Earn your audience's trust through image content
When you post content to social, you’re not just checking the to-do boxes…
You’re building trust with your audience.
One of the topics that I discuss at length is the need to create content that earns your audience’s trust in order to build a rapport and nurture them until they are ready to hire you for your expertise.
But, how exactly do you build trust through your image content?
I have a couple suggestions to keep in mind to achieve this.
AUTHENTIC FACIAL EXPRESSIONS IN YOUR PORTRAITS
Presenting authentic expressions in your branded lifestyle portraits is huge, and I’m not just talking about smiling - I’m talking about sophisticated, facial expressions that fall broadly on the emotional spectrum.
The reason is because you are sharing a variety of stories - empowering, pensive, vulnerable, joyous, etc. - and you need images in your content portfolio that illustrates these sentiments that visually punctuate each of these stories...
By the way, if you’re fake smiling in your images, don’t bother posting them.
They look terrible and feel completely inauthentic, which ultimately dents your brand because it offers people a chance to second guess your motivations if you present yourself in such an artificial way - definitely not advised when you are selling a form of authenticity in your services.
DON’T POST FLUFFY BS - POST VALUABLE STORIES THAT TEACH LESSONS
Another way to gain trust involves the stories that you share along with these branded lifestyle portraits.
Rather than just victory lapping about how amazing your life is, share content that targets your audience’s pain points and offers them solutions. If you make the content about them, they will be more likely to invest their time in your feeds and engage your content.
One point to mention here - don’t get caught up on engagement numbers. I bring that up because when you first commit to posting this type of content and don’t see the comment and like numbers pile up, you might be apt to get gun shy and change up your system.
Don’t do it - trust the process.
The thing about posting on social is that the numbers kinda lie because you really have no idea how many people are consuming your content, so, keep at it and trust that you’re positioning yourself as the expert and the message is hitting home with those who ultimately will hire you for your services and expertise.
DON’T POST ONCE IN A BLUE MOON - BE CONSISTENT
A huge part of your audience consuming your content consistently is that you need to post consistently.
No, it doesn’t have to be everyday, but, as long as they can expect to see your content at certain times, then, that consistency will help create anticipation on their end, which only serves to build their interest in your content.
STOP SELLING SHIT EVERY 5 SECONDS
One more point about consistently producing value-driven content - avoid jamming offers down your audience’s throat.
If you hand them a value-driven piece immediately followed by an offer, and then another offer, and so on...that wreaks of spammy and slimy, sales tactics, and it kills whatever positive momentum that you’ve produced.
Keep your offers strategic and spread out - don’t go for the kill immediately because people - and by people, I mean me - really hate that shit.
Long story short, the best way to build a business and brand that is memorable and referable is by skillfully and consistently leveraging your image content. If you put the time in to develop and nurture your messaging in this way, it will go a long way to building up your reputation and standing as the authority in your space.
Found this helpful? I got a whole lotta more, if you’re interested, :)
I have a one on one program that helps speakers, authors and coaches figure out how to present themselves in a way that gains their audience’s trust by sharing authentic and valuable content with them - it’s called the Idea Nugget Incubator Program, and you can read more about it here.
Questions?
Schedule a call with me and let’s see if we’re a fit to work together, :)