They say that perception is reality, and that’s the truth when it comes to businesses as well, which is why you should always seek to improve the lens through which you’re viewed. You can be as awesome as you want at the thing that your company does as a direct action, but what about all of the secondary qualities that you can play off of as well?
That’s when things like charity work, community events, free time and information, social media presence of your brand, and deeper connections with folks become more important. Collectively, the parallel aspects of your company may be more important, in fact, than your official bottom line.
Get Your Charity On
Charity work is the key to people’s hearts, as well as allowing you as a business owner to contribute back into the financial ecosystem of your choice. Look at the charity works of sports stars like Michael Jordan or Drew Brees, then look at the charity works of techno-folks like Elon Musk, Tim Cook, or Brad Nierenberg. By throwing their hats in the charity potluck, they make their businesses look awesome by proxy.
Sponsor Local Community Events
Do you remember when you were younger, seeing kids playing community sports like baseball or soccer, and their jerseys were sponsored by a local company? Why don’t you do that? Even small donations are a huge help to get kids out and active doing things, and it allows children that wouldn’t be able to afford to play otherwise get involved as well. Learn how to sponsor a local team, and get good press in return.
Give Out Free Information and Time
Does your website have a FAQ section? Because even if people don’t want something that you’re specifically selling, they may trip across your site while looking for free information. And that’s how you can easily build brand trust right there, with just minimal effort on your part. Write a blog post, put valuable information in it, and generally have good SEO, and your efforts will be rewarded.
Socialize Your Brand
How good is your brand’s social media presence? Are you on Facebook and Twitter? Do you engage with people who are already your client, and those who might be? The power that comes from basic conversations online is pretty intense in terms of brand recognition, so it’s definitely something to put some effort into. You could always outsource this sector of your business to companies like RocketReach who use an email lookup tool to find potential leads’ details and contact them with emails that appear hand crafted by your business.
Aim for Deeper Connections
And even though your casual connections are going to come from your social media work, knowing that you’ve talked to people face to face will put your mind at ease when it comes to thinking about perception as well. If you’ve shaken hands with people and looked them in the eye, that trust will translate into their view of your business as well.
