What’s more valuable than gold but can’t be bought or sold? Trust.
Consider everything we do that is based on trust. When we board an airplane, deposit money in the bank, or leave kids with a sitter, we have confidence that those 
involved will do what they promise. In society, trust is the most powerful economic force. Without it, there would be chaos.
Yet decision makers are more dis-trusting and cynical than ever before. Because trust is lacking in so many areas, it’s become a competitive advantage. Do you have a strategy to build and protect customer trust in your brand?
Francis Frei, Harvard professor and author on the subject of trust in business said in her TED2018 talk that, “Trust has 3 components: authenticity, logic and empathy.” If one of these are compromised, trust is threatened.
When it comes to LinkedIn B2B lead generation, there are some important things you can do to build trust:
- Start with a good photo and strong brand image. Your potential customers are judging you, and social media is often their first touch point. If your photo is more than 2 years old, was taken at the last opportunity you had to wear a tuxedo, or has a drink cropped out of it – it’s time to call a professional photographer. This is an investment that will pay you back.
- Write a strong value proposition that is crisp and easy to understand as your “headline” directly beneath your professional photo on LinkedIn. When people understand exactly what you do and the problem you solve it becomes much easier to connect with you, make referrals to you and become a prospective customer.
- Share information that is relevant to your ideal customer. Content sharing positions you as an expert in your field and helps people to know-like-and trust you. When you find meaningful articles or write original content, it’s important to commit to regular and consistent distribution schedule. Posting infrequently will fail to make an impact and posting throughout the day will annoy your followers.
- Talk like a real person in everything you do on LinkedIn. Avoid jargon and language that is either too formal or informal. Write as you naturally speak. Have you ever received a message that you just knew came from automation and was mass distributed? Don’t be one of those people.
- Reach out and start a conversation. Yes! You can easily talk to people you haven’t met yet on LinkedIn and you might be surprised how grateful and willing they are to connect with you. LinkedIn users are there for the same reasons you are so don’t be afraid to read profiles and send connection requests. Follow up with a note but skip the sales speak until after you’ve built a relationship.
- Cultivate trust with endorsements and case studies. Give endorsements to people you know and ask others to endorse you. Post case studies to your profile that are concise and include examples of past projects or things you are working on.
- Show up, follow up and don’t stop. Respond to messages quickly and take the conversation off-line as soon as possible. LinkedIn messaging is not the same as email, and that means it’s important to follow up promptly and move communication to the phone and email.
When people trust you, they are more likely to do business with you. Of course you need to have a reliable product that provides value to customers. But how you communicate, the channels you use and your brand identity have impact on your credibility.
[cta] Want to learn more about LinkedIn B2B Lead Generation? Click here to watch our video and download our free infographic on “Why You Need a B2B LinkedIn Lead Generation Strategy.” [/cta]
