As you may know, I’m all about old school marketing tricks – some little nuggets of wisdom are timeless.  And there’s a little something about building trust and credibility that is very true online, although not as much as offline.  Tim Sanders calls it the Likeability Factor, which is is a nice way to describe it.  It goes something like this:

• All things being equal, consumers will give their business to a friend or a friend of a friend.
• All things being not-so-equal, consumers will give their business to a friend or a friend of a friend.

See the catch?  People like doing business with people they know.

So what does this have to do with online stuff?

A lot actually – just because we’re all hiding behind our computer screens now doesn’t mean that Tim’s likeability factorn has changed at all.  Consider:

• Social media gives you an opportunity to build a connection with your customers.  That means top of mind.  That means you get to be more like a friend.  And people like doing business with friends!
• Social media gives you transparency.  When people can see who is running the ship and understand what your values are and see things from your perspective, you increase trust and visibility.  You become more likeable.

The thing about marketing that nobody tells you is that a lot of it has to do with getting people to like you being likeable.

It seems pretty obvious when you think about it:

• Businesses who aren’t friendly have to deal with the onslaught of bad reviews.
• Businesses who don’t have remarkable products and services get left behind for those who do.
• In a world full of too much choice, why pick anyone that isn’t…likeable?

What does it mean to be likeable?

That’s kind of asking what a delicious entrée tastes like – it depends on your individual business.  But consider:

• Are you putting hospitality at the top of your menu? (apologies for the terrible pun)
• Are you meeting then exceeding customer demands?
• Are you giving it 100%, all the while the while being you?

Be true to yourself.  What kind of tourism business do you want to be?  Make sure that, whatever it might be, it is easy for people to see.  If it’s exactly the kind of business you want it to be, what’s not to like?

To Learn More

If you’re struggling with your likeability (or building trust and credibility), we can help.  Why not take our free business assessment and get back on track.

Photo courtesy of the Library of Duke University