Building trust is so important if you want a sustainable brand. People will only invest in a brand if they feel they trust it. This is especially important for small online businesses. With many online scams, and small businesses not having the big reputations and brand awareness, it makes it all the more important to build trust.

There are many ways you can build that trust and one of those ways is through branding. Branding allows you to create a deeper connection with your audience, so they can get to know you, feel like they understand who you are and what you stand for and how you can help them. When you get your branding right you will not only attract the right people but also build loyalty and trust with them, so they not only follow your brand but are also willing to buy from you are share your brand with others.

So here are some ways you can build trust through branding.

1. Build Trust by Showing Your Face

People don't want to buy from faceless unknown brands (it takes a lot more brand awareness efforts to create trust in a brand without a face to it) people want to buy from people. We are drawn to other people. People connect with people not faceless graphics and products.

By showing your face you are allowing people to see the person behind the business, show some of your personality, make a connection and show that you are real.

You don't need to be perfect or look amazing to build trust. It should feel authentic and tie in with the brand.

Some things you can share:

• Simple head shots that show a little of your personality and style
• Photos of you doing your work or creating your products.
• Photos of you in your studio or work environment
• Show parts of your life/lifestyle/family/home to give people a peek into your life.
• Videos of you talking to the camera
• Vlog style videos showing how you work or part of your day

It's important to consider what you feel comfortable sharing online and what aspects of your life and personality you feel happy to share as part of your brand. If you want to keep parts of your private life or family private, then do that. People just simply want to connect with you and see that you are a real person and are relatable. It isn't necessary to over share beyond what feels right for you. But also don't use that as an excuse to hide, at a minimum you want to show your face now and then.

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2. Be Consistent in Your Branding
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When you show up consistently and have a consistent brand style and voice people will trust you. People will know what to expect from your brand, exactly who you are and what you stand for and that you are reliable.

If you branding is haphazard, constantly changing or you are always changing what you are doing and showing up a lot one month and completely gone the next, it erodes trust.

Sometimes life does happen, or you need to make changes to your brand, but these should be occasional circumstances not a constant.

People want to know:

• What you stand for, and that no matter what happens you stick by those beliefs.
• That you are who you say you are, and not just chasing after the latest 'thing' to try and make money.
• That you are reliable. So if they buy from you, you won't just fall off the face of the earth, and they get no support or no product arrives.
• That you really are what they want. If you keep changing, it is harder for them to know if it is what they want.

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Consistency is easy when you first lay down solid ground work and foundations and then stick to it. Don't just make it up as you go.

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READ ALSO: 5 Reasons Your Brand Identity Needs to be Consistent

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Get the 'Uncover Your Why' workbook FREE DOWNLOAD here.

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3. By Looking Professional People will Trust you
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When you branding is of a high standard, and doesn't look amateur or ill thought out but professional and thoughtful it shows people that you take your brand seriously and invest time and money into it. That you treat it like a proper business not just a side hobby that you aren't invested in. It gives people assurance that you are professional rather than sloppy.

It sets the tone for what they can expect from your business. If you look professional, then they have greater trust that your products/services and customer service will also be professional.

It also shows care. That you aren't just trying to make money, but that you care about your audience and you are trying to create a better experience for them. It shows you put the effort on and considered them.

When things look slapped together with little care, it creates uncertainty in your audience as it shows a lack of care and attention to detail.

Learning simple design principles and tricks to improve your designs can make a big difference.

To learn more about improving your design skills, check out my short course 'Design Better Graphics'

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4. Share Stories to Create Connection and Build Trust

Stories create connection and make you real and relatable. Stories help people find common ground and feel like you understand them.

So by weaving stories into your branding you can build trust and connection with your audience.

You can tell and weave elements of these stories into your brand:

• The origin story of your business
• The heart of your business
• The why of why you do what you do
• Your brand values and the story behind why you believe in them/ they matter to you

You can also weave visual story telling to create deeper layers in your branding. Using things like movement and colour and shape to evoke feelings and tell a message as well as using illustration, photography and icons to tell a story and paint a picture.

READ ALSO: Why Your Brand Values Should be the Cornerstone of Your Brand

AND- How to Uncover the 'Why' of your Business and How it Impacts your Brand

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5. Create an Emotional Connection
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Emotions create deeper bonds. When you draw people in on an emotional level they feel more connected to you are it creates a vulnerability and trust.

You can create emotion though:

• Colours and understanding colour psychology to evoke the right mood and feelings.
• Creating a brand vibe and feel as well as through humour and relatability.
• Brand visuals. Playing with imagery, illustrations, movement, texture, light and white space to create a feel and emotions.
• Through your brand language and voice.

You can also use humour and entertainment to create connection and relatability.

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Remember building trust is critical for a long lasting brand. If you want people to invest in you both with time and money they need to trust you.