By Cheval John

In the age of social media. it is important to build trust with your audience if you want to succeed.

There is no more putting out advertisement in hopes of making a sale like it was before social media.

Unfortunately, many businesses have not got the message that engaging with your audience on social media is the only way to be successful.

The only time you would see them on social media is if they have something to sell to their followers.

In a lot of ways, I understand why they believe that they can do business as usual because they are already established in their respective industries.

For example, Coca-Cola has been in business since 1886 and they have built a strong brand throughout the years.

Take a look at this tweet that documents Coca-Cola’s relevancy in the world

Do you remember "Coke is it!"? Here's a look back at popular Coca-Cola slogans since 1886: https://t.co/vfHiZq5N10 pic.twitter.com/jLJyYJERl2

— The Coca-Cola Co. (@CocaColaCo) January 23, 2016

That is why when they or any other established organizations like Pepsi, American Airlines or celebrities join any social media platform, they have a large following very quickly.

Now what would have happened if social was around in the 19th century or the 20th century when these same organizations like Coca-Cola was starting out?

Would they have been doing a lot of self-promotion about their products or services?

No, they won’t.

What they would have been doing is building trust and friendships with people in order to gain business and be profitable for the better.

One could believe that what they were doing before the age of social media.

But we do know is that they established themselves with old school advertising in newspapers and television stations in order to gain recognition.

That is why most large companies can get away with promoting their products or services on social media because they have an established audience.

One could wish that most larger companies will take the time to engage with their audience to build a deeper trust with their brands.

The good news is that some larger companies are taking the initiative to adapt to the changing times of social media and live streaming platforms like most small business owners, entrepreneurs or solopreneurs.

Examples of larger company who are doing well with social media are Applebee’s.

Applebee’s are doing the same thing in buying ads and using social media to promote their different type of foods on social media like their competition.

They were the official sponsor of ESPN‘s Monday Night Countdown which get fans ready for the already established Monday Night Football between teams that are part of the National Football League (NFL).

Applebee’s could have said, “We don’t need to do more because we are already recognized by millions of people.”

But they didn’t because they understood that if they were going to succeed in social media, they had to engage with their audience.

So they went the extra mile and participate in different social media group chats and even host their own Twitter chat every Friday afternoon at 1 p.m. eastern, noon central called #livelunch, where they chat about different topics related to food.

People who are food lovers can interact with each other in the #livelunch chat and share about their favorite foods.

In turn, Applebee’s wins because they build a deeper trust with their audience because of their transparency.

Take a look at this tweet from AppleBee’s in asking Marsha Collier to be a part of their #livelunch twitter chat and Ms. Collier’s response to their invitation:

@Applebees If I could go anywhere, it would be Versailles gardens in France #LiveLunch

— Marsha Collier (@MarshaCollier) January 22, 2016

This alone shows why Applebee’s will be fine in this social media age.

Another thing that is happening is that most of these larger businesses are hiring people who are succeeding at social media to teach them how to succeed with social media.

One of the influencers that larger businesses are hiring is Tamara McCleary.

Mrs. McCleary is one of the most influential person on social media because she showcases her personality and brings a positive energy that draws people to her speaking engagements.

Tamara also provides insights to why people cannot separate their personal and business lives because they both are interconnected with each other.

Her signature trademark, “Relationshift” showcases that if you are going to be successful in your business, you must know how to treat people correctly and uplift them to be better people.

When people do the above, they will be successful.

Her Maverick Mastery Group program gets to the root of helping people to figure out what they want to accomplish in their lifetime so that they can make the world a better place.

That is why many businesses like IBM have brought on Tamara to work with them on how to be better organizations because she uses the same methods from her coaching program that have made them better businesses

And I know this because I am a part of Mr. McCleary’s Maverick Coaching Program.

You see, she has earned my trust because she always bring valuable content everyday whether it is through social media with uplifting quotes or her uplifting content from her blog.

And she has also shared her story of how she became a national speaker on my show What’s The Word?” that has inspired me and the listeners to continue to be better people and make the world a better place.

So in the end, a business must provide uplifting content that will allow them to build trust with potential clients if they are going to succeed for the better with social media.

Even if they will not become your customers, they will spread the word about your business to their friends and family about how your business made their lives better which in turn, made the world a better place.