Building Trust with your target audience - to encourage engagement with your small business

If nothing else…

In my last blog post, I talked about how a clear message helps guide your audience on the journey to engage with you. But once you’ve gotten their attention, if your audience is pausing before they take the next step, it might not be confusion—it might be hesitation. In this edition, I’ll talk about building trust with your audience, and helping them take the next step to action.

🚪Trust opens the door, but confidence helps people walk through it

You’re probably familiar with the quote from the movie Field of Dreams, “If you build it, he (but don’t we remember it in our heads as ‘they’?) will come”.

You’ve built a successful business, and implemented the touchpoint that will get you noticed by your audience - your website, your social media, consistent branding, clear communications, etc.). But why aren’t they showing up?

Look at whether your content is building trust or just stating facts. People don’t just need information—they need a reason to believe it. And then, the ultimate outcome, your audience not only understands your offer, but feels confident saying yes.

🏗️ Building Trust

Trust gives people a reason to believe you. You can build it by:

• Sharing proof (testimonials, reviews, results)

• Keeping your voice and visuals consistent

• Being transparent about your process or pricing

• Speaking in a relatable, human way

🚀 Turning Trust Into Action

Action happens when people feel confident that moving forward is safe, simple, and worthwhile. You can help by:

• Making next steps clear – no guesswork, just obvious directions

• Offering reassurance – guarantees, support, or outlining what happens next

• Showing momentum – quick wins, examples of success, or “before and after” stories

The takeaway: Clear information is important, but not enough. Your audience needs both trust (to believe you) and confidence (to act). When you provide both, hesitation fades—and saying yes feels natural.

This picture makes me want to watch the movie again!

🎯 Quick Challenge:
Strengthen One Step in Your Content

Pick a single piece of content (your website, a product page, or an email).

1. Add one trust-builder:

   • Include a short testimonial, statistic, or client result.

   • Or make your process clearer (e.g., “Here’s exactly what happens after you sign up”).

2. Add one confidence-booster:

   • Add a mini guarantee (“Try it risk-free for 7 days”) or a simple next step instruction.

   • Or highlight a quick win your audience can achieve immediately.

✅ Action: Implement both in your content today. Then reread it—does your audience now feel like they can take the next step confidently?

And… try to enjoy the process while you’re at it, ok?

Cheers, Kris