The know, like, trust concept centers on how you build your relationship and credibility with your potential customer / ideal client. It’s a three-step process that happens when an ideal client finds you through an outside source, like social media. This marketing concept is based on the idea that you can build a loyal group of customers once they trust you. If you can build trust with your ideal clients, then you don’t need millions of followers or millions of customers. When you build the know, like, trust, you’re building a tight community of clients / customers. These customers will keep coming back so long as you continue selling them what they need. This concept isn’t just true for entrepreneurs. Think about your grocery shopping. You have set items you buy every time because you trust their quality and taste. You trust the brands you’re purchasing from to deliver good quality.

The same concept can be applied to entrepreneurship. So long as you’re putting out offerings or products that are repeatedly needed, the client will keep coming back. So what exactly is the know, like, trust factor? And how do you build it?

What is the Know, Like, Trust Factor?

First, we start with someone getting to know you and your brand. An ideal client / customer will come across your content or product via social media, sharing, etc. Once someone finds you and they identify a need of theirs with something you’re selling, they start getting to know you. The initial “get to know” phase is the shortest of the three. It doesn’t take a lot of trust for someone to invest in a simple follow or subscribe. In seconds, someone decides if they like you, your brand, or what you’re selling and decides whether it might be a good for them somewhere down the line.

Once someone starts getting to know you, they build a liking for your brand. They start to follow you and like the content you’re posting. The like is built over a much longer period of time, where the ideal client begins to establish trust in your brand to deliver the content they need. And finally, this ideal client has built an invested and long-term trust in you; they’re ready to invest in your product. For entrepreneurs, the process of building this know, like, trust can seem taxing, but is so worth it in the long-term for the growth, longevity, and overall success of your business.

Connecting the know

Nowadays, for entrepreneurs and start-ups, the majority of your “get to know my brand” will be connected through social media. Most of your ideal clients will find you by scrolling social media or seeing a recommendation from someone else they follow. Now, you might think that visibility on social media is what you need. But, the know, like, trust factor is built on the idea that you don’t need hundreds of thousands of followers. So what else does social media do? For you, the entrepreneur, it provides visibility. But, for the ideal client / consumer, it’s offering free resources. Social media is the home to millions and millions of free bits of information. So if you want to start building a ‘know,’ you have to be providing content that generates free resources.

For La.Rue, this meant creating the blog and podcast where I provide free advice, content, and information within my selected niche: women entrepreneurs and living intentionally. The know is all about establishing your authority and knowledge within your industry while offering your ideal client free resources. The ‘like’ comes as the client realizes your authority, and continues coming back to your resources.

Building the Like

The major difference between the ‘know’ and the ‘like’ is the level of investment. It’s easy for us to hit follow or subscribe and then never pay one lick of attention to a brand again. Then, months later, when they pop up again, you make split-second decision to leave it as is or unfollow/ unsubscribe. The ‘like’ is where an ideal client really becomes invested in a brand. Once someone knows your brand, it becomes about engagement and delivery. How often are you engaging with them, and how often are you delivering what they need? Building the like takes a lot of time. You’re establishing how you’re an authority in your niche and why.

As I’ve grown La.Rue, I’ve learned that you can create authority in many different ways. It’s not done solely through content, like the blog and the podcast. A lot of your authority will come from others singing your praises. For example, the Creative Studio works easier because my work will often speak for itself. But when it comes to something like coaching, where client results can take time, it’s their testimonials that will let a potential client know what they’ll get out of their investment.

Establishing trust

The trust factor will undoubtedly take time to establish with your ideal clients. A lot of people advertise that they’re an expert in their industry and they’re the best at what they do. But the proof will always be in the pudding. To establish trust, you need two things. One, you have to show your ideal client why you’re exactly what they need. I’ve done this by offering a multitude of options for those who come to La.Rue. There is free content, free services, inexpensive services, and highly personal 1:1 services. By offering a wide range of options, services, and prices, I’m allowing the client to build the trust on their own. And second, you need other people to tell your ideal client that you’re the best.

Having people sing your praises through testimonials and sharing client results is what will get you to sign more clients. When I began as an entrepreneur, countless people told me the success of my business will be founded on the people I know. And while connections themselves aren’t everything, it’s also about leveraging everyone, including clients, within the business to help share word of mouth about your business.

To learn more about the La.Rue Creative Studio Business coaching, visit our service page. You can apply for business coaching on the inquiry page, and someone from our team will reach out! We currently have coaching spots open for Quarters three and four of 2023.