Modern consumers aren’t as trusting, especially younger generations emerging into the marketplace. How can you still build relationships and increase trust and loyalty with today’s skeptics?
Distrust is generally high in today’s culture. Only 15% of Americans say it’s easy to know whether current event information is factual according to the Morning Consult’s State of Consumer Trust report.
It’s a challenge for consumers to know which brands are genuine and which aren’t. When you’re trying to connect with an audience comprised of skeptical consumers, how do you break through these barriers?
Here are five of the best ways to build trust with your customers in a digital landscape.
1. Consistency builds reliability
Consumers want to work with brands who are consistent. According to the Morning Consult report mentioned above, 69% of consumers say that it’s important to them that brands deliver consistently on what they promise.
So how do you show customers that you’re consistent? It’s about creating brand messaging that is not only relevant to your audience but that is also consistent and continuous across their platforms and devices. When they see the same designs and language across channels, you’re building brand recognition with consistency, and customers will view you as more reliable.
Stay consistent while delivering on what you’re promising e.g., making sure your advertisements are genuine and never misleading. Modern customers can spot false advertising or disingenuous content from a mile away.
2. Transparency enables trust
Another important practice to build trust with your audience is transparency. The Sprout Social report #BrandsGetReal: Social Media and the Evolution of Transparency revealed that 86% of Americans think transparency is more important now than ever before and 73% would pay more for products that guarantee transparency.
Why is transparency so important? In an everything-digital world, consumers often aren’t sure how their personal information is being used, and they’re more skeptical than ever about online scams. When a brand is totally open about how they use consumer data and provide other information like pricing or recent company challenges, consumers see this transparency as genuine.
3. Focus on the needs of younger generations
The Morning Consult report shows that Millennials and Gen Z are less trusting than other generations. The majority of Gen Z respondents (between age 18 and 22) said they tend not to trust the average American brand and companies must earn their trust.
In addition, these younger generations are more likely to work with brands who prioritize ethical issues.
What does this mean for your business? For starters, be thoughtful in your messaging. Highlight the services you bring to the table that no one else can bring and your commitment to helping people. What makes you unique? What inspired you to start your business? What are you doing to help your community?
Offering your earnest story will help better connect with younger consumers who are looking for something tangible to compare when choosing between brands.
4. Stay active on social media
You may not recognize just how important a social media presence is in building trust. Posting regularly can help build brand credibility by showing that you’re up on the latest news and trends in your industry. Comment on current events and how they relate to your business and customers.
Social media also allows you to respond to customers directly via comments and messages. Show your audience that you care about their satisfaction by responding to any complaints or negative comments.
Not only will you build your following on social media, but you can build visibility as well. Over half of consumers are more likely to consider working with brands that are transparent on social media, as the SproutSocial report shows. More and more consumers are active on social media channels, and they often start their purchase journeys on these outlets.
5. Integrating the right customer data
A data-driven marketing strategy helps you better connect with the right audience and build trust with consistency. But this requires the most accurate and immediate data available. BDEX makes it possible by delivering real-time insights that help you connect with the real people behind the data signals.
The BDEX Data Marketplace offers over 5,500 different data categories and more than a trillion data signals. We also have more than 6 billion unique IDs and more than 800 million mobile-ID-to-email matches. Our Data as a Service, OmniSource IQ, is the solution you need to get your messages in front of shoppers who are ready to buy.
Aside from our data solutions, we offer excellent customer service and support should you run into any issues. To connect with the BDEX team and learn how our data will drive your customer connections, contact us today.
