People need to know, like, and trust you and your brand. How do you get people to do that? Some people run more ads to get the word out about their services. Others try to personally connect with each person who encounters their brand. You might rely on your work and its results to speak for you. But the bottom line is that people need to encounter you and your brand multiple times in different ways in order to know, like, and trust you.
Google calls the point at which people make a decision to purchase the Zero Moment Of Truth. This is a theory that Google has researched extensively, and they even offer a free eBook with more information on this data.
It’s easy to build trust when you have hot leads to convert. It’s also fairly easy when the lead is warm. However, it is difficult to establish rapport when someone first discovers you. The good news is that Google has done research with its abundance of data to help us establish baselines that do just that.
The 7-11-4 Line
You may already be active on Facebook or LinkedIn. Many times, solopreneurs focus on LinkedIn for their online presence. This is a good start, but it may not be enough. Ultimately, someone gets to know, like, and trust you when you have seven hours worth of content they can consume. Ideally, they were be able to have eleven different interactions with your brand in four different locations. This is the 7-11-4 line as described by Google.
Think about subscription services you may use. The 7-11-4 line offers an experience similar to binge-watching a show on Netflix. If you find something you like, you will want to watch as much of it as you can when you have the time. Just like Netflix, people want to binge your content to learn all about you!
Content That Builds Trust
You may be reading this blog thinking, “How could I ever have seven hours of content?” However, you can break it down into smaller blocks of time that add up. You may have a few IGTV videos already posted. You can add a couple blog posts to those videos.
Do you have a podcast, or have you been a guest on a podcast? This is another way to build up that seven hours of content. You could add a YouTube channel as well. Another piece of content that builds trust is a valuable freebie.
Bonus tip: Freebies can also help you build your email list! Email content is another way to add to the know-like-trust-building content.
Some business consultants call this content marketing. You can learn more about ways to market through content in this article (skip through the ads, the content is still good!)