Using Social Media to Boost Your Business Credibility

You know that most people prefer to do business with those they feel that they “know, like, and trust.” For this reason, all online and offline business owners need to find ways to develop the story of their credibility as a business owner and business. Using social media to boost your business creditably is an effective way to accomplish it.

• Be Who You Are and Share Your Values – This is the easiest thing you can do. Via the content you share, the things you do, and the people you surround yourself with, your audience will know that you are who you say you are, due to consistently being who you say you are.
• Stay Consistent – The smallest thing can point to inconsistencies. Even if someone doesn’t notice it consciously right away, it will bother them and erode your trust. For example, if you are not a proponent of soy, don’t promote anything with soy. If you say you’re a vegan, you need to be one in real life. The internet finds out things and it will get out.
• Share High-Quality Content – Any content you curate, create, or buy should be accurate, well written, and relevant to your audience. If you post fillers that aren’t good, your audience will notice.
• Engage and Interact on Social Media Platforms – Don’t just post as if the engagement is one way on social platforms. Instead, automate posting but get down and dirty with engagement by doing it yourself or hiring real-life people to engage with your audience in real-time and in real life.
• Go Live More Often – One way to build credibility is not to be so perfect. Go live occasionally to share some information with your audience, even if your hair is not perfect and even if you don’t have it all worked out. Your audience will feel closer to you for it and see you as genuine.
• Incentivize and Encourage User-Generated Content – When your users are active, it makes other people see you differently. Host contests, do challenges, and conduct polls, all designed to get more user-generated content. When others like you, it gives even more permission to.
• Get More Customer Reviews and Testimonials – Make it a habit by putting this into your marketing funnel. Send a testimonial or review request to your buyers automatically after enough time to experience your product or service. All you have to do to accomplish this is add it to your autoresponder to deliver after a certain number of days from purchase.
• Only Link Out to Trustworthy Sites and Products – When you do curate content or link to another person’s site or product, always ensure that you really do know the person and the quality of the content or product. One mistake here can reduce trust forever.
• Give Your Audience a Behind-the-Scenes Peek – Show your audience inside the madness by bringing them behind the scenes. Give them a peek of what you do all day long to bring them incredible products, services, and content.

The truth is, if you want to be perceived as being credible, you need to be credible. Don’t think for one moment that you can be one thing and present another online. You will be found out and it won’t be pretty. But, it’s so simple to just be who you are, share your values, and add value for your audience on social media in a credible way to help people trust you more.