Yep, You Lost It: Losing Your Customers' Trust

With so many platforms to reach an audience, companies have many options of how to appeal to their clients.  E-mails, company websites, and Twitter, to name a few, all provide the chance to publicize and create buzz around a product or service.  But what if you falsify some information? What if you make guarantees about your product that are not true? What if you inflate your opinion on websites or social media by commenting about yourself or bringing your competitor down?  My answer to all of these: You have failed your customer.

The idea of deceiving your client is the easiest way to make sure that your business fails.  All ethics and personal opinions aside, you must create a relationship that is based on trust.  If they cannot trust you, then they will not buy your product.  Many examples come to mind when we talk about stealth marketing, but the most recent one is

Mitt Romney. I am putting aside my political views on this one.  Romney, the Republican nominee for President, may or may not have done what he is accused of with his Twitter account. Purchasing Twitter followers just to increase your number is not a good thing in any way.  These followers appear fake to your actual followers or outside world, while being a base that is most likely not very interested in your product or service.  If you really like something on Twitter or Facebook, it takes 5 seconds to follow or like it by yourself.  Regardless of whether the Romney campaign did or did not buy Twitter followers, with or without Mitt's approval, it is not a bright spot for the campaign.

So you can try to look like you are creating a larger buzz about your product than you are, but you can also display false content, which leads me to

Wal-Mart.  Wal-Mart has long been the poster child for giant corporations in this country, destroying the dreams of many entrepreneurs and Mom & Pop stores.  With labor issues seen as the forefront issue with Wal-Mart, Wal-Mart teamed up with Edelman to create a fake blog written by a middle-class family that promoted Wal-Mart stores, employees, and products.  Wal-Mart paid for the travel expenses of the RV, put a logo on the side, and determined the route it would travel.

What should you do? Simple: be who you are.  Do not claim that your nuggets are 100% white meat if they are not.  Do not post comments or feedback on your website under a false name.  Don't try to buy people to create a fake amplification of your reach and buzz.  It is fine to participate, but be honest.  Post comments as a yourself, letting people know you care about their thoughts and the product you are selling.  If you use shady tactics to get consumers, they will leave you just as quickly as they came when you are exposed.