Consumer trust is a must-have for building your brand, but trust is getting harder and harder to earn. In fact, public confidence in U.S. institutions—including brands—is on the decline.
People are less willing to trust these days, and for valid reasons. From ethical violations to data privacy breaches, consumers are wary of putting too much stock in businesses.
As a brand, it’s tempting to shout, “You can trust me!” But everyone insists they’re the most trustworthy brand. How can you actually prove it?
Whether you run a physical retail store or are a B2B company operating in a hybrid “phygital” space, you need to establish trust in this loud landscape. Fortunately, trust isn’t about volume but authenticity, consistency, and genuine connection.
Let’s look at why trust is so important and how your business can foster valuable feelings that last.
Businesses often assume they have their customers’ trust, so it’s easy to wonder, “Why do I need to create campaigns for customer trust?”
Eighty-seven percent of business leaders think consumers trust their businesses, but just 30% of consumers actually have faith in companies. That’s a big gap!
If you want to boost sales, stand out from the competition, and grow, customer trust is a must because:
Modern marketing is about blending physical and digital spaces to connect with more consumers. Phygital spaces are the new arena where brands duke it out to earn customers. But for consumers, this means a relentless stream of brands begging for their trust.
To break through the noise, you need to stop talking the talk and walk the walk. Follow these tips to establish genuine, lasting trust with your customers.
Digital marketing is necessary, but that doesn’t mean you should ditch marketing in the physical realm. Your audience is inundated with ads and digital content from everywhere. Promotional products give them a break from the screen time while promoting your brand.
Unlike digital ads, which disappear almost immediately, branded merchandise can be a physical reminder of your brand in a person’s everyday life. Promotional products create a sense of goodwill and trust you can’t create from an online post alone.
To build trust with promo products, be sure to:
Did you know that 79% of consumers believe data protection is essential for building trust?
As your business embraces the phygital space, you are likely collecting more and more customer data. You're duty-bound to protect this information, be it contact information or credit card numbers. Nothing harms trust more than a data breach, so work with your IT folks to lock this information down.
It might not sound as fun as the other suggestions on this list, but data breaches will ruin the goodwill you’re trying to build, so put customer protection first.
For people to trust you, you must become a brand worth trusting. That means practicing what you preach.
Transparency doesn’t mean you have to bare all or share all of your financial data, of course. It often comes down to simple practices like:
Technology makes it easy to reach thousands of people in a few minutes. Before you know it, your website visitors look more like numbers than people.
Technology is good at dehumanizing people, making it harder to build one-on-one relationships with your audience. To build trust, you need to humanize your technology by:
Trust is less about grand gestures and more about small, consistent moments. Commit to your values and customers. Before long, you’ll build lasting trust in even the most competitive landscape. In a world where consumers are bombarded with choices, genuine connection guides them to brands they can believe in.
Promotional products bridge the divide between physical and digital experiences, helping you overcome the competitive noise while building trust. Create Brand Love™ moments: Build trust with Boundless.