Digital trust : social media strategies to increase trust and engage customers

**__Digital Trust__ proposes new strategic models to create and reinforce consumer trust and build corporate value through social media platforms.** __Digital Trust__ provides an overview of how e-SMEs can use social media platforms to conduct their own research into increasing trust and engagement, with the positives and negatives highlighted for specific industry considerations. For enterprises that rely on e-commerce, engaging customers and building brand trust is vital for driving sales and achieving long-term success. Trust plays a critical part during the online shopping process and is a key precursor for consumer patronage, and social media can provide the ideal environment for SMEs to gain customer trust as part of their online operations. This book covers the challenges that e-SME branding is currently facing in the rise of digital and social media platforms, which facilitate and enable greater transparency, consumer empowerment and online activism. As a result, new strategies are required for optimizing these opportunities as well as avoiding potentially disastrous pitfalls. Developed from his own research, Barry Connolly explores the ways in which e-SMEs can successfully and authentically engage within social media communities in order to positively influence their brand trust and reputation. A guide to how e-SMEs can successfully engage within social media communities to positively influence their brand trust and reputation. Consumer trust is more important than ever, as digital platforms and social media have redefined the relationship between businesses and consumers. In this new and disruptive commercial environment, consumers have developed an expectancy of direct, transparent communication through social media. The traditional means of building and maintaining trust have been rendered obsolete by the chaotic, competitive magnitude of multiple online platforms. With a unique combination of academic rigour and practical guidance, Digital Trust is the definitive guide to effectively using social media to build an authentic, trustful connection with your consumer base. Drawing on his extensive experience in marketing and communications, Barry Connolly demonstrates how to harness the commercial opportunities provided by social media, while also showing how you can avoid its most common mistakes and pitfalls. With original research and illuminating case studies, Digital Trust provides adaptable and accessible social media strategies that will strengthen and expand your consumer base. Trust plays a critical part during the online shopping process. Engaging customers and building long-term brand trust is vital for enterprises that rely on e-commerce. But the rise of digital and social media platforms has created a new commercial environment, meaning current strategic models and branding practices are quickly becoming outdated and ineffectual. With greater corporate transparency, consumer empowerment and online activism come new commercial opportunities and pitfalls. Exploring both the positives and negatives, Digital Trust outlines the ways in which SMEs and e-SMEs can successfully and authentically engage within social media communities to influence their brand trust and reputation. Developed from the author's research, Digital Trust proposes new strategic models to create and reinforce consumer trust as well as build corporate value through social media platforms. The book provides an overview of how organizations can use these platforms to conduct their own research into increasing trust and engagement, with specific industry considerations taken into account, as well as explores the growing impact of e-currencies on businesses Consumer trust is more important than ever, as digital platforms and social media have redefined the relationship between businesses and consumers. In this new and disruptive commercial environment, consumers have developed an expectancy of direct, transparent communication through social media. The traditional means of building and maintaining trust have been rendered obsolete by the chaotic, competitive magnitude of multiple online platforms. With a unique combination of academic rigor and practical guidance, Digital Trust is the definitive guide to effectively using social media to build an authentic, trustful connection with your consumer base. Drawing on his extensive experience in marketing and communications, Barry Connolly demonstrates how to harness the commercial opportunities provided by social media, while also showing how you can avoid its most common mistakes and pitfalls. With original research and illuminating case studies, Digital Trust provides adaptable and accessible social media strategies that will strengthen and expand your consumer base.-- book jacket Title Page Copyright Page Contents List of Tables and Figures Introduction Chapter 1: Branding and Digital Branding Chapter 2: Trust Chapter 3: Engagement and Trust Chapter 4: The Corporate Value of Social Media Chapter 5: Conducting Social Media Research Chapter 6: Bitcoin and Digital Trust Chapter 7: Digital Trust and Engagement Review References Bibliography Acknowledgements Index With the positives and negatives highlighted for specific industry considerations, this book provides an overview of how e-SMEs can use social media platforms to conduct their own research into increasing trust and engagement. -- Edited summary from book