Brands look for online engagement and, in the end, for customers that will acquire their products. But in order to interact with people, brands must prove to be trustworthy, as a new study shows.
About.com conducted a survey from March to June on US adults whose results revealed the key “trust” elements. 41% of the responded said they trust a brand that allows them to see reviews on social networks. Having positive reviews to show is of course helpful at this point. 36% stated that seeing a photo with people using the product boosts trusts, while 33% mentioned the importance of a “like” or a recommendation from a friend. Other elements were being connected with people that may have searched the same thing, the number of “likes” received by a product, and how many people “pinned” that particular content.
Another interesting finding of the survey is that mobile content can do wonders for a brand’s trust. 54% of the respondents said a brand can win them over by providing potential customers with some real benefits and not being a simple promotional tool.
52% of the people who participated in the survey look for “real world” solutions closer to their current locations, while 41% would appreciate deals near their locations. Brands can also boost their trust among people by using this means of communication as a supplement to something viewed offline (40%) or as a primary solution for information/advice (40%).
Video also plays an important role in building trust, but it is seen as efficient if used as a complementary channel to other types of content.
These findings can help companies have a better online presence, an efficient one that helps them reach their online goals.