Social media has drastically changed the way we do business and turned the marketing world upside down over the last 15 years or so. In many ways, it created an incredible platform for bringing you front-and-center to your customers. It was almost like instant-access at your fingertips to a multitude of prospective buyers, interested consumers, and it has helped drive sales dramatically. However, the scene is changing.
Influencers Have Created a Greater Need for the Like, Know and Trust Factor
The sometimes shady and questionable methods influencers have used as of late to build their followings and grow their incomes has brought to light the true need of the Like, Know and Trust factor. Consumers are becoming wary, unwilling to simply take your word for it. Now, they crave a connection. A real understanding of what it is you have to offer and how it can help them. And they want reassurances you’re here to stay. The only way to give your audience what they’re looking for and see them convert to a loyal customer is to build your Like, Know and Trust factor. But you’ll need to cultivate serious patience skills, because this isn’t an overnight process. Here’s how to do it:
1. Consistency is Key
Like I mentioned before, your audience needs to know you’re going to stick around. That you won’t just disappear once you’ve gotten what you came for – their money. Consistency is the name of the game when it comes to building your Like, Know and Trust factor.
When planning your social media calendar, make sure you post consistently. It doesn’t matter as much how many times per week you post, so long as you stay consistent. Of course, the more you post, the more opportunities you get to be front-of-mind to your followers. No matter how many times you choose to post a week or a day, pick a number and stick to it.
Follow these 5 social media posting tips for businesses on Facebook.
2. Talk to Them Directly
Social media is a platform for building relationships. Driving traffic back to your website isn’t the key anymore. Think about it: They can find all the info they need to contact you, view your services, find your locations, and more just by looking at your company’s profile page on social media. And the platforms themselves don’t want you taking traffic away. They want you to keep them there. So if you want to have the algorithm work in your favor, and you want to build Like, Know and Trust while doing so, you’ll need to take a more personalized approach to your content.
When creating your content, put it together like you’re talking to a friend. Don’t think about it in terms of talking to 10,000 followers at once. Imagine it’s just ONE person. What would you say? How would you speak? Make your content personable. Make it relatable. Say “you” rather than speaking to a “group”. The more your audience feels like you’re speaking solely to them, the more special they will feel. The more valued. The more cared about. And that, my friends, is how you convert them from a follower to a loyal customer.
3. Post to Serve, Not to Drive Sales
I know. I know. The whole point of building your Like, Know and Trust factor is to increase your sales, convert prospects into customers, and grow your business. But I can promise you, the moment you look at your social media campaign that way is the moment it stops working. Or, if you’ve been looking at it that way, you’re definitely not seeing the real growth you can actually experience. At the end of the day, your posts should offer value. They should offer service. They should be something that your followers feel you created just for them to help them out, without the expectation of a follow-up sale.
Just like in tip #2 when you’re thinking of talking to ONE person, you should think about how you would talk to a friend if you were genuinely trying to help them without expecting anything in return. Create content that they can use, grow from, learn from, and truly enjoy. While it might seem like a waste of valuable resources, it will create a loyal following for you. 10,000 followers don’t matter if only 1% of them convert. However, if you only have 2,000 followers and even just 25% of them convert thanks to your devotion to helping and serving, you’re far ahead. How do you create a converting audience? Focus on service, not sales.
If your business needs help planning a social media campaign that builds converting audiences by creating an incredible Like, Know and Trust factor, contact Connections Marketing today. Our team of social media experts pride themselves on our proven results, and our work more than speaks for itself.