I’m sure you all remember the widely popular animated Walt Disney classic, The Jungle Book (1967) – you must recall Mowgli, Shere Khan, Bagheera, King Loui, Baloo, and let’s not forget my all time favorite – Kaa! Every time I see an advertisement  trying to sell me something and convince me that it’s what I’ve been looking for all my life, I am instantly reminded of Kaa singing to Mowgli “Trust In Me“. In the movie, if you recall, Kaa sings and hypnotizes the boy, placing him under a trance and readies itself to devour him!

It would be nice to live in a world where you can be driving in you car one day and pass by a side road panel that says:

JUST LIKE HOME MOTEL

“bed sheets need to be changed, bathroom is relatively clean, and the light bulb is acting funny … we make it feel just like home” -

As ridiculous as this ad sounds, I think I would trust it! But let’s get back to reality – all the ads that are being pushed at us on a daily basis are hardly credible – regardless of the product or service! You are asked to trust them with no questions asked! But how could you? Think of print ads that you see in your favorite magazine – the latter was paid for that ad with no questions asked about the truthfulness that the ad claims to hold. Same goes for TV ads!

In any kind of setting – love, friendship, family, business – trust is earned! Social Media is  the only medium that can earn you that trust. You are completely exposed in the digital world. Everything you say, every picture you upload, every comment you make is captured in ones and zeros forever. Secrets are becoming a thing of the past. As an individual, in the social media world, you have to earn the trust of others by being who you are (just like in real life). People will read your blog and your comments about other posts and learn how you think and react. They can learn about you on their own time at their own pace and then they will extend their hand in friendship and trust. So now, when you recommend a product or a service, they will trust the source by transitivity!

The same applies to organizations – they need to engage with their customers by getting them involved – seeing what they like, hearing what they’re saying, taking the time to reply back with helpful answers to concerns they might have … all this builds the trust and only then can they monetize on that it!

Are you like my slithery friend, Kaa? What are you doing to earn the trust of your customers? Think About It!