Trust is a difficult benchmark to achieve. It takes time to earn the trust of someone you know, to the point where they believe in what you say and who you are. Arguably, it is even more difficult to build trust as a business. People know that you want something from them, whether they are employees or customers. You want them to produce for your company or buy the product to generate revenue.
This is why focusing on being a trustworthy brand is crucial, especially in 2024. When people do not see a brand as authentic or morally sound, they will not hesitate to look elsewhere, either for their purchases or for employment.
It is up to you to change their minds and build trust with potential customers and workers. Here are a few things you can due to improve the perception of your business in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
Make The Premises Safer
If people step into your office, store, warehouse, or plant, they should feel safe. If they are facing threats to their health or well-being, they will quickly become distrustful of your business. By prioritizing safety on the premises of the company, you can generate goodwill with both customers and workers. For example, if you own a manufacturing plant, an industrial dust collector system can keep the air free of pollutants that could be dangerous for workers to inhale. If you own a store that sells physical merchandise, surveillance cameras in less busy areas and a security guard could help customers feel safer when in the building.
Embrace Customer Feedback
Listening to your audience is key to developing a trustworthy brand. If you do not incorporate the feedback you receive, especially from a large percentage of the customer base, then you are not truly listening to their needs. People want to feel heard when they provide feedback to companies they support, and if they do not get that feeling, they will look to your competition. You have to prove that you are in touch with the customer by responding to feedback and service requests, and then using that information to design a better product or service to better meet the needs of the customer.
Practice Sustainability
A huge portion of your audience wants to know that you are a morally sound company. In 2024, sustainability is the name of the game. If your practices are actively hurting the environment or being wasteful with natural resources, it could turn away many of your customers. Enacting green initiatives can improve the perception of your brand for both customers and workers. You could implement a recycling program in the office to encourage environmentally friendly practices of disposal. Using sustainable packaging for your products can endear the brand to customers. Cutting down on electricity consumption by installing solar panels on the roof of the building will demonstrate your commitment to using renewable and clean energy sources. Building a more sustainable brand can be a quick path to earning trust from customers and potential employees.
Personalize Your Marketing
Personalization in advertising is not just a buzzword. Consumers want to be understood by the companies they support, and personalization techniques can demonstrate the close relationship your business has with its customer base. Including names in marketing pieces is a simple way to personalize a message. Adopting artificial intelligence that can predict audience behavior and display messaging that meets their needs will also improve personalization techniques. Following up with customers who have taken certain actions to encourage them further will display your knowledge of their preferences, and it could be as simple as an email after they click on a particular product on the e-commerce website.
Get Involved In The Community
Your presence in the community is crucial when trying to build trust in your Harrisburg business. After all, if you do not support community initiatives, why should the community support you? It may take some strategic planning to find the right platform for community involvement. Maybe your employees collectively volunteer for a specific cause once a year. Perhaps you can sponsor a charity event like a golf tournament or a 5k, either providing donations or entering teams into the competition. You could even set up a booth during a community festival and give away free swag. Embedding yourself in the local community will increase word-of-mouth marketing and develop more trust in the brand.
Trust Requires Give And Take
Nowadays, it is not enough to sell a great product to earn the trust of customers. Additionally, a good salary is not enough to convince potential workers that they should apply for a job. You have to build trust in the brand by taking decisive action that paints the business in a positive light. Whether that means creating a safer workplace, practicing sustainability company-wide, or getting more involved in the local community, you can improve the perception of your brand and attract more customers and workers in Harrisburg, PA.
