BB Ep 51: How to Build Trust With Your Social Media Followers with Jennifer Allwood and Cathy Heller

The Importance of Social Media Followers  I recently read that over 50 million businesses use Facebook Pages to connect with their customers.(1) 50 million?! These business are tapping into something powerful. They understand the value of connecting with their customers directly and using social media followers to build and expand their brand. In essence, they understand the importance of a building a tribe—a group of people who love you, are loyal to your brand, and who trust you. Your tribe is made up of the people who buy your product when you launch a pre-sale. They are the first people to mention your name (or better yet, give someone your business card) to refer your service. Your tribe is bought into your business because they’re bought into you and what you stand for. One of the best ways to build a tribe is to provide a place for them to connect and engage with you and your brand. Social media provides you with the space to build a relationship with your customers, make a personal impact, and ultimately make money. This isn’t strictly a numbers game. My friend Rachel Hollis once said, “5,000 dedicated social media followers are way better than having millions and millions.” It doesn’t matter how many social media followers you have—if they don’t trust you, they aren’t going to buy from you. Successful Brands Build Trust People buy from those they know, like and trust. So, it’s pretty important to build trust with your tribe of social media followers. Related : How to Sell Without Feeling Slimy But how do we get people to trust our brand or business? One of my favorite examples of a brand that has built trust is our company, Ramsey Solutions. Dave Ramsey grew this business and brand over decades through personal connection. About six years ago, he realized he needed to start thinking about the future and the succession of his company. From the very beginning, it had been just him. But he realized that if he wanted to take it to the next level and scale beyond himself, he needed to make a few changes. He knew that the best brands build trust. And the best way to build trust is through people. Brands don’t change people, people change people. He realized we needed more people who could take more messages into more markets. That’s how the Ramsey Personalities were born! For more than 25 years, Dave Ramsey has been building trust with his tribe—one person at a time. The same can be true for you and me. If you want to make an impact, and if you want to make money, you need to build trust. Building a Social Media Following That Trusts You  I personally feel so connected to all of my social media followers. We may have never met, but I pride myself on the fact that I know you trust me. I have read so many comments on my social media posts and met so many people in grocery stores, airports, and book signings who say, “I feel like we’re best friends.” Y’all, that’s important to me. I want you to feel like you know me. That you relate with me. That I get you. (Because I do!) Business Boutique has grown as I’ve expanded the number of people in our tribe who genuinely know, like and trust me. In this episode, I want to help you connect and engage with your social media followers in a way that builds trust. We’re going to discuss: How to inspire people with your success and connect through your struggles. When to tell people what they need to hear, not what they want to hear. Why being consistent is one of the most crucial things you can do in your business. How to stop being a doormat and still be generous with what you have to offer. The ultimate way to lean into your gifts and be YOU! Building trust with your social media followers is no different than building trust with any other person in your life. That’s why I’m going to give you five tips to help you build trust that will impact your social media followers and, ultimately, your bottom line! Why Consistently Showing Up for Your Social Media Followers Builds the Best Relationships With Jennifer Allwood  Jennifer Allwood is a powerhouse business coach for creative business owners and host of The Jennifer Allwood Show Podcast. She has an infectious enthusiasm for helping like-minded creative women build their social media followers and turn their talents and hobbies into lucrative online businesses. Jennifer has built an incredible social media following and has a gift for creating relationships and showing up for each and every one of them. I met Jennifer Allwood at a Business Boutique event and am thrilled that she will be a breakout speaker at our fall 3-Day Business Boutique Event! In this episode, Jennifer Allwood and I talk about: How you don’t have to be the best at business, you just have to be the best at marketing your business. Why being consistent on social media and building trust is key for small business owners. The best ways to serve your social media followers, build connection, provide value, and show up for them. Why mixing your home and work life isn’t a bad thing for social media. Related: Business Values: What Your Business Should Be About How Radical Empathy and Vulnerability Can Build Trust With Your Tribe With Cathy Heller   Cathy Heller is a songwriter and host of the Don’t Keep Your Day Job Podcast where she offers tools and insights to help people find a sense of purpose and make a living doing what they love. She made her mark in the music world by licensing her songs to film, TV and ads. Cathy also started her own licensing company where she pitches other artists. By mixing her successful licensing career experience with her passion for helping people turn their passions into profits, Cathy created a music licensing course for artists. In this episode, Cathy Heller and I talk about: How Cathy built trust with her tribe—and built it really fast. Why being vulnerable and transparent is key to building connection and trust. The difference between a hobby and a business (and it’s not about money). How radical empathy is the key to Cathy’s approach to building connection and showing her tribe she truly “sees” them. Related: How to Make the Most of Social Media 1:35 Building Trust with Your Tribe on Social Media 22:15 Interview with Jennifer Allwood 47:39 #ASKCHRISTYWRIGHT 54:22 Interview with Cathy Heller 71:29 Homework Get Christy's Social Media Cheat Sheet by filling out the form here! To save $10 on any Business Boutique Nashville ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT. Sign up for the Business Idea Bootcamp at BusinessBoutique.com/Bootcamp. Use the code BOOTCAMP to receive the Business Boutique audiobook for free! If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at [email protected]. New podcast episodes are available every other week.