It’s true, people prefer to do business with those they know, like an trust. So the question is, how do you earn this trust in your niche? Check out seven ways…
1. Stay In Touch
Just as you can’t build a relationship offline without staying in touch, you also can’t build a relationship online with your prospects unless you stay in regular contact. So here’s what to do:
- Create mailing list. And then create an initial autoresponder series with the goal of building a relationship. You should also plan your publishing calendar so that you’re in touch with prospects at least once per week via email.
- Set up a blog and post at least once per week. Be sure to open comments.
- Reach out on at least one major social media platform, such as Facebook. You should aim to post weekly, though daily is even better.
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2. Engage In A Dialogue, Rather Than a Monologue
It’s hard to build a relationship if you’re only communicating in one direction (you talking to your prospects). That’s why you’ll want to engage your prospects directly and interact with them on your blog and social media pages. You can:
- Ask thought-provoking questions.
- Request feedback on ideas.
- Reply to those who comment on your posts.
Here’s another important component of trust…
3. Be Honest
Seems like a given, right?
And yet sometimes marketers aren’t completely truthful. For example, they’ll create a sense of urgency on an offer by saying a product will NEVER be sold at that sale price again. And then two weeks later they’ll run the same sale again.
Another example: not disclosing the flaws when reviewing a product. Everyone knows a product has flaws, so neglecting to mention them only lowers trust.
Point, be honest to a fault, and you’ll see trust (and profits) go up over the long term.
4. Put Customers Above Profits
There are going to be times in your business where you’ll realize that you can make a lot of money really fast, but your idea may not exactly be in the best interest of your customers.
You know what? Don’t do it.
Doing something for a fast buck might put money in your pocket today, but you’ll lose trust and credibility. And once that happens, you’ll instantly diminish your long-term profits.
Now here’s the good news: when you put your customers’ needs first, the profits naturally follow!
5. Establish Yourself As An Authority
People naturally tend to trust authorities. That’s why you need to establish yourself as a confident, knowledgeable “thought leader” in your niche. Here’s how:
- Showcase your expertise across your products, newsletters, blog posts and social media posts. Don’t hold back your best stuff for your paid products. Let prospects see you offer good solutions even in your free content.
- Hold live events, such as webinars, and get someone to interview you. People will naturally view you as an authority when you’re the one being interviewed. It’s a simple strategy, but very effective.
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6. Focus On Providing Quality
No matter what you’re creating – from a blog post to a home study course – be sure you’re putting out your very best work. When prospects and customers notice this pattern of providing high-quality work, their trust in you naturally grows.
7. Pick Your Partners Carefully
Whenever you do joint ventures with people, your name and reputation is going to be associated with your partners’ names and reputations. That means you should deliberately seek out marketers with good reputations and seek to do joint ventures with them, as that will naturally raise your standing in the niche.
Conclusion
So there you have seven good ways to help get people to trust you in the niche. Just remember, this isn’t something you do once. Instead, it’s an ongoing process. And while it may take months to build trust, you can lose it in an instant – so be careful out there! J