2019 is the year of trust and transparency.
Scratch that: it’s the year of rebuilding trust and increasing transparency.
The state of distrust towards institutions has experienced its steepest decline in decades, having dropped nine points over the course of last year.
This drop is even more significant (11 points) for social media.
We’re now in a time when Facebook is rolling out new transparency updates regularly, like the latest Custom Audience feature.
It’s also the era of data privacy concerns and regulations, like GDPR.
These examples and others are proving again and again that customers are demanding to know more when it comes to online ads.
As a result, it is essential to encourage trust across your advertising channels.
In this article, we’re focusing on how to build trust with customers on Facebook, specifically.
Considering the platform’s focus on transparency in the past year in particular, it is an excellent place to start the examination of how to build a foundation of trust and transparency.
We’ll explore three key tactics to building trust with your audience on Facebook.
Once you embrace Facebook ad transparency and these strategies, you can leverage this trend for your success.
It’s time to learn how to get customers to trust your brand on Facebook in this age of cynicism.
Adopt a Mixed Content Strategy to Build Trust With Customers
It’s true that user-generated content is a major way to build trust on Facebook with customers.
It’s also true that 85% of consumers regularly seek out expert content before making a purchase.
Branded content, too (e.g. your Facebook Story ad), has been shown to boost trust as a way of connecting with and engaging audiences.
So what’s the best type of content to build trust with customers on Facebook?
All of them!
With a blended content strategy, you can cultivate trust on Facebook for your brand at every step of the customer journey.
Here’s an idea for how to use each type of content in your strategy:
- Establish a foundation of Facebook trust with expert content
- Use branded content to create your brand story and enhance connectivity/engagement with customers
- Leverage UGC to reinforce the trust you’ve built with customers on Facebook
Get People to Trust in Your Brand on Facebook By Enhancing Your Page
From Q4 2017 to Q1 2018, Facebook deactivated 1.3 billion fake accounts.
Just from this extraordinary statistic alone, it therefore doesn’t come as a surprise that Facebook trust has declined among users.
As a business, you can start to build trust with customers on Facebook by taking a closer look at your Page.
There’s a reason for people to be skeptical about profiles and Business Pages given the bot fiasco.
So, make sure your Page is a reflection of your business transparency and legitimacy.
Here are a quick three tips for how to do just that:
Verify Your Page
A verification badge is an easy-to-overlook detail.
However, it goes far to build trust with customers on Facebook.
Here’s ours:
To get one on your Page, follow Facebook’s instructions.
It’s easy to do and yet can be incredibly effective for instilling trust in Facebook and your brand.
Add to the About Section
The About section of your page is essential to fill out.
You don’t necessarily need to add every single thing (e.g. “Menu” won’t be applicable for all businesses).
However, contact info, website, and a brief description of your organization are the basic blocks needed to build trust with customers.
Contact info, in particular, is a crucial detail for establishing Facebook trust.
64% of consumers want to see contact information on a website.
Additionally, 52% want to see company info or an about section.
Facebook has these sections built in, so take advantage of them to build trust with customers.
Post Consistently (And Often)
There’s some competing evidence when it comes to how many posts is optimal on Facebook.
In general, the consensus is that there’s no “one size fits all” strategy.
However, recent research has emerged to indicate that the trend is to post more.
In fact, there’s been a 24% increase in posts per quarter.
One study even found a correlation between post frequency and customer trust in Facebook.
The evidence is out there to suggest posting often can have a positive impact on trust.
But, it’s essential to test your strategy to determine:
- If this is true and,
- The optimal number of posts per day or week for your brand
No matter what, every sign points to the fact that consistency matters.
As you build trust with customers on Facebook through posting, use tools like HootSuite or Buffer to make scheduling and management easier.
Know and Abide By the Rules Governing Facebook Ad Transparency
Ground zero of the loss of trust in Facebook was probably the Cambridge Analytica scandal.
Since then, users are more aware of data privacy and how they share on the platform.
In a recent survey, 62% of consumers stated that they are more fearful of their data being compromised than they were two years prior.
Meanwhile, 57% of respondents said they were uncomfortable with how companies managed their personal information.
In addition to consumer behavior shifts, there are FTC updates to online advertising regulations.
Additional restrictions like influencer disclosure guidelines and others are all attempts at rebuilding Facebook trust.
As a marketer, it’s now more important than ever to enhance Facebook transparency and abide by the latest advertising rules.
The payoff can be huge: 95% of customers say trust in a company increases their loyalty.
So, here are some easy to implement ways to increase your customers’ trust in Facebook and your brand.
Disclose When an Ad is an Ad
As mentioned earlier, there are now FTC regulations that cover ad disclosure on online platform.
It’s not just the FTC that you’re trying to please by abiding by these rules, though.
Customers on social media want to know that what they’re viewing is an advertisement or sponsored content.
If they don’t, they are more quick to judge a brand as disingenuous.
Authenticity is a driving force behind building trust with customers on Facebook.
Provide an Explanation
One of the biggest reasons for the lack of Facebook trust when it comes to data privacy is confusion about how personal information is actually collected and used.
In fact, 50% of consumers are confused about how companies use their data.
However, 91% of customers would trust a company more if they were transparent about how their information is used.
Luckily, Facebook has built-in tools that make information disclosure easy.
Recent updates to Facebook ad transparency let users see the ads that are being targeted to them and helps them adjust their preferences.
Even more recently (and as we mentioned earlier), Custom Audience terms now let users see the origins of their information and the various businesses that have sold or used it.
You can take additional measures to disclose information by including a privacy policy on your Page.
When you show customers your dedication to data protection with both Facebook’s built-in features and your own content, you’ll build trust with customers more effectively and efficiently.
Ask Permission
User-generated content is an effective way to build loyalty and enhance trust on Facebook.
UGC campaigns like T-Mobile’s breakup letters and others have proved time and again that this strategy works.
However, earned content should always come with permission.
If you come across content from a customer that you want to use, send them a quick direct message.
Include a quick thank you for using your product or service, and then ask if you can share it on social.
In all likelihood, they’ll be flattered you asked and it’s as easy win for your brand.
Not only does your brand get an authentic, humanized edge, but also the customer whose content you featured is likely to feel an enhanced sense of loyalty and appreciation.
The Future of Facebook Transparency
Don’t expect trust in Facebook to return to the same place it was five years ago.
The impact of the data leaks and other user information scandals is going to be long-lasting, if not permanent.
Additionally, we are entering an age when data privacy concerns and consumer awareness regarding their information is higher than ever.
This isn’t a bad thing.
When you focus on building trust with customers through Facebook ad transparency, you can earn greater success than ever.
Facebook and its associated apps are still among the most profitable and effective advertising platforms.
Focus on improving the type of content you post, enhancing your presence on the platform, and going above and beyond to abide by all ad and posting regulations.
With these tips, you can help customers build trust in your brand on Facebook with the creation a transparent and legitimate marketing strategy.
