US retailer, uses robust consumer analytics
to uncover trends in consumer behavior,
allowing it to adjust its offerings and
tailor its digital promotions to individual
shoppers.
However, brand trust implies much more
than understanding shopping behavior.
Trust can be earned through transparency
regarding sources or suppliers, ingredients,
dependability, consistent quality products
and services, genuine engagement in
community causes and charity activities,
admitting errors and making up for them -
the list goes on and on. These trust factors
hold not just for established brands but
can also be used as guiding principle for
newly launched brands.
Here are some pointers marketers can
utilize to kick start the journey to building
lasting customer trust:
Form a genuine connection
with your consumers
The days of advertising your products,
business or services are over. Consumers
no longer want to see your adverts or
marketing tactics anymore, they want
to be part of an experience. However,
in the digital age, consumers are more
enlightened and will see right through
a fake connection. They are looking for
values like authenticity and genuineness
in a brand and they will not stop until
they find it.
A great way to build an emotional
connection is through relevant, resonant,
engaging and entertaining content. You
can either build a connection through
meaningful content, or you can add a bit of
personality for that unique edge; the key
thing is that the customer must not only
see it, they must engage and experience it.
Never stop listening
After you have built this connection with
your consumers through various forms of
content marketing, you have to provide
them with an opportunity to voice their
opinions and give their feedback. There
are endless platforms to choose from such
as social platforms, online reviews and
forums.
Trust only steps in once you actually hear
out the customer and act on their concerns.
A customer wants to be sure that you have
listened to their opinions, and that you
are going to do something about it. When
you actually listen to someone, you gain
their trust and their respect. This feedback
loop also forms a great platform that you
can leverage on to better your products
and/or services.
Customer feedback need not be all doom
and gloom. There’s a lot of good that can
be derived from genuinely listening to the
customer; and building trust ranks high
up in that list.
Find common ground
between conversions and
customer relationships
Yes, conversions are super important,
whether it’s about a product purchase,
a site visit, a newsletter subscription
or a sign up for services; but it should
never overshadow relationships. Create
content or something of value that will
motivate your consumers to buy your
product or provide you with an email
address. Generally, your target customer
is surrounded by so many adverts, content
and noise, that it makes it way more
difficult for your message to actually reach
them.
Therefore, be sure to create content geared
at forming strong relationships, not
conversions upfront. The conversions will
follow if the content is actually engaging
and honest.
Don’t forget to deliver on
your promises
Everything you do online is a promise.
Every advertisement, every promotion,
every deal, every new product or service
you launch and even the content piece you
put out, is a promise your brand is making
to consumers.
As long as you deliver on those promises,
your customers or clients will engage with
your brand. Just remember, the way you
handle these promises and the way you
interact with your customers can result in
either you building a richer relationship
with your customers/clients, or you
losing a customer. We aim for the former.
Cover every base. Meet your customers’
expectations both offline and online and
you will create the trust every brand-
consumer relationship so badly needs.
It is crucial for brands to understand that
there are many other facets that contribute
to a trusting relationship between a brand
and a consumer. These four points are just
the basis of building trust. Every business
must continuously work at identifying the
critical touch points for their brand.
Irene Mbonge is a Communications Expert
and a current affairs enthusiast. She is the
interim Chair, CIPR-Kenya chapter. You
can commune with her on this or related
issues via mail at: Mbonge.Irene@gmail.
com.