5 Smart Ways Startups Can Quickly Build Brand Trust

Would you readily buy a product or service offered by a company you don’t know or trust?

I’m cocksure you won’t.

That’s the same reason prospects won’t buy whatever product or service your startup offers—no matter how interesting it might sound.

It’s quite understandable; no one wants to risk their money on an unknown offer by an unknown brand. And that’s the major challenge most startups face—getting their first customers.

Before prospects will buy from you, they need to know and trust you. So, your first major assignment as a startup owner is to build trust.

You’ll face a lot of challenges while trying to achieve that because it would be hard to take prospects’ attention away from the established brands they’ve known and trusted for years.

Although you can’t build trust overnight, you can build it faster by implementing the following:

1. Invest in content marketing

It would be hard for prospects to trust you if they have little or no idea about what you offer or what your product does. So, you need to enlighten them by starting a blog and creating web content that demonstrates your expertise. This could be blog posts, videos, podcasts, or social media updates.

You should also complement this with a well-planned and executed social media campaign that engages and educates readers. Show them you’re not just an expert but a vulnerable, likable expert and you’ll win them forever.

2. Explains the pros and cons of your product or service

Everyone is used to reading and hearing sales pitches that praise the hell out of a product or service and present it as flawless. But if you’re honest enough to tell your prospects the downsides of your offer, they’ll trust you immediately.

And if those downsides are of little concern to them, they’d readily do business with you. This is how to win online today whether you’re selling consulting, design or physical objects like sewing machine or wristwatches.

3. Borrow trust from others

Another smart way to build trust is to have your product or service endorsed by widely trusted individuals and organizations. For example, Bluehost, a US-based web hosting firm, attracts many customers because their services are specifically recommended by WordPress, the world’s most widely used blogging platform.

4. Share real success stories

“Only few things are more convincing than real stories,” says a spokesperson of Website Promoter, which specializes in Adwords campaign management. “So, one of the best ways to build trust is to create case studies and testimonials by people who have tried out your product or service and gotten great results.”

According to a survey by TechValidate, 54 percent of B2B marketers admitted that sharing case studies of real customers was highly effective in winning new customers.

5. Never lower your prices

Most startup owners erroneously think they’ll quickly win customers by charging below standard pricing. But reality has proven this to be untrue. A study from McKinsey revealed that price is not the most important factor that B2B buyers consider about an offer. Ironically, lower prices send signals of mediocrity. So, to avoid hurting your brand, don’t charge below standard market pricing.

Without consumer trust in your brand, your startup won’t thrive. By implementing these five tips right from the start, you’ll build trust quickly and start attracting more customers than you ever imagined.