How do you gain the trust of potential new clients? Be authentic, believable and present online!
Marketing expert Seth Godin wrote on his blog that the math has changed when it comes to measuring effectiveness of advertising online. If you’re optimizing your ads simply for likes then you’re chasing the wrong type of attention. Sure, you can get attention easily with controversy or being really bad at what you do. But who wants that kind of attention? As an independent practice you can’t afford costly mistakes to your reputation.
The most important thing you can get from an online strategy is trust. How do we build trust online without the benefit of face-to-face contact or sometimes even context to our words? Follow the three Be’s of building trust.
Be authentic
In a study on trust conducted by the public relations and marketing firm Edelman, the company found that 60% of individuals think a real person - someone just like themselves - is a credible source of information, as credible as any expert. Think about it. The opinions of peers carries just as much weight as a professional. The lesson here is to speak in a natural, friendly voice. Be authentic. Be real. Speak (or write) like you would to a patient chairside in your practice or to a close friend when you’re giving advice.
People can tell when a company is not being authentic and they don’t like it. In a survey conducted by Stackla, a content marketing firm, they found that 70% of people can tell when a brand-created image is trying to pose as if it’s a user-generated pic. People also reported that they unfollowed a brand on social media when they felt they were trying to fake it.
Be believable
You can build trust in your practice with a good social media marketing strategy. In their survey, 61% of consumers told Edelman that a company’s social media page is more believable than its advertising. The fact that social media invites two-way conversation is probably a big reason. Customers like to be part of the conversation. Fun posts that show the human side of your staff and patients, cool contests and informational content all build trust in your practice with potential clients.
Be present
No matter how many ads you run, you can’t buy trust. You have to engage constantly on social media with patients and potential new clients. Because they are always connected to their smartphones, a consumer is aware of the difference between authentic content and when they are being sold something. In fact 70% of consumers have said that they prefer to get to know a brand through constant content than campaigns. Don’t let your online presence go stale. Whether it’s your Facebook page or your Google Business listing, active engagement is another key to building trust.
Want to learn more about how you can supercharge your marketing? Our work builds trust in your practice online to help you get new patients in a digital era by convincing them (before even meeting you) that you’re the practice to choose. For more information, or a free marketing analysis, you can contact People & Practice today at 888.866.DOCS, or by email at hello@pplpractice.com.