If you’ve been in business for any length of time, you know the phrase “Know, like, and trust.”  Attributed to Bob Burg’s book Endless Referrals, the phrase is a reference to something we do instinctively– buy from companies that we know, like, and trust.

The natural extension of this concept for entrepreneurs and small business owners is that our clients or customers will only buy from us if they know, like, and trust us. 

Copy builds impressions

As a copywriter, it’s only fair that I tell you how much the copy you use for your small business can impact whether you are known, liked, and trusted. For online businesses in particular, copy is one of the top ways (if not THE top way) we communicate with our clients and build their impressions of us.

In this blog post, I’m focusing specifically on the trust factor, and how you can use copy powerfully to help your potential clients and customers know confidently that they can trust you.

Let’s dive into four things you might not think of but should consider if you want to build trust with your copy.

Give details

Do you give necessary details in your copy? Is it easy to figure out how to hire you, how to buy your product, or what the process is like? Vague copy is a sure way to make potential clients click out of your website. If your copy is clear and detailed, potential clients will be assured that you know what you are talking about, know you have thought through every step of the process, and feel confident that they can trust you.

Avoid hype

 This is maybe a bit of a hot take, but my opinion is that if your copy is over-hyped, you will lose the trust of a large segment of potential clients. You should definitely be excited about what you offer! You should rave about it, if it’s worth raving about! But I recommend NOT making promises that you can’t guarantee, and making sure you’re not promising that your service or product will solve their entire life. (Unless it actually will, which… isn’t a thing.)

Be human

Different businesses have different personalities in their copy, and that is 100% okay. Some brands are more formal or minimalist, but your copy should still be personable. Even if you prefer minimalist copy, or fancy vocabulary, your copy should be easy to read through and understand. Your clients will trust you if they know, without a doubt, that you DO care about them. 

Always follow through

All the best, kindest, most informative copy in the world will fall flat if you don’t follow through. Make sure you are delivering what you promise (or delivering even more). Stay true to what your copy says you will do, and the trust of your potential and current clients will only grow!