How to Increase Consumer Trust in Your Brand
When was the last time you picked a product from the shelf without even considering buying it from a different brand? Why do you trust them? Is it because you had a positive experience with that brand in the past? Does the product perform consistently? Maybe it’s purely out of habit or because the branding style just appeals to you?
Gaining this inherent trust of customers is a huge hurdle for any brand to overcome. For new businesses that rely on prospective customers trusting their word alone that they will deliver, this can be especially challenging but there are a few things you can do to increase trust and win loyal customers.
- Be authentic. It is increasingly valuable to modern consumers that companies are value-driven and have a strong, authentic mission. Having clarity about your core values and staying behind them will encourage others to back you, driving loyalty and boosting average customer spend.
- Be transparent. Savvy consumers do not trust a product until they have “real world proof” that it works and lives up to its claims. Your brand must match the promises it makes to consumers, so ensure your product does as it says, prove it and gain trust. Social media is a great way to elevate transparency.
- Be consistent. Once the trust is there, consistency is key. Giving your brand a unique style and a personality, which is seamless across all channels, makes it recognizable. Consumers are more likely to trust a brand that they recognize and feel comfortable with so keeping up appearances is essential.
- Be reliable. Deliver every single time. Imagine you’re buying a new car – no doubt there is a handful of brands that you would instinctively trust to deliver quality and comfort, based on flawless past experience as well as reputation. By giving consumers the experience they expect every time – even better by exceeding expectations – a brand can gain a reputation for being dependable.
- Be human. Talk to people. Make yourself available for questions, feedback, and complaints. This openness and approachability that comes with being honest, even having a sense of humor, appeals to consumers. If they can see that your brand has a human touch, they are more likely to relate to it and feel comfortable enough to trust you.
Overall, because branding is about creating and sustaining trust it means delivering on promises. The best and most successful brands are completely coherent. Every aspect of what they do and what they are reinforces everything.
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It is not difficult to think of household brand names which have gained global trust by doing all of these things successfully. Apple, Amazon, Dyson, Nike, Netflix – their reputations precede them so much so that often there is no competition in the consumer’s mind.
Delivering on your promises and hearing what consumers have to say will build trust and that all-important reputation so that consumers won’t have to think twice when they see your product on the shelf.
