Okay, confession time. As a strategist, I instinctively push back against one-size-fits-all advice. Every business is different, right? But… I'm about to contradict myself completely. Because there's one thing I genuinely believe every single brand needs, especially when they hit that tricky scale-up phase: a deliberate strategy for building trust and credibility.
It's a common trap. You've built something brilliant, a product or service that really works. It's easy to fall into thinking that the sheer quality of the thing will be enough to make the business fly. Honestly? In most cases, it's not.
A great product is table stakes. Your brand is what has to do the heavy lifting – adding value beyond the features, convincing people to choose you, and getting you into their mental shortlist even when they're not actively looking to buy.
And the absolute cornerstone of that brand power? Credibility.
Think about it. Why do brands pour money into advertising? Why do they obsess over case studies? Why the endless effort on content? Why are so many founders now choosing to 'build in public'? It all boils down to building trust. Without it, you're just shouting into the void, especially once you need to move beyond those first few enthusiastic early adopters.
So, What Do You Actually Do?
Building credibility doesn't have to mean massive budgets, especially early on. It's about being smart and consistent.
1. Embrace Building in Public
This feels like the default mode for many successful startups now, and for good reason. Share the journey – the wins, the struggles, the pivots. Be active on social media (wherever your audience actually hangs out). Transparency breeds authenticity, which builds trust.
Think about how founders like Elon Musk (regardless of recent antics) used their public presence to build immense credibility for Tesla early on. Guest posts on relevant LinkedIn groups or industry blogs can also work wonders without costing the earth.
2. Get Strategic About PR (If You Can)
Don't just wait for the phone to ring. A good PR agency, or even just a focused internal effort, can be a powerful lever. Getting the founder's story or the company's mission featured in respected publications provides instant third-party validation.
This is especially crucial in the early growth stages when you need to make a splash. Get the founder known; get the story known.
3. Gather Your Evidence
You need proof. What forms can this take?
- Case Studies: If you have happy customers, document their success stories in detail. Show tangible results.
- Social Proof: Logos of known clients, user numbers (if impressive), positive mentions online.
- Data/Scientific Claims: If your product has quantifiable benefits or is based on specific research, shout about it (but make sure you can back it up!).
4. Weaponize Testimonials
Actively collect feedback. Don't just sit on positive comments – publish them! Use real quotes, real names (with permission, obviously).
Leverage tools like low-cost survey platforms (Typeform, SurveyMonkey, etc.) to gather Net Promoter Score (NPS) data, quotes, and detailed testimonials. Build an asset library you can draw on for website pages, sales decks, and social media. Make the positive feedback work hard for you.
5. Educate (Especially for Long Sales Cycles)
If you sell something complex or expensive (B2B often falls here), potential customers need a lot of information before they trust you enough to buy. Publish genuinely useful content – guides, reports, webinars – that helps them understand the problem space and positions you as a knowledgeable expert.
Collect data on your impact and consider creating reports analysing it – think concepts like Forrester's Total Economic Impact™ reports, which quantify value credibly.
What Not to Do (Seriously, Don't)
- Push for Sales Prematurely: Trying to force a sale before you've established any credibility is just painful. You need a believable message and clear positioning first. Otherwise, you sound desperate or untrustworthy.
- Only Target Early Adopters Forever: Those first few customers are gold, but they have a high tolerance for risk. To cross the chasm to the mainstream market, you need to demonstrate you're proven, reliable, and trustworthy. The broader market suffers heavily from 'cognitive dissonance' – they worry about making the wrong choice. Credibility eases that fear. Ignoring this means hitting a growth ceiling, fast.
The Real Value of Being Believable
Why go to all this effort? Because credibility isn't just a 'nice-to-have'.
It augments your brand far beyond the product specs. It adds layers of trust, expertise, and reliability.
It helps overcome limited marketing budgets by making your existing efforts (like content or PR) work harder. Third-party validation is often more powerful than paid ads.
It's crucial for lead generation beyond the enthusiasts. Mainstream customers buy from brands they trust.
It manifests in different ways – personal credibility (the founder/team), claim credibility (believable benefits), expertise credibility (knowing your stuff), and overall brand credibility (the sum of all parts).
Ultimately, in the scale-up journey where resources are tight and competition is fierce, credibility is the currency that allows you to punch above your weight. It answers the unspoken question in every potential customer's mind: Why should I trust you?
Start building that trust deliberately. It's not just marketing; it's fundamental to growth.