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When it comes to consumer behaviour, the only constant is change. Today, people are likely researching brands and products on their computers and phones before making purchases to ensure they are getting quality goods from a trusted company. So how do you build trust? Where does transparency come into play? And how can our marketing agency help you build relationships with customers? Let’s find out!
What do trust and transparency mean?
Trust, in the context of a consumer, is the belief that a brand is honest and open. Consumers are more likely to buy products from companies they trust, so it’s crucial to build positive relationships with consumers.
86% of people will move on to a competitor if they lack transparency.
To build trust, you need transparency. Your company should be honest and respectful with your consumers, using content to do so. Content communicates your transparency to the world. Having a well-thought-out marketing strategy using social media, your blog, and other platforms as touchpoints can be used to build transparency and, therefore, trust.
Why are trust and transparency so important to consumers?
Today’s consumers are smarter and more aware than ever before. The majority of people will research products and brands before making a purchase. A recent study revealed that 82% of smartphone users consult their phones before making in-store purchases. Access to research is in the palm of just about everybody’s hand. When they look up your company, what will they find?
Will they find positive reviews about your company, your operations, and your values? Will they find a beautiful social media feed? Or, perhaps your unique brand image will strike a chord with today’s hyper-conscious consumer? Or alternatively, will they find a mix of poor company reviews, puffery, and click-bait content? These marketing tactics can stop trust in its tracks.
Does your content reflect this evolving consumer behaviour?
Our marketing agency has the tools and expertise to build trust and transparency with consumers.
BoydVision, a laser eye surgery company located in Burnaby, tasked our marketing agency with building a fresh website and improving their SEO. They knew that having a site that loads fast and has great content is vital to finding new patients.
However!
Many people still have a perception that laser eye surgery is new, dangerous, and often unsuccessful. This is the challenge that our marketing agency faces when writing blogs for them. In response, we state the facts (transparency) and address these concerns, demonstrating why BoydVision is different. This helps build trust with potential patients.
We’ve also written blogs that focus on finding the right patient. If by some chance a reader is not a great fit for laser eye surgery, we tell them not to have the surgery! This is all included in the content we create for BoydVision’s prospective patients. Creating this content (and standing behind it) truly helps new patients feel more comfortable when booking a consultation.
Another example of building trust and transparency from our marketing agency’s experience comes from a small honey company called Three Foragers Bee Co.
One day, we noticed someone had written a negative comment on their Facebook page about how poorly bees are treated on honey farms. The information was highly inaccurate, and the comment needed to be addressed.
Sure, we could have deleted the comment and moved on. However, this wouldn’t have reflected well on the company. This tactic would have lacked transparency. So, what did we do?
We took it as an opportunity to build trust and transparency. We replied to this comment, stating how at Three Foragers Bee Co., the bees are treated in a caring and nurturing environment and that healthy bees are a priority. We also wrote a blog addressing misconceptions that people may have about bee farms. We took something negative and turned it into a positive, using content to show transparency and build trust.
Our marketing agency focuses on clarity, consistency and connectedness.
The three Cs of Cucumber Marketing are clarity, consistency, and connectedness.
Clarity
Our marketing agency produces clear and concise content that aligns your business goals with your brand. All forms of marketing need to send a clear and consistent message to consumers.
Consistency
Not only does the message you send need to be consistent, but you also need to post content regularly. This keeps your brand top-of-mind and improves brand recall among consumers. If a consumer trusts your content, they’ll be sure to remember your brand.
Connectedness
Tying your entire marketing strategy together is the final step. All of your efforts should be connected. Only then will consumers feel connected to you!
Did this article provide a fresh perspective?
Did this article strike a chord with what’s going on in your organization? Do give us a shout at 604.559.7509 and set up a discovery meeting. We would love to see if we can help.
Or, stop by our marketing agency in Vancouver⏤we always have chocolate!