Trust - How Can Trust Be Achieved in Online Marketing?

It cannot be stated too often. People do business with people they know, like and trust. Although it's the third component of the equation, it is most critical. People first have to get to know you, either face to face or through online social networks.

Challenge - Getting Others to Know You: Online marketing is even more challenging because unlike face to face marketing where your facial expression, voice tone, body language and even appearance are able to convey your message; online marketing is dependent on what you say and where you say it. "Where" is the easier part - it may be a static website, a blog, social networks like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or other forums. "What" is harder! Why? Because every person who reads what you say can understand or interpret it in a different way. You could easily say something that in your view is funny but others read and take offense. That's why many people will add things like LOL, :), tee-hee, or other indicators of humor to help convey the tone of what's been written.

Challenge - Getting Others to Like You: As you reveal your true self and become real to people that's when they will get to like you. In all aspects of business, but moreso in online networking and marketing, it is so important that you show you care about others by offering your assistance and providing quality information when possible. This is part of the steps required to build relationships so that people who have never met you or are ever likely to meet you come to regard you as the person next door, the one they can look to for solid advice or recommendations.

Challenge - Getting Others to Trust You: Trust is not only a logical act but also an emotional one. In giving trust to others you may need to expose your vulnerability to others. Interestingly, some of the most successful entrepreneurs/business owners in internet marketing have stated that their list grew when they revealed a mistake they'd made or something that indicated they were not perfect and how they corrected it. Do you see how one action leads to the other? They trusted the 'world' not to ridicule their mistakes and the 'world' responded positively showing that they felt the inidividual could be trusted; they're human just like the rest of us.

All forms of business and marketing present their own challenges. Understanding how to minimize the obstacles can help us to become more effective in building our online businesses.
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