Never has trust between customers and brands been more critical. As e-commerce continues to grow, both for health and convenience, a gap is growing, too — between brands and their customers.
It’s a gap that is laser-focused on how customers feel about a company — not just the products or services that that company provides but what the company does for its customers and the world around them. And if that company can’t prove itself to its clients, then the gap grows ever bigger.
So what does that mean for companies? It’s time to use your biggest weapon: Trust bridges the gap. If you can get your customers to trust you through even the roughest patches, you can get them to stay around for the long haul.
Here are five ways you can use your print and digital communications to increase the level of trust you have with your customers.
1. Be transparent.
Be honest about your intentions with the communication — don’t bait and switch. Buyers are smart. They know when you’re real with them.
Make sure you especially do this when something goes wrong such as someone leaves you a bad review or calls you out on poor customer service. It’s important you handle such situations quickly and efficiently while also telling the truth. Direct mail marketing, such as coupons with messages, is a great way to send out an “I’m sorry” to disgruntled customers.
2. Show you care.
The more you show that you can relate to your customers’ concerns, the more trust you gain. That’s why empathy has become such a massive trend in marketing. Look at the success of home meal kits. Yes, advertisers promote the great taste of their food, but they also focus on helping families reclaim time out of their over-scheduled days and use meal preparation as a way to spend quality time together.
3. Deliver on your promises.
Things like money-back guarantees, free trials, and “no questions asked” returns are one way to assure buyers that your promise matches what you deliver. You want to deliver those as quickly as possible because if you don’t, that can lead to another unholy customer review that you don’t want to have.
4. Emphasize reliability.
Promote the results of customer service surveys showing high satisfaction rates (for example, “95% of our customers would recommend us to a friend”). Include customer testimonials and even online reviews as part of your print and digital layouts. If other people had a good experience, this increases buyers’ confidence that they can trust you, too.
5. Segment based on values rather than demographics.
Buyers in the same demographic categories often have similar priorities and needs, but when your goal is building trust, marketing to a prospect’s values can be more effective. If you are selling children’s toys, for example, target your message based on the shared value set of being active, involved parents rather than simply being parents of school-age children.
Especially in times of uncertainty, use your communications to convey consistency, transparency, and empathy. It’s a different approach than the traditional direct sell, but it’s highly effective. Especially right now.
Work with PMI
The professionals at PMI know a thing or two about bridging the gap between companies and customers because we help people do that every day. With our expert creative marketing services, we can hone your message to help consumers identify why they need you in their life and why they should trust you.
If you want more tips and tricks for the future — or more information on how our services can help you — reach out to us today through our contact page.
