What does credibility mean? According to our friends over at Google, credibility can be defined as “the quality of being trusted and believed in.” Examining the word the suggestion of the word credit is indeed evident. Credit, the concept of a loan or of the taking of something for a future return, can be inherently linked to the idea of creating credibility within a brand or service. Indeed, when we think of how a potential client interacts with a website, or any other marketing touchpoint, a special interaction and process occurs where the potential client begins to believe in the service or goods of the company with the promise of this being fulfilled upon a purchase or interaction. Likewise, for a brand, marketing channels serve as a way to present the company to a new client, building trust and desire and then fulfilling this upon a transaction or interaction.
At the luxury marketing agency, we believe in this symbiotic promotion of credibility. One where the marketing touchpoints serve to engage with new visitors to establish the brand as one with which they wish to interact. The question therefore arises, how can we enhance the credibility of a company digitally? We have put together an actionable list of areas that can be improved and enhanced to build credibility online that can assist in increasing contact between potentials and the business.
SEO - rankings = credibility
Client acquisition through search engines, in our experience, remains one of the most highest converting sales channels in the digital sphere. Indeed, on examination we can see a correlation between higher rankings and visitor numbers but also the trust that higher positions in search engines can bring. Google, one of the world’s biggest companies, helps to add credibility to a brand through how it ranks websites. What’s more, the association of quality, trust and X is an indirect result of being found in Google. We are able to piggyback off of the conotiations and trust associations that searchers have with Google in order to enhance the credibility and confidence in our own brands and websites. Our luxury SEO agency works with you to create engaging campaigns that attract targeted clients and, through the power of search engines, can make that all important first contact between new searchers and your brand. Earn the place in google rankings, ppc paid to get there SEO earned.
Website design and copy
A great SEO campaign will bring targeted traffic to specific areas of your website, but how good is it at converted? Building on the hard work and skill of an SEO agency, the website plays an important role in establishing credibility. UX, also known as User Experience, is a core component not only in how Google ranks a website in search results but also in how we can direct the flow of traffic to specific parts of the site. Good UX is intuitive, easy to navigate and helps the visitor to find what they are looking for. Likewise, the supporting collateral for the website such as imagery, copy, logos and brand colours must be of the very highest quality. Consistency across an SEO optimised website and branding is key to showcasing the business to the highest standards to enable a visitor to trust in the company and its offerings.
News and views - Thought leadership
A thought leader is an individual or firm ascribed the quality of 'thought leadership'. Thought leadership is influencing a narrative by understanding what needs to be done. Understanding what needs to be done, whilst broad, can be broken down into constituent parts that can help us provide and create actionable plans in regards to how a digital luxury marketing agency can best support the objectives and goals of the brand. Lookbooks, interesting and engaging content, trend reports, analysis and interesting articles that appeal to your demographics are all key areas of content that can be produced to allow the brand to gain a foothold in the online space and establish credibility.
On and offline events
Supporting the idea of thought leadership can be seen in creating on and offline evets that can not only increase awareness of the brand but also enable clients to participate and feel part of the brand experience. Experiential marketing, driven by both online and offline events, is a powerful tool in creating a credible brand. Not only does it allow greater awareness to develop but can also create what is known as the halo effect which is a term for a consumer's favouritism toward a brand due to positive experiences with the company. The halo effect is correlated to brand strength, brand loyalty, and contributes to brand equity. The online sphere has enabled creators to produce live streams and events that bring together consumers and place them at the heart of the experience.
Personable service - Putting a face to the brand
So often, when we think of the world’s leading brands and services, we place an emphasis on a key figure within the organisations. Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, Kim Jones and the late Virgil Abloh spring to mind. By offering a human side to the conceptual we can further give consumers a brand to believe in and bring a greater sense of credibility. History, brand development and usps can all support the face of a brand or business and help make it more attractive and relatable to consumers.
Testimonies - Sharing stories
Finally, and simply put, customer testimonials create something of a self-fulfilling prophecy regarding a brand’s connection with their target audience. Consumers naturally trust each other more than they trust just marketing collateral, so that testimonial adds more weight to the decision they're trying to make, establishing both credibility and reliability. In the digital world this can be seen through the sharing of user generated content, hashtags on social media, positive reviews within the website and across third party websites. You’ve worked hard to get a happy consumer so show that to the world!
What are your marketing goals for this year? How do you plan on creating credibility to drive your business? Contact our boutique digital marketing agency via hello@theluxurymarketingagency.com and let’s chat.
