Creating a sense of transparency with your followers opens you up to making connections. Be active, responsive, and engaging with your followers and encourage them to let others know about your business!
Social media is an excellent business tool – and it can help your business gain credibility. If you’re curious as to how to increase credibility on your website, check out our blog 6 Ways to Boost Trust in Your Website. Building trust and credibility is important to building lasting business relationships. People respect honesty and a sense of humanity from business, and social media offers the unique experience to connect with many people from your target market. Navigating this world can be difficult and time consuming, which is why Fusion Group USA offers social media marketing and website design. If you want more info, give us a call to discuss the world of social media!
