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Customer trust is businesses is crumbling, and so is patience: 69% of customers do not trust the ads they see, and 71% don’t trust sponsored social media ads, according to a nationwide poll by Hubspot. Thanks to mass impatience, the spread of misinformation, and a growing concern over how customer data is collected and used, people just don’t trust businesses they way that have in the past. Marketing is becoming trickier. The best way to leverage this task: invest in customer service. Marketing experts have an advantage: we can use more authentic brand messaging to develop credibility and build stronger customer relationships.
Economic Times articulates it well with the tips below:
Do not overspin. People are smarter than you think. If you attempt to fool them, they will find out — and the hit to your credibility will outweigh any short-term gains that you made. Keeping your message free of excessive spin goes a long way with the public and protects you from potential PR gaffes down the line.
Avoid half-truths. In the court of public opinion, omission is akin to lying. If a claim requires omission, then do not use it; and if you do make a mistake, own up to it. Being vulnerable about where you have fallen short in the past suggests honesty, which sits at the foundation of consumer trust, brand affinity and long-term engagement.
Read the room and adjust. By regularly checking whether consumers are picking up what you are putting down, you will find that you can more easily meet and even exceed their ever-evolving preferences.
