It may not come as a surprise, but being the most trusted company is the brand differentiator that often gives a competitive advantage to companies in the B2B space.
However, earning your customer’s trust is not easy, especially after Covid-19 where client business meetings are no longer face-to-face and trust is at an all-time low.
There’s a significant gap between the level of trust that brands perceive they have from customers and the actual level of trust that customers place in those brands.
While 92% of companies rate themselves as more honest and ethical than the average company, there is a substantial decline in the trust people put in businesses over the decades.
Forrester
Closing this B2B trust gap is imperative, but how?
This article will discuss 5 practical strategies that you as a B2B brand need to implement in order to nurture trust with your clients and build deep and profitable connections.
Let’s get started!
1. Have transparent communication with your audience.
Transparency is key! Avoid requiring prospects to fill out forms or contact salespeople to obtain essential information like pricing or specifications, as it may give the impression of a sales pitch.
When it comes to services, particularly those tailored to individual clients, it can be challenging to provide precise pricing and other specific details.
However, it is crucial to offer comprehensive information about each service. Testimonials and case studies serve as valuable supporting materials in such cases.
Simplify the process for prospects to find the information they need to confidently proceed. Display leadership bios, phone numbers, physical addresses, and email addresses on your website.
Remember, if a prospect is uncertain about your offerings, withholding information will not attract them but rather push them away.
2. Conduct original research and influence your prospect’s buying decisions.
Original research gives B2B prospects confidence in your brand’s industry expertise beyond anecdotal experience or the collective knowledge of your team.
It is essential to provide evidence-backed claims that can be substantiated with data to instill confidence in potential customers.
This powerful way of influencing your buyers’ purchasing decisions gives you the upper hand in the competitive market. By incorporating research-backed data to support your claims, you can establish your brand as an industry expert and generate business value.
Additionally, consider shifting from static to interactive/experiential content formats, such as simulators and recommenders, while focusing on educational and idea-driven content rather than solely promoting products and solutions.
Elevating your expertise in this manner can position your brand as a leading authority and provide inherent value beyond the products you offer.
Conducting surveys, performing A/B testing, and packaging findings in well-designed reports can also be effective approaches for conducting research, offering gated content, and driving digital marketing campaigns.
3. Put your brand values at the forefront
Make your brand values a prominent focal point.
64% of customers consider shared values important for building a relationship with a brand.
Harvard Business Review
Take the time to clearly define your brand’s values and ensure they are prominently displayed on your website, social profiles, and even in your job listings.
While your values should already be reflected in your content marketing and social media presence, conducting a content audit to align your messaging with the stated values can be beneficial.
Effectively communicating your organization’s purpose is essential to demonstrate your values throughout all aspects of your business operations.
This can involve company leaders or executives advocating for the values and ensuring that employees work together under a clearly defined internal and external vision and mission.
If your business’s vision includes making a positive impact, do not hesitate to share it and educate the industry on why it is the optimal path forward. Moreover, explicitly outlining your values can serve as a catalyst for content creation, campaign ideation, and brand initiatives.
Collaborate with your leadership team to outline your values, and if you have already done so, ensure they are clearly communicated on your website and social profiles.
4. Create thought leadership initiatives
Becoming an industry leader in the B2B sector requires a strong emphasis on thought leadership.
Research conducted by Edelman and LinkedIn demonstrates the significant impact it can have on decision-makers, with 54% of them stating that they made a purchase from a brand they hadn’t considered before after engaging with B2B thought leadership.
Initiating thought leadership efforts can begin by sharing owned content through platforms such as blogs and social profiles before expanding into earned and shared content opportunities.
By consistently delivering high-quality thought leadership content, businesses can build credibility, gain visibility, and establish themselves as go-to resources for industry insights and expertise.
This not only attracts potential customers but also cultivates trust and loyalty among existing customers.
It also provides a platform for businesses to shape industry trends, influence best practices, and drive meaningful change.
5. Become emotionally transparent
Establishing an emotional connection with buyers is crucial for B2B brands to gain a competitive edge. By prioritizing transparency in both marketing and business operations, brands can position themselves favorably in the market.
In a world filled with overwhelming information, it is essential to simplify the sales decision-making process for buyers. B2B brands can achieve this by demonstrating empathy and intent.
Trust is built when buyers believe that a brand genuinely cares about their best interests. To establish relatability, it is important to clearly communicate how the brand’s solution personally impacts the buyers.
Recognizing that every B2B purchase is emotionally tied to factors like marketability, reputation, and future aspirations, brands must show a deep understanding of these concerns. Doing so can instill confidence in buyers, fostering trust and credibility.
Building trust in B2B marketing requires a dedicated effort, but it is the responsibility of the team to employ effective strategies that nurture and reinforce that trust.
By showcasing a profound understanding of buyers at a human level, marketers can differentiate themselves from competitors and strengthen the bond with their target audience.
Final Thoughts
The success of a business relies not only on having an exceptional product but also on establishing a high level of trust with customers. It is crucial to cultivate trust even before customers make a purchase.
Nonetheless, establishing trust as a B2B brand requires effort and dedication. As B2B brands, it is our responsibility to implement strategies that foster and reinforce trust with our audience.
Though building trust takes time, the benefits that come with being recognized as a reliable and trustworthy brand are immense.
Rather than blending in with the crowd, now is the opportune moment to assert your unique identity and values in the market.
It is this distinctive stance that will differentiate you from your competitors and solidify your position as a trusted leader. Implementing these steps is crucial, and if assistance is required, our team is ready to support you immediately.