How Brands Can Build Consumer Trust on Social Media

Why we’re all in on performance branding – and how it can transform your growth.

How Brands Can Build Consumer Trust on Social Media

Bryan Karas

September 14, 2018

The very interesting and loooong report titled, The 2018 Edelman Trust Barometer Special Report: Brands and Social Media, tells us that consumers around the world want brands to help fix all these issues revolving around social media….

To be more specific, consumers feel like brands should pressure Facebook and other social platforms to safeguard personal data, curb the spread of fake news, and shield them from offensive content.

Pretty much brands need to stay up to date with important trends and user habits while building more trust with consumers using social media. So how can you do that?

To Protect and Serve

Thanks to the data found in the Edelman report, we now know the specific ways brands can build trust online. Alongside “protecting” consumers from fake news and data breaches, brands also need to provide top notch customer service.

One interesting stat that came from the report was that 59 percent of consumers trust a direct response from a brand – instant messages, email or comments on social media post – more than an advertisement.

Social media is the easiest and most effective way for brands to perform customer service. Nobody wants to call an 800 number and go through an automated system just to wait 30 minutes to talk to a customer service rep…

Putting out fires…

If you’re thinking about customer service on social media…you need to know a few things before getting started.

Know where your customers “hang out” online and build a presence there
Create a tracking process to sort through the usual noise and manage actual requests
Respond to customers as fast as possible and always have the first communication be on the same channel
Determine if the issue can be resolved publicly on the social platform or if it needs to be escalated to a DM (direct message) or phone call
Once the issue is resolved, even if resolved offline, wrap up the conversation back on the first social platform with a nice “thank you”

If you’re going to start using social media as a customer service platform (which you should)…don’t pick and choose who you service. You’ll have to figure out how to service everyone. Since it’s all out in the open people will know if they are being ignored and that could lead to more serious consequences…

Here’s a list of 14 amazing social media customer service examples – is there one that connects most with your brand?

More Ways a Brand Can Build Trust With Customers Using Social Media

Social media isn’t just a platform to promote yourself…it’s a two way line of open communication. From authenticity and transparency to creating great content…there are a lot of ways brands can start building trust with customers on social media platforms.