Today, we are going to review 3 key areas when it comes to building trust among your customer base. While it may seem obvious and simple in theory, putting these ideas into practice is a whole separate challenge – so here are our tips!
1. Brand Reputation
From a marketing standpoint, brand reputation is always key – but today we are looking beyond having well-developed and recognizable assets. When it comes to building credibility, brand reputation has to connect back to the community.
Our first tip to earn customer trust is to invest in community-focused brand building. Ask yourself what opportunities exist to get involved in your community, and how you can develop community-based partnerships that will position your brand as one that is active in the communities you serve. These partnership opportunities should also include plans for earned media and organic social media reach.
The other element to consider is that this community-focused approach to brand does not only need to apply to your business, but can extend to your staff as well. Invest in your staff and give them the tools, resources, and most importantly – opportunity to become leaders in your community. This could include local media spots, web segments, or speaking engagements at community events – all of which will help put a face to your brand and build rapport with your customer base.
2. Customer Service
Again, while “customer service” seems like a no-brainer – this is about so much more than “service with a smile”.
The absolute best way to gain trust and build credibility with your customers is to develop genuine, authentic relationships with them. That means understanding what your patients are going through – both medically and in their everyday lives – and acting as a pillar of support for them during this time.
Our suggestion? Implement a customer relationship management (CRM) system to track your customer interactions. This can be everything from reminders to follow-up with patients after their surgery, or a checkup to see how their new medical device is working out. It shows that you are willing to go that extra mile to care for your patients, and as a result, you will earn their trust as customers.
The other customer service piece that lends itself well to establishing criteria is to be seen as a brand that is responsive. If you receive feedback (positive OR negative) through your marketing channels, it is imperative to respond in a timely and authentic manner. Again, this shows that there is a human at the other end of that post/ad/video, and creates a stronger connection to your brand.
3. Highlight Your Strengths
Finally, your entire marketing program should keep the above two points in mind. Everything you do should be with the aim of building credibility with your customers. This is because we know how important referrals are in the healthcare space, and a good reputation is key to securing peer-to-peer referrals.
Keep these points in mind when you are developing your next marketing program. Is there an element that ties directly into the community you serve, or that shows the “human” side of your business? Similarly, is there a response or feedback mechanism that will allow you to directly interact with prospective or current customers in a meaningful way? If not, consider trying some of these ideas out in your next campaign and see if it impacts how customers respond to your brand!