There is one simple thing that every great relationship has in common, and it is trust. Now, Kärna is not in the business of giving relationship advice for your personal life, but we can help you out when it comes to building relationships with your audience.

‍

See, for audiences to engage with your business in any capacity, they first need to trust that you are who you say you are and that your services can meet their needs. Trust is needed for your business to not only survive, but also thrive.

But, with the prevalence of social media, the way trust is gained and sustained looks different than ever before. As many businesses flock to social media to establish an online presence, it’s important to take the time to grasp the psychology behind audience trust so your social media efforts aren’t wasted. Here at Kärna, we have compiled a list of our 3 marketing psychology secrets to help you grow your business and create long-term clients.  

1.    Woo your audience.

Like the start of any relationship, you first need to get their attention. To do this, you have to stand out from the crowd. There may be other companies out there who offer similar products and are vying for the same audience as you are, but there isn’t another YOU.

Let your personality shine through your branding but make sure to keep it professional. For example, posting content that lets your audience know who your team is and what your story is can help your audience put a face to a name and make you appear relatable and trustworthy.

Further, try posting educational or informative content related to your business to showcase your expertise. By doing this, your audience will start to see you as a leading thinker in your field which will give you an edge over your competition. Your expertise will also help show the value of the things you offer.

Last but not least, keep in mind that people are naturally attracted to beautiful things. So, ensure you have compelling and appealing visuals/copy on your profile page to entice people to interact with your business. This means no blurry images, inappropriate content, purposeless posts, or typos.

2.    Be socially responsible.

Prioritizing social responsibility is attractive to most consumers as it shows that you care about the world around you, not just making a profit. Plus, everyone loves to support a good cause. In fact, research finds that 56% of consumers prefer purchasing from businesses that provide social value.

However, it’s important not to blindly support social causes as it comes across as in authenticand ignorant. This is a sure-fire way to lose followers, public support, and trust. Instead, stick to social causes relevant to you and your business that you can support with actionable items, not just empty words.

3.   Make your audience feel special

Your audience are not just potential clients, they are people too and people love to feel special. Making people feel special does not have to include elaborate strategies. In fact, 84% of consumers say that in order to win them over, businesses just needed to treat them like a person, not a number. Here are a few ways you can do that:

1. Provide exclusive content to your followers. This can include things like unique discount codes, sneak-peeks of new products, behind-the-scenes pictures/videos, and more.
2. Creating a VIP list made up of your followers that engage with your account the most or ones you know are loyal clients. Thank them by providing them with a special discount code or early access to new products.
3. Communicating with them in a direct, professional, and friendly way. For example, set time aside to go through your comments or direct messages to reply to them or to thank them for their support.

When you make your audience feel special, they are more likely to be loyal to your business and recommend you to others.

Overall, winning your audience’s trust and keeping it requires intentional and constant effort. It takes a lot of work but it’s the type of work that leads to a better-served world.