When it comes to online reputation management, trust is a must-have—but how can your firm develop trustworthy consumer relationships when all you have is, according to Greg Ferenstein, a few lines of text and an avatar?

Here are 4 ways to build the kind of trust that nurtures fans and boosts profit:

1. Learn to listen – In Entrepreneur, Romanus Wolter writes that learning to actively listen is the key to business success because it gives us access to almost unlimited ideas. For instance, a single blog post comment might lead to the development of a profit-pumped product.
2. Be transparent– Part of building trust with an online influencer and others is letting information out there: the good, the bad, and the ugly. That means if your CEO’s blog is peppered with posts calling her a soul-less corporate machine, leave them up. Despite the nature of the comments, your openness will convey to consumers that you don’t have anything to hide.
3. Interact – It’s easy to Tweet “Thanks” when you’re on the receiving end of kudos. However, companies can’t just listen and interact when it’s convenient or easy. For example, Rentokil, a pest control firm, launched a social engagement strategy on Twitter. When they were questioned about a scientific claim they had made, the company abruptly stopped Tweeting. As a result, Twitter users (i.e. consumers) began to view Rentokil with suspicion. So even when you’re being asked the hard questions it’s important to respond in a professional way.
4. Reward – Marketer Gail Goodman recommends rewards as a way to engage customers. Retail and service businesses can create warm-fuzzy feelings with exclusive coupons for consumers who’ve taken time to discuss your brand on social media. Another way to engage your audience and build trust is by sharing information in the form of a how-to guide or white paper.

Looking for a partner to help you build trust into your social media monitoring plan? Contact Social Strategy1 for more information on how their three-step social media strategy will allow you to build trusting relationships with your ideal customers.

Related posts:

Relationship Media: CRM through Social Media

There are many pros for businesses that implement CRM through social media. It is becoming a preferred way to communicate and resolve many issues. When social media kicked off almost a decade ago (yes, it’s been that long!), it was the new darling of the media set. [continue reading]

How to Turn Your Mobile & Social Customers into Recurring Sales [White Paper]

In this white paper we examine geosocial, 2012 consumer internet trends and using social local mobile marketing to increase brick and mortar sales. [continue reading]