Building trust can’t be done without knowing how to listen, and participate in Social Media.

So make sure you have take time to study and practice my previous lessons on Listening and Participating.

1. Take time building trust

Trust is not built over night.

It will take time to build and earn trust online. One positive interaction don’t mean the same as you have earned your prospects trust. Create some simple steps to earn your trust.

Find at least 2 – 3 blogs you trust yourself, and study how they their visitors interact with them, and how they interact back again.

2. Trust Interactions

The best approach to start building trust is to interact with blogs you trust within your own niche.

Since you already know the blog the first thing you want to start with is to leave comments on their articles. I try to leave from 10 – 15 comments per day. People will eventually start to recognize you, and they will respond back to you. And sometimes they will do the courtesy of do the same for your blog. And one crucial tip here, which is a practice I always follow; either tweet or retweet the article after you left a comment there.

Then make sure if they have a Twitter Follow button on their blog that you click this, and start following their tweets. Start interact with them on Twitter. Here you can either send a comment via Twitter telling shortly why their article brought value. You can retweet their tweets or send them a mentions to give credit of something you believe not only brought you value, but will brings others value as well.

And if they have a Facebook fan page, make sure you become a fan there. Then start do interaction with them on Facebook also.

If you are a serious entrepreneur, then also check if they have a LinkedIn connection.

3. Be honest

With Social Media the ‘jungle telegraph’ has got a new meaning. Word will literally spread faster then wild fire. Honesty is what will make your online business stand out. Don’t over-promise but over-deliver! Every serious Internet Marketing companies provides a iron-clad guarantee when your purchase their product. Behind these guarantees there is a common ground principle that in order to succeed you have to follow every step outlined in the product. You want find any cheat codes or short cuts to succeed with the product.

And the basic principles is as following;

Action = Reaction
No Action = No Reaction

Social Media has opened new doors that provide you with an opportunity to over-deliver. Now longer is only your website that can provide the training modules that will lead your prospects towards success, but you can use Social Media Channels like Twitter and Facebook to support your product.

4. Be yourself

Even though from a business perspective you want to be professional, you also want to be yourself. Social Media allow you to show all sides of yourself.

Only you know your own limitations. And admit when you have done a mistake. Ask for help. We all experience adversities.

Show that also you can be vulnerable. Don’t be afraid to share your failures. Had it not been for all my failures I would not have been where I am today.

5. Be a dumb-ass

Social Media can be a little scary for someone. And we all have various kind of fears that we deal with in one way or another. Maybe you are scared to see yourself on video; you think your voice sounds silly; you think you only will receive negative critics; you don’t think you have anything valuable to share.. etc.

There is more then enough of adversities in our lives, don’t let one of them be yourself! Be a dumb-ass and take chances. Change will always come with a prize. I have been a dump-ass now for over 10 years.

I left my home country, my job, my colleagues, my friends and my family. All this I did for love. Yeah I was a crazy dumb-ass. I started my first online business in 2001. This I dropped in 2007 as failure to achieve the goals I set out then. But I was determined not give up. So as the dumb-ass I was I started up again in 2009. I have done video’s, screencasts, slides, written a free manual, taken valuable blog courses through my good fried David Risley.

I’m still a dumb-ass, but I have a lot of self-confidence and great knowledge that I am willing to share. Info-sharing will bring you and me to a different level in 2010. I have done everything in my power to prepare myself for this. In the Chinese calendar 2010 is the year of the Tiger, and I am a Tiger. Plus I will continue to be a dumb-ass in 2010.

And I still love my wonderful wife, plus providing my rambling thoughts here on my blog.

6. Be a Trust Agent

Chris Brogan has written an excellent book called ‘Trust Agents’. This book has almost become my Internet bible now. Here he define Trust Agents as who use the Web to humanize businesses using transparency, honesty, and genuine relationship building.

If you follow the steps in the Listening process, Participation process and what’s lined out here in Building Trust you are your way to become an Trust Agent.

Reference

From the desk of David Risley;

From the desk of Chris Brogan;

Disclosure

Make sure you take time to read my Disclosure since one of the things we will focus on this year is making money with our tweets and blog.

I just love my new theme from my friends at Headway. This has brought my blog to a new level. I am know totally in control of my blog. You can do the same. Check it out now!

I hope you enjoyed this article! Comments is encouraged and welcome!

Your friend,

Are Morch
@TwtrCoach