6 Strategies to Be More Transparent and Build Brand Loyalty

Transparency is crucial to building an authentic connection with your audience. When people believe a company is honest, they’re more likely to trust it. And when they trust it, they’re more inclined to engage with it. Transparency gives your business the human touch, which many companies have lost.

1. Start with an Audit
If you engage in common Internet marketing practices, you may appear inauthentic without even realizing it. For example, you might repurpose a bit of text for social media posts, not realizing it sounds too scripted or robotic. Or you may use stock images where you should have actual team members’ photos.
You’ve seen your online presence from your point of view, so now it’s time to look at it as an audience would. Conduct an audit of all your marketing material and content. Look for anything that seems off. This might include things like vague language, unclear policies, or content topics that don’t seem aligned with your business or its products.

2. Put Your Core Values Forward
Your core values are the principles behind everything your business does. You should be clear about these underlying values and communicate them whenever possible. These core values are why your customers buy from you, not a competitor. They should be evident in every piece of content or advertisement.

3. Be Honest about Your Products
Your products don’t do everything for everyone. Instead, they offer specific benefits to a particular segment of the market. To communicate honestly, you should know who benefits and how from your product.
Be honest about your product’s shortcomings. Businesses feel like they must always stay positive and talk up their products’ strengths. But when you can admit to product weaknesses, this engenders trust. Customers know you’re concerned with their well-being over the bottom line.

4. Transparent Business Practices
If you’re not engaging in shady business practices, there’s no reason to keep them a secret. Be open about your processes and policies. Show data and documentation whenever you can. Explain and demonstrate your quality management. Reveal the reasons behind your pricing. Share whatever you can with your customers, and don’t worry that it might show you’re not the best at everything.

5. Don’t Be Afraid to Appear Vulnerable
Never shy away from admitting to mistakes or weaknesses. All of us have things we don’t do well. When you show your vulnerable side, your customers will more easily relate to you. This shows you’re a real human being.
Sharing about your struggles helps to make an authentic connection with your audience. There’s a good chance they’ve faced similar challenges.

6. Break Down the Barriers
Transparency helps you break down the barrier between business and customer. Today, when we deal with giant corporations through a computer screen, this makes you human and allows you to create a personal connection with your audience. Transparency helps you build an authentic relationship that benefits you and your customers.