How to Get More Clients to Know, Like, & Trust You

Marketing channels evolve, but the philosophy behind how you sell and provide your services stays the same. At the end of the day, people still do business with people they know, like, and trust. In a world where we are bombarded with options, the reality is that companies who still do business in an authentic way, building real social equity whether it’s online or in-person are the ones that will win in the long-term.

Know – Gain awareness

Create exposure for your brand through community participation and advertisements.

Like – Create a connection

Be likeable. Give current and potential clients positive experiences with you. In return, they will keep you top of mind and even become advocates for your brand.

Trust – Show your expertise

Show your knowledge by providing valuable information around topics that are related to your industry.

Sell – Ask them to take action

Once you have built that trust, when you do the “sell” it will be a knockout!

How Do You Build Know, Like, And Trust?

Before someone can do business with you, they have to know who you are.

About 10 years ago, experts would say that someone has to experience or interact with your brand between 7-11 times before your business would be top of mind. This range has now grown to 30-50 times. As a society, we have been so extremely over-marketed to that seeing one simple ad will easily get scrolled by without a second thought. Other ways to gain awareness are to get involved in your community, to run a variety of digital ads, to post and boost your organic posts to new audiences, attend conferences that your ideal clients would be at, and to fuel word of mouth.

Know

Before someone can do business with you, they have to know who you are.

About 10 years ago, experts would say that someone has to experience or interact with your brand between 7-11 times before your business would be top of mind. This range has now grown to 30-50 times. As a society, we have been so extremely over-marketed to that seeing one simple ad will easily get scrolled by without a second thought. Other ways to gain awareness are to get involved in your community, to run a variety of digital ads, to post and boost your organic posts to new audiences, attend conferences that your ideal clients would be at, and to fuel word of mouth.

Like

Once someone knows you exist, social media is the perfect place to build your brand’s likeability in a widespread way.

People like other people who are like them, so you have to know your ideal audience and share content that they will like. Have conversations on relevant topics and reply to their comments and questions. Have a brand personality that is reflected in all that you do online so that people feel like your business is their friend. Show your team and culture in an authentic way so that you don’t seem like a faceless and cold corporation. Add some character to your website content to be real and relatable; make sure your content doesn’t sound like it was written by a robot. Talk about how you understand their problem and how you can help with a solution.

Trust

A business can now build trust in a faster and more scalable way than ever before with Content Marketing.

A business owner used to have to attend networking events and build these relationships over time, sprinkling in their expertise and experience. Content Marketing is the art of providing relevant useful content to your customers without selling or interrupting them. You can build trust by providing information that makes them more informed before they buy. Share your expertise in a way that makes sense to your audience (aka avoid industry jargon). Post blogs and social posts that answer commonly asked questions, or share your unique take on an aspect of the industry. You can also build trust through social proof, by showing work you’ve completed and through Google reviews, testimonials on your website, and logos of companies you have worked with.

Don’t Be “That Guy”

The most detrimental way we see companies behave online is trying to jump straight to the “Sell” of the customer lifecycle. It’s basically the digital equivalent of walking up to someone at a party and immediately trying to sell them something.

You’re not going to gain tons of loyal clients by pushing a sales or marketing message in front of them constantly. You’re going to get them to want to do business with you by sharing content and conversation that is genuine and helpful. It’s the same way business has always been done, we just get to do it on digital platforms now.