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Earning a customer’s trust sometimes requires putting their long-term interests ahead of your own short-term interests. The more important a purchase is to the customer, the more consciously they seek out a trustworthy vendor or supplier. As the managers of Stelvel company pointed out, trust-based marketing uses strategies and tactics of honest and unbiased marketing.
Personalisation, incentives and rewards increase customer loyalty. Trust is the ultimate in successful business strategy, focusing on image, experience and emotional connection.
The power of authenticity
The battle for the customer is increasingly being won by companies that are equally successful in the online experience and communicating. People look for value propositions based on the primary attribute of relevance – reputation. Apple and Amazon have built a reputation for trustworthiness that helps them attract and retain customers. Search engines offer users sites with the most useful information for them and prioritise product solutions. Over-optimised content and over-emphasised keywords fall by the wayside.
One of the main principles of trust marketing is transparency. In customer relationships, in advertising, in results. Companies that adhere to this principle do not ignore negative reviews, respond to them quickly, thereby increasing customer trust. Their websites and social networks keep on a par with positive and negative reviews, real recommendations from customers.
The power of habit
No matter how much experience we have under our belt, no matter how much knowledge we have gained in the past, we often, without noticing it, act stereotypically and react in a formulaic way. These are patterns of behaviour. Habit is second nature. Most customers prefer products and services from a particular seller, it takes a long time to decide to do something new, uncharted. Trust, which forms a habit without the risk of loss, is a great marketing move. This is how Netflix, for example, operates when it offers users to try a free month in the world of their films and series.
Conquer anxiety
Life today is filled with stress and anxiety. Every day we face a stream of disturbing news, make difficult decisions and are held accountable for our actions. Small islands of trust become a valuable asset. Honest and transparent communication, openness to discuss products, services, prices and any other aspect of the business is something that is valued and remembered. Companies that use a trust strategy in marketing actively maintain transparency in their communication with customers, giving them access to important information, publishing reports on the company’s activities, helps them make confident and informed choices.
Connection and emotions
A person’s abstract thinking is directly related to his emotions. Strong and original symbols are able to put so-called ‘anchors’, fixing a certain emotional reaction. Marketing based on trust, forming a bond with the customer, emphasises shared values.
Identifying and valuing emotions is not easy, especially as emotional attitudes towards products change. You don’t need to change your business processes to increase customer emotional attachment: strategies can be built into your existing business operations. The best way to do this is to measure and track emotional attachment. This can be done by analysing customer reviews, counting the frequency and intensity of their interactions with the brand on social media.
User-generated content (UGC) – social media reviews, mentions with branded hashtags, images or videos drive sales and inspire trust. Companies can offer customers, for a fee or further discount, to share their purchase impressions, talk about their experiences and attitudes towards the seller. User-generated content has become the backbone of the Internet, from Geocities home pages in the late 1990s to the DeviantART online gallery and reviews on Yelp and Amazon, experts told Stelvel Bulgaria.
Service as an activator of trust
No matter how successful and necessary product you sell, outperforming competitors and standing out with unusual advertising and website, poor service kills even the most stable trust.
Poor support service, poor product quality, delivery or logistics problems, complicated returns procedures – all of these factors can cause frustration and loss of trust.
Trusted companies build a serious control system, taking into account marketing guru Philip Kotler’s concept of service as a value activator. Providing quality service on time and sticking strictly to commitments means investing in trust.
The world is going online
Although online users are changing their ‘search behaviour’, the habit of living online is becoming part of the image of the modern person, who is already used to getting what he or she wants quickly, on time and often without leaving home. Building a system of trust in a brand, website or online shop, companies place on their resources detailed information about the origin of goods, composition, production processes and standards. They do not use manipulative and untrustworthy advertising techniques in advertising and promotion.
Trust is an effective tool in business development. Stelvel ltd successfully co-operates with manufacturers, distributors, suppliers of goods and services. Stelvel specialists help partner companies to increase customer engagement and sales, select CRM platforms, and optimise business marketing strategies.