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Finding Opportunities Helps to Build Trust Within Your Community

Community trust takes a long time to build and can be wiped out in a flash by self-inflicted mistakes. Creating a self-assured community takes patience.


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James L Katzaman

2 years ago | 5 min read

Being open, honest and genuine overcomes hesitation at first

Photo by Marek Piwnicki on Unsplash

Community trust can take a long time to build. It can also be wiped out in a flash by self-inflicted mistakes.

NOW Marketing Group account manager Jen Cole much prefers to look on the plus side of the equation.

She talked with digital marketing expert Madalyn Sklar about what it takes to earn a community’s trust — nothing particularly hard — and avoid devastating miscues.

From the outset, it’s virtually impossible to build a community without getting people’s attention. That could be as simple as responding when opportunities arise.

“A great way to gain attention on Twitter is to show up often and join conversations,” Cole said. “Add value every time, and be yourself.”

Kind Thoughts and Value Attract More People on Social Media
Saying something meaningful helps others to engage with youmedium.datadriveninvestor.com

Sklar gave six tips to gain attention on Twitter:

  • Know Peak Hours for Posting
  • Recycle Best Content
  • Share Content to Twitter Fleets
  • Invest in Ads
  • Boost Discoverability With Existing Networks
  • Partner With an Influencer

From there, building a community on social media is a matter of trust. Become a reliable source by being factual, honest, responsive and timely.

“Creating trust means you consistently show up for your community,” Cole said. “You’re there to answer questions, whether good or bad. You show up in an authentic way every time. Consistency and authenticity build trust.

“We have to be humble to be able to grow — both as people and as brands,” she said.

Promise and Deliver

Gradually you become a known, dependable leader.

“Earning community trust is about building a brand that your audience has confidence in,” Sklar said. “You stay true to your overall mission and deliver on promises you’ve made.”

In a successful community, trust and credibility are a partnership.

“Trust is more of a long-term situation,” Cole said. “Credibility refers to being a source of trust, but trust in and of itself is something you earn from being consistently credible over time.”

Build an audience by keeping it real
Establish rapport with others through know, like and trustblog.markgrowth.com

Trust becomes a product of what you’re known for.

“Building credibility can be done by consistently delivering quality content and products,” Sklar said. “It shows your community you’re a dependable resource. This ultimately plays a role in building trust.”

Brands need trust. People do business with those they know will come through for them.

“Trust in a brand is very important,” Cole said. “If people don’t trust your brand, they won’t advocate for you.

“In fact, they’ll do just the opposite a lot of the time,” she said. “Spending time and building trust pays off in such a mutual way. With trust, everyone wins.”

That particularly reaps dividends when doing business.

“It’s crucial for your community to trust your brand,” Sklar said. “People do business with those they trust. They won’t be inclined to buy from you or support you if they haven’t built that kind of relationship with you yet.”

Capture Opportunities

Brands taking trust for granted will quickly lose the interest of those who they assume will automatically see them as the answer to all things.

“You miss opportunities for advocacy from fans,” Cole said. “Fans trust people first. That’s why influencer marketing often works so well.

“People evangelize for brands they love and trust,” she said. “There’s nothing more authentic than that.”

Sklar has an article about building know, like and trust on social media.

“If your brand fails to build trust, you miss out on so many opportunities to establish brand advocates, land collaborations, generate sales and more,” she said. “Trust is an essential part of any successful relationship.”

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Brands build trust by listening to consumers’ aches and pains. That leads to honest conversations about how to heal the problems. Then follow through accordingly.

“Be present and open during tough conversations about your brand — and be there for the good stuff, too,” Cole said. “Stay real and be receptive to true feedback. This is how you learn and grow from your community, ultimately.”

The upshot is what you bring to conversations.

“To build trust, show up consistently and add value,” Sklar said. “Provide quality content that your target audience is interested in to position yourself as an authority.

“Over time, they’ll see that you really know your stuff and will view you as a reliable source,” she said.

Natural is Best

Thinking too much about the process is counterproductive.

“Be authentic,” Sklar said. “Don’t try to be something you’re not. People will see right through you. Prioritize building relationships by engaging with your community so they can see how amazing you are.”

Brands merely saying “Trust me” without anything to back it up is a big red flag. You need demonstrated performance to build a reputation.

“Don’t be defensive or shut down constructive feedback,” Cole said. “Never show up only when it’s convenient for you. Don’t talk down to customers or fans. Likewise, don’t put social media engagement on the back burner.”

Keep Your Social Media Options Open to Engage With Customers
Take people on trips for fun so they can see your latest newsblog.markgrowth.com

Instead, keep those who you’ve brought together on the top of your mind.

“Don’t neglect your community when building trust,” Sklar said. “Far too many brands are guilty of ignoring their customers on social media.

“Take the time to respond to them, answer questions and address concerns,” she said. “It shows you care.”

You’ll know if your community trusts you by their response to your messages. Crickets are not a soothing sound in the marketplace.

Cole listed sure signs of community trust:

  • They post about you.
  • They excitedly mention you without prompts.
  • They recommend your brand often.
  • They engage with your brand often.
  • They’re excited about your success.

Listening to Feedback

“Pay attention to what your community says about you,” Sklar said. “What do they post about you on social media — especially when they haven’t tagged your account? Are they saying nice things and recommending you to others?”

After working hard to create a community, it would be inexcusable to waste everything with a breach of trust. If a brand has lost its community’s trust, it might want to start over from scratch.

Stay alert on the social media fast track
Try not to make avoidable mistakes as you build your brandmedium.datadriveninvestor.com

“Apologize and own up to any wrongdoings,” Sklar said. “Pay attention to what your audience wants and expects from you during this time. Be patient. It’ll take time to rebuild a reputation.”

Although building a community took a long time, rebuilding will likely take even longer.

“Start joining conversations with an open attitude and a genuine willingness to make things better for the long haul,” Cole said.

“Be apologetic,” she said. “Leave canned responses at the door. Make it clear that the community’s feelings about your brand really do matter.”

About The Author

Jim Katzaman is a manager at Largo Financial Services and worked in public affairs for the Air Force and federal government. You can connect with him on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

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James L Katzaman

Jim Katzaman is a charter member of the Tealfeed Creators' program, focusing on marketing and its benefits for companies and consumers. Connect with him on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn as well as subscribing here on Tealfeed.


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