Brand credibility: What is brand credibility?
Brand credibility refers to the authenticity of the product message entrenched in a particular brand. This is built on the premise that consumers’ perceptions of a brand are based on its ability and willingness to deliver what it promises.
That means that a credible brand is a trustworthy brand. Trust is a two-way traffic. If you trust your customers to purchase your brand, they too should be able to trust your brand’s value delivery.
Therefore, when developing your brand and brand message, letting the customer be part of the process is crucial. It allows you to enhance your credibility because it builds trust.
Why is brand credibility important in business?
What can credibility accomplish for you? How can your brand credibility work to your advantage?
Well, let us try to answer these questions down here.
· Customer retention
If you value your customers, they will stay. If you do not value them they will leave. The more you build credibility of your brand, the more you cement your customer relationships with trust.
Where trust is firmly founded, relationships tend to thrive in a sustainable way. But remember, the key factor here is in feeding the relationship consistently. After all, trust has to be fed every so often.
· Commanding brand respect
It is easy to command sticking respect from someone that trusts you. Firm credibility does that for you amongst your peers, as well as from your audience.
But how does respect benefit my business? The more respect you earn, the more people can identify with your brand, and even stick to it. This is because of the underlying connection established with what your brand stands for. In other words, brand respect enhances your brand reputation.
· Customer conversion
Is your goal to convert more prospects and leads into dependable and loyal customers? Then begin working on your brand credibility right away.
Your brand may be better than the competitors, but if it lacks credibility, it is a lost conversion. A lost conversion always translates to a lost sale. You are not in the business of losing sales, are you?
How do you build brand credibility?
Having understood the value of credibility for your business, you should now be thinking of how to build it from the ground up.
Do you want to enhance your relationship with your customers? This is how you begin:
· Identify with your audience
Prove to them that they are more than just an ideal client. Go deeper and demonstrate awareness of what they value, their current state, and what they hope to accomplish in the future. Practice speaking in their language, leveling with them, providing clarity for their pain points, as well as solving their problems.
Being intentional with your audience like this, not only builds a friendly rapport, but also fosters sentimental connections that make your audience feel like a part of your family.
· Be an embodiment of integrity
Allow your brand to be a fully transparent glass shield. Let your customers in on the operations of the company, employee management, as well as product development. The more you let them in, the more trust you build around your brand.
But how exactly do you let them in? Become proactive about your publicity. Always be on the lookout for opportunities to spotlight your company’s values by taking part in corporate social responsibility, trade fairs, as well as, media partnerships.
· Consistency is key
Do you have a brand strategy? Does your strategy reveal your brand identity? A brand strategy is the surest way to remain consistent in exhibiting your brand core values, because a strategy requires continuous implementation.
Just like feeding a relationship, constantly displaying your values across all your activities, brand partnerships, and brand campaigns ensures your brand credibility remains alive throughout its existence.
According to Editor’s Choice, displaying a brand consistently across all your marketing platforms can increase your revenue by up to 23%. Your brand’s existence depends on its ability to generate revenue for you.
· Own your success and be proud of it
Walk around undertaking your activities with your head held high all the time. Confidence is important in ensuring your credibility sells.
It proves to the world that you are an expert in whatever you thrive at and that you do not regret getting to that level. You are simply saying, you are an open book and that all your achievements are a product of hard work and integrity in the job, making you trustworthy.
· Consistently display quality and compliance
Always remind your audience of your brand’s quality compliance. Certified trust stamps, standard marks of quality, or even industry awards from reputable industry regulators, and media houses carry the potential of boosting your credibility.
That is because an honest opinion from an independent and impartial reviewer is more trustworthy and tends to stick.
How do you measure brand credibility?
Credibility is built on two fundamental tenets:
- Expertise
- Trustworthiness
If these two can be measured, then credibility can be measured as well. That means, if a brand message originates from an expert source or point of view, it tends to be more trusted by your audience, thus more credibility.
Therefore, the sooner you establish your authority as an industry expert, the quicker your brand message becomes believable. The more your brand message is believable, the more your audience will consume it.
This presents one of the simplest yet dynamic dimensions of measuring your credibility.
How do I sustain my brand credibility?
It is simple really. As your business constantly evolves through the cycles of technology disruption, it becomes rather difficult to maintain a stable work-customer care balance.
If you focus too much on the work part of the brand, you may ultimately forget or begin to think less about the customer satisfaction element of the brand.
To remain safe, always endeavor to constantly keep in touch with your customers and prospects whilst familiarizing yourself with their changing needs.
If your customers and prospects feel valued and appreciated all the time through constant communication, they are highly likely to stick with your brand for the long haul.
Thus, the way to sustain your credibility is to establish lasting loyalty from your audience.
Additionally, purpose to be proactive about instilling a credible culture in your employees, as well as constantly generating new brand content to keep up with your audience’s interests.
Remember, you can always outsource the services of a professional public relations agency to get started with building and sustaining your brand credibility.
Give us a call today and work with professional content creators and marketers who will help you build brand credibility and grow your business.