In this post we are going to discuss how increasing your brand credibility can increase sales.
Brand Credibility
Brand credibility is about how believable your business brand is to your audience. A brand is how your customers perceive your business as we discussed previously. Brand Credibility answers the question on if your customers believe you have the knowledge, willingness and trustworthiness to deliver what your branding says you will. Brand credibility can have a huge impact on sales.
With branding and brand credibility, it all starts with customer perception. You can establish good customer perceptions by providing existing and new customers with a quality product or service and exceed their expectations. When you make claims in your advertising about your business you build expectations. You need to meet or exceed these self created expectations to build a positive perception about your business.
– Competence
Regardless of what type of product or service you offer, it is your job to demonstrate that you have the expertise to provide the solution the customer is seeking. Consumers want proof, so provide them with as much pre-purchase information as possible to show them that you are capable of delivering what you say you can. When consumers see actual results in the form of statistics, product reviews and testimonials, it increases brand credibility and confidence in your business.
– Consistency
Establishing credibility is not a one-time job. It is a continuous process that needs to be monitored and maintained. As you have discovered through this series, your branding should be consistent across all aspects of your business; from promotion to production. For example, if your social media campaign is quirky and lighthearted but your product packaging is plain and crisp, you are sending mixed signals; this will confuse consumers and leave them feeling like your brand can’t be trusted.
Consistency makes your brand feel more dependable. As you plan your campaign keep in mind that brand recognition is not just about getting your name out there. It is about helping consumers get to know your brand on a personal level.
Automatic Trust Factor
When you achieve this, you will not have to work as hard to convince consumers to do business with you. When a consumer sees your consistent brand in multiple different places they visit and trust they are subconsciously building trust in your brand.
Do you recall the last time you were looking to buy something and saw a logo or brand you recognized without knowing where you knew it from? Did you know you are more likely to go with that brand? This is because you recognize it and automatically trust it more than the ones you don’t. Often the reason the brand is familiar to you is because you have seen it displayed in various places; Your mind has subconsciously taken notice of it. If you are not consistent across all your media and advertising you will not be able to benefit from the automatic trust factor.
Developing a unified look for your business across your website, all social channels, even in your store and on your product packaging will make consumers feel more comfortable with your brand; This will make them more likely to remember you and better yet purchase from you again.
TASK
Take some time to think about how you can develop the credibility of your brand. How will you create a seamless look and feel for your business? Remember to incorporate your website, social channels, product packaging and all your marketing media. Let us know how you plan to do this in the comments.
