Social media has changed a lot over the decades, and the public’s attitudes have changed with it. Many people have strong feelings on the topic: positive, negative, sometimes both at once. But while consumer trust probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when you think of social media, the fact remains that it’s more popular than ever before. More than 60% of the world’s population uses social media in some form, with the average person switching between up to seven accounts on a daily basis.
Consumer trust in brands is also at a low, with privacy concerns and AI increasing potential customers’ scepticism. Consumers are increasingly interested in a company’s sustainability and ethics and are willing to do their own research to find out what they are. Despite its often negative reputation, many of them turn to social media to do it. Younger users, in particular (millennials and Gen Z), are choosing social platforms over search engines and using hashtags and search bar functions to find the results they want.
If you know how to use it, social media still has a pivotal role in building consumer trust. The key lies in being helpful, authentic, and transparent. As social media experts in Brisbane, Anchor can help you put together a social strategy that truly reflects your brand and your values.
Here is Anchor’s guide to building trust with customers through social media.
How Has Social Media Changed?
Social media has been around since 1997, when the first true social media site SixDegrees.com was born. On SixDegrees.com, you could set up your own profile page, make lists of your connections and send messages to those in your networks. The site ended in 2000 but a wave of other social networking sites began to emerge at the same time. One in particular became uniquely significant: Myspace.
Emerging as a rival to Friendster, MySpace had customisable public profiles with music, videos and blog posts. At the height of its popularity in 2005, the site had 25 million users and was the fifth most popular site in the USA.
In 2003, Mark Zuckerberg launched Facemash, which became Facebook over the next couple of years. Around the same time, a surge of other social media platforms kicked off, each serving different purposes: LinkedIn for business connections and photo-sharing sites like Flickr and Photobucket. The hashtag was born in 2007, eventually becoming a symbol that would help brands, political organisers, and average citizens spread awareness of causes and campaigns.
Social media began strictly as a means to connect individuals through simple online forums and chat room-style setups. As the medium became more sophisticated, with the number of features growing, it became a more common feature of most people’s daily lives. Eventually, brands got in on the action. Social media has become a place for businesses to build community around their brand and for creatives to reach an audience without having to go through any gatekeepers.
Post-pandemic, younger social media users are using popular platforms like Instagram and Facebook to see how credible and ethical brands are and to check out reviews and testimonials. These days, the right social media strategy is important for building consumer trust.
How Social Media Benefits Brand Discovery
As a brand, it’s important to figure out if and how social media users are finding you, whether through hashtags, the search bar or their networks. Features like hashtags, captions and on-screen text all impact search visibility, with all three serving the function of keywords by making you easier to find.
Gen Z customers commonly use social media to discover new brands or apparel, with TikTok being the most popular platform for this. Pinterest is the leader in “inspiration-themed” shopping, with its aesthetic montages influencing purchasing decisions. While younger social media users are more likely to follow influencers, trust and authenticity still beat glamour and clout. Social media benefits brand discovery in several ways, including:
Audience targeting
You can aim your marketing efforts at particular demographics and their interests and behaviours.
Viral potential
Due to the easily shareable nature of social media, a well-timed viral post can spread widely.
Paid advertising
Social media networks like Facebook and Instagram have powerful advertising platforms that are easy to use and easy to measure for results.
SEO and search
Social sites like YouTube, Instagram, and Pinterest have search functions that allow users to find the right products organically.
Storytelling
Social media allows you to share your story and showcase your unique personality in a compelling way.
Social Media Strategies to Build Consumer Trust
Some of the best approaches you can incorporate into your social strategy for building consumer trust include:
Thought leadership
Being a thought leader means you have expertise in a particular area or topic. It’s not just about producing content but about having a unique insight and perspective informed by genuine experience. Following the rest of the strategies in this list will help you establish yourself as a thought leader in your field.
An authentic approach
Trust is built through authenticity and relatability. Social media users are looking for a sense of connection and belonging, and you can offer this by providing a behind-the-scenes look at your operations and building community.
Combining education and entertainment
Useful content does more than just entertain customers or present information dryly. It provides useful answers in an engaging way that gets beyond traditional messaging, letting your brand’s unique personality shine through.
Influencer partnerships
The influencer marketing industry is expected to be worth 24 billion dollars by the end of 2024. Collaborating with trusted industry experts (and other brands) brings a fresh perspective and puts your brand in front of new audiences.
User-generated content (UGC)
Using user-generated content, you invite the contributions of those who have an unbiased view of your brand. From sharing social posts to inviting customers to leave reviews, UGC is easy content to curate and helps you appear more trustworthy and down to earth.
Fast and responsive communication
Responding to customer service queries and complaints quickly on social media helps you appear engaged and professional and boosts brand loyalty.
Effective Social Media Strategies with Anchor Digital
As Brisbane’s leading social media agency, Anchor will get you liked, shared, and talked about using our social media marketing strategy. Our cross-functional team of in-house specialists will employ every useful strategy we can to help you build consumer trust, including the use of social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter/X. Our social services include social media audits, strategy and management, and attention-grabbing advertising.
Building a reputation for authenticity with your customers begins with a solid brand strategy. Your brand strategy exemplifies everything you stand for, so you can choose the most effective approaches to get the word out. It begins with the brand story of what inspired you to start your business and why you’re passionate about what you do. Anchor will help you stand out from your competitors in a crowded marketplace with a brand voice that’s credible, trustworthy and uniquely your own.
To find out more about building trust with your customers, contact the Anchor team.
