In just over a decade, social media has revolutionized how people communicate and share information. It has also created a lucrative new platform for digital marketers to reach their customers. But recent changes to the social landscape have threatened to change how users interact with social media completely and, by extension, how marketers interact with social media users.
Consumer Trust In Social Media
Social platforms have continued to grow at an astronomical rate. The largest fish in the social pond, Facebook, currently boasts over two billion active users each month. But it appears the salad days may be behind us as social platforms like Facebook continually find themselves in hot water with regards to their consumer practices.
Through the years, consumers have grown increasingly skeptical of how social media platforms are using their information. This year’s Edelman Trust Barometer reveals a consumer population that is increasingly distrustful of social media and how their data is being used.
Recently, social media users’ greatest fears were realized in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, which revealed that 87 million Facebook users had their information hijacked by a data mining company that used the data they stole in an attempt to sway the outcome of the 2016 presidential election.
Even before the latest scandal rocked Facebook, many of its more information-conscious users had already begun to either delete their profiles or, at the very least, change the permissions they gave Facebook so less of their data and information was being used for marketing and advertising purposes. The Cambridge Analytica scandal will no doubt cause millions more users to reevaluate how they share with Facebook and other platforms.
The Role Of Marketing
When it comes to the social trust issue, marketers are also a guilty party with regards to how consumers view social media platforms. Beyond the broad scope of new tools and data points that marketers have at their disposal, the advent of social media has also given rise to influencer marketing.
While influencer marketing can be an incredibly powerful tool to reach consumers, it can also be used in ways that sour the consumer experience and lead them to be distrustful of the testimonials they see. Recently, I’ve seen countless influencers run afoul of FTC regulations regarding how clearly they disclose paid partnerships.
This creates a culture on social media where users are bombarded with targeted advertisements virtually everywhere they look. Some of these ads are clear, some are a bit more difficult to spot, and it all translates to a climate where consumers are increasingly distrustful of the products they see on social media.
A Tipping Point
It’s becoming increasingly clear that the current path of social media will not be sustainable for long. Platforms like Facebook are beginning to lose consumer trust, and marketers are contributing to the decline.
In an attempt to regain consumer trust as quickly as possible, you can expect to see social media platforms like Facebook enact sweeping changes to the way they share user information and how marketers can advertise on their platforms. At the same time, there will also be opportunities for marketers to begin rebuilding consumer trust.
How Marketers Can Rebuild Trust
Fortunately, there is still time for brands to get on the right side of this issue and create a culture around authenticity and transparency so that consumers feel more like their needs are being acknowledged and less like they’re always being sold to. Authenticity continues to be a driving force behind positive consumer-brand interactions. Consumers are tired of being marketed to 24 hours a day, and they’re even more tired of being marketed to when they don’t even think they’re being marketed to.
For starters, make sure that ads are being properly disclosed, especially when dealing with influencers. Social media users, especially millennials, can quickly sense when brands are being disingenuous these days. When users feel this way, they’re more likely to be turned off by your brand and by the platform in general.
Next, make sure your brand is meeting your customers on their terms. Whether they’re coming to your page to leave a review or they’re seeking advice or customer service help, make sure they enjoy a positive experience where they leave reassured that their needs have been met. Use these touch points as opportunities to humanize your brand and build trust, instead of concerning yourself with the immediate needs of the brand.
Social media also offers brands and marketers opportunities to highlight their humanity in ways that brands have not been able to do in the past. Each consumer touch is an opportunity to humanize the brand, which makes it easier for consumers to feel as if they can place their trust in what you’re doing.
Earned content is also a great way to increase consumer trust while creating a culture within your brand that lets customers know that you care about them and how they use your products. For example, if you come across a user interacting with your product, send a quick direct message thanking them and ask for their permission to use the photo on your social pages.
In doing so, you’re signaling that your brand is thankful for its customers and community, and you want to show it. At the same time, other users who see this earned content are seeing someone who they can relate to, often much more so than they would an influencer or paid spokesperson. This tactic touches on trust and authenticity while humanizing your brand, all at once. Of course, you’ll want to always make sure that you’re receiving permission to repurpose the user’s photo. Otherwise, this strategy can backfire and end up reducing trust in your brand.
Staying On The Cutting Edge
As Facebook and other social platforms change in the face of growing consumer distrust, marketers must stay on top of the latest developments in the industry. Social media marketing is going to be undergoing many changes, but this will provide new opportunities for marketers.
