Know, Like, Trust: Is Your Marketing Delivering?

We've all heard the classic goal of marketing: to get people to Know, Like and Trust your brand. But are you measuring how your efforts are delivering in this capacity?

In the last couple of weeks, I've seen this everywhere, with lots of different opinions on what qualifies in each of these categories. So, I figured it's time to add my voice to the conversation.

Let's take a look at what it really MEANS to have someone Know, Like and Trust your brand, so that you can determine which of your marketing efforts (if any) are actually contributing 💡

Do You Really KNOW Me?

Ok, so let's start at the beginning. KNOW. What does it mean to actually know someone (or a brand)?

Generally, in the marketing arena, we consider this AWARENESS. People know that we exist. But in simply knowing something (or someone) exists, does that mean you REALLY know them?

There are actually two definitions in the Oxford Languages dictionary:

1. Be aware of through observation, inquiry, or information (be aware, realize, be conscious of, have knowledge of, be informed of, have information about, notice, perceive, see, sense, recognize).
2. Have developed a relationship with (someone) through meeting and spending time with them; be familiar or friendly with.

So, it really comes down to what we decide as a business. Are we going to settle for awareness? Or do we strive for a developed relationship?

Hint: one is much closer to a sale than the other 😉

What Do You Know?

Now, let's assume you've chosen to go the relationship path. What are we allowing people to know about us?

The good stuff for sure. Successful client projects, revenue growth, new employees.

But what about the rest of it?

No person, and therefore, no BRAND, is one dimensional. We are all multi-dimensional, which means the companies we work for are even MORE multi-dimensional. The good, the bad, and the ugly all exist within our businesses. And no, I'm not going to stand here and tell you to air all your dirty laundry on social media (either personally or professionally). But I DO have a theory about this.

When I think about the people I know well, I know at least SOME of their multi-dimensions. Likely not all of them. And there's definitely not a lot of DEPTH in a lot of those areas, but I DO know them as multi-dimensional.

They are Moms. Daughters. Nerds. Cooks. Adventurers. Dog Lovers. Nail Biters. Tea Drinkers. Mountain Climbers. Fashionistas. Chocoholics. Managers. Spouses.

But I might not know ALL of the things about them in those areas. What mountains they've hiked. What tea they prefer. When they got their first management job. What they consider "in fashion".

But that doesn't really matter. The multi-touch makes me feel like I know them.

So, what are you allowing people to know about YOU? And the people behind your brand? Because honestly, those are the most memorable things.

From Know to Like

Now, the jump from Know to Like is pretty simple and happens pretty quickly, depending on how much you're allowing people to see of YOU.

For me, as an example, I put most of my experiences and opinions out to the world in real time, which means it's pretty easy for someone to decide whether they vibe with me or not.

Again, assuming you're giving people something to Like (or Dislike).

When it comes to B2B social media content, usually companies are NOT doing this. They keep things generic, so as not to offend anyone. They don't give out anything people might dislike; and in so doing, don't put out anything people can really get behind either.

Because a LIKE is about Alignment.

Something you've said (or done) aligns with how I believe things should be done.

And the tricky bit is...everyone believes different things.

The like bit requires Bravery in your content. And if there's nothing brave about anything you're posting, well then, you're not making it very easy for people to Like YOU 💡

The LEAP from Like to Trust

So, while the move from Know to Like can happen pretty quickly (based on what you're showing people), there's a much larger LEAP from Like to Trust.

I like the formula for Trust that David Nour shared recently on The Digital Download : Knowledge + Empathy + Consistency = Trust

Ok, so I can pretty confidently say that most businesses are based on a specific set of Knowledge. And that Knowledge is likely the easiest thing for people to share in a visible way. But JUST being knowledgeable can turn you into a Know-It-All pretty quickly. And I don't know about you, but I don't enjoy being told, "you don't know who you're talking to" (this LITERALLY happened to me yesterday, followed by a prompt BLOCK). So, Knowledge alone doesn't track.

That's where the Empathy comes in.

What is Empathy precisely?

Oxford Languages defines it as: the ability to understand and share the feelings of another.

OK, so be honest now...

Are you even ATTEMPTING to do that in your marketing?

If you're like most B2B companies, your answer will be NO.

Here's the thing. Understanding and sharing the feeling of another person does NOT happen in a one-way conversation. And it certainly doesn't happen in an ideal client profile based on assumptions of someone's pain.

This connection takes a conversation.

It can be a digital conversation (in a chat, or comments, or a virtual "coffee chat".) Or in-person (a networking event, a Discovery Call). But it takes INTENTION.

There's that word again, Intention. I almost always come back to it.

In your marketing interactions, do you have the INTENTION of understanding and sharing the feelings of your community?

If you do, you will find ways to do that.

If you don't, well, Empathy ISN'T available. And neither is Trust.

And lastly, we need to talk about Consistency. How consistent are you in both sharing your knowledge AND the feelings of your people?

If it's not on a regular cadence, people won't have the experience of BOTH.

That's why this move is a LEAP.

Know and Like can happen pretty incidentally. But Trust? That takes intention.

Intention that's not usually taken in Marketing.

When It All Comes Together

But when it all comes together...it feels like magic.

So let's look at some things we can "measure" to see if we're hitting on all cylinders.

• Know - how many dimensions are you allowing people access to?
• Like - what corporate stances are you taking publicly? (I would say you need MINIMALLY one)
• Trust - how often are you sharing Knowledge? How many parties are sharing Knowledge?
• Trust - how often are you demonstrating Empathy in your digital experience? How many personal interactions are happening on a weekly basis that demonstrate Empathy?
• Trust - how many days in a week can you confirm that you have shared both Knowledge and Empathy in a single space (i.e. LinkedIn)?

Now, personally, I haven't seen these types of metrics at play in most marketing departments. And it doesn't mean you have to cancel all your previous KPI's. But this is your opportunity to look at how, "posting X number of posts" actually delivers on the Know, Like, Trust factor. And if your current KPI's don't align, then you get to KEEP them (intentionally knowing they are NOT delivering in this capacity) OR, you get to CHANGE them (to something that does).

The choice is yours 💖

If you want to choose the latter and need help with that, we should chat.