Trust as a branding tool

The importance of transparency in Web 2.0 and PR

In the current economic climate, customers, clients and potential clients are seeking companies they can trust. With numerous fraud cases, bank failures and mortgage scams at the top of mind for many people, trust is high on the priority list of what potential customers seek in business.

Consumers are also looking for people to trust in the social media arena, for example making sure blogs are as credible as newspapers, and transparency goes hand in hand with trust. In order for a company Web site, blog or any other social media site to be successful, the company needs to adopt a strong transparency policy. When visiting a Web site or blog, the purpose and goals of that site should be clear.

For example, if a company is using a blog or Twitter account to promote their own services and/or products, that should be apparent; if a business is using Web 2.0 to promote clients’ products and/or services, that should be apparent.

Part of being transparent is allowing people to connect with you on a personal level and showing the human-side of a company. Consumers want to know there is a person behind the corporate or company name. CEOs and other staff members can utilize a blog to demonstrate individual ideas about timely issues that affect their target audience. It is easier for a person to trust another person with a face and personality than it is to trust a company logo with a name. CEOs and staff members can use Web 2.0 to establish and build relationships as an individual that can lead to a relationship with the company.

One of the greatest benefits of a blog is giving a company a voice to speak directly to customers or clients without paying for advertising. The foundation of a relationship is the conversations a company initiates with its target audience. Instead of the old one-way communication cycle in which the company is talking at its customers, now we have the opportunity to have a two-way conversation and build a trusting relationship around that transparency.

Transparency and trust also play a major role in the success of public relations. As public relations practitioners, we need to be extremely proactive when it comes to being transparent in order to boost credibility and trust with clients and the media.

Thorp & Company is dedicating the use of this blog to accomplish several goals: to promote our clients’ expertise in the fields of finance, banking, accounting, legal counseling and more; to promote our own expertise in the field of public relations focusing on the importance of public relations for various industries, media relations and tips business owners can use; as a discussion board for timely topics including ‘News of the Day’ issues and our take from a public relations perspective as well as from our clients’ perspectives.

The majority of our blog posts will be written by Rebekah Hudder, social media guru at Thorp & Company, and once a week a different staff member will contribute a post.