Your Social Media Followers Don’t Trust You (Yet)

It can feel really disheartening when you’re putting yourself out there on social media for your small business and still not seeing the sales roll in.

The Struggles of Social Media Marketing for Small Businesses

You’re posting regularly. You’re showing up on Stories. You might even be dabbling in Reels or experimenting with trending audio. Yet, despite your efforts, the comments are quiet, the DMs are dry, and sales are non-existent.

Your followers don’t trust you yet.

This isn’t a critique of you or your business. It's simply the reality of social media. Trust takes time. Many people will not buy from someone they do not know, like, and trust.

Understanding the Trust Gap

Trust isn’t built overnight. Social media is noisy. People are constantly bombarded with sales pitches. Many of your followers have likely been burned in the past by ineffective products or overpriced courses that didn't deliver.

If they’re watching but not buying yet, it’s probably not that your content is lacklustre.

It may be because they are:

• Still figuring out who you are.

• Wondering if you understand their struggles.

• Waiting to see if you are consistent in your messaging.

• Deciding if they can trust you with their money.

  
  

It’s Normal to Feel This Way

I see this often with my online mentor group, Get Seen Get Sales. Members sometimes feel their content is ineffective. Then, out of the blue, a quiet follower transforms into a paying client.

Just because people aren’t commenting or responding doesn’t mean they’re not paying attention. Often, it means they are warming up to you slowly.

Trust builds quietly. When it clicks, that’s when you start receiving messages like "I’ve been following you for a while, and I think I’m ready to work with you."

How to Build Trust with Your Audience

If you want your audience to buy from you, you must make them feel safe. This means showcasing yourself in ways that foster familiarity and trust.

Here's How:

1. Show Up Regularly

If you ghost your audience for long periods, they may forget you exist. You don’t need to post every day. However, consistency is key to building reliability.

2. Share Honest Stories and Helpful Tips

Talk about the real behind-the-scenes of running your business. Share quick wins, practical advice, and lessons learned. This approach shows you truly care.

3. Speak Directly to Their Pain Points

Be specific in your posts. Instead of using vague phrases like "looking for the perfect gift?", try something like: “Your best friend’s 40th is next week, and you’ve realized the only gift ideas you’ve considered so far are a mug or a candle from Tesco. Let me help you be ‘best gift giver’ instead…”

4. Don’t Disappear

Keep showing up, even when engagement feels low. Your future clients are observing from the side-lines.

Trust is earned through authenticity, presence, and helpfulness.

The Attract – Nurture – Convert Method

If you're not seeing results from your content, chances are you’re missing a key stage in my simple content strategy: Attract – Nurture – Convert.

Many small business owners focus primarily on attracting new followers or attempting immediate sales. However, the nurturing stage is crucial for building the trust needed to convert followers into paying clients.

Want to learn more? Check out this post: Why your social media content isn't converting (and what to do instead).

Inside Get Seen Get Sales, I teach you how to utilize this method to create content that resonates with both the algorithm and human behaviour. This ensures you’re not wasting time shouting into the void.

Need Help?

If you're struggling to build trust with your audience, I've created 30 FREE content prompts/hooks to help open the gateway to your stories. These will help you craft social media posts that attract your ideal client, nurture trust, and convert followers into buyers—without causing pressure or burnout.

Each prompt is categorized into attract, nurture, and convert, so you'll know exactly what to post and why.

📢 Sign up here to get your 30 Free Content Prompts/Hooks straight to your inbox!

About Me

👋 Hey, I’m Amanda! Award Winning Social Media Mentor, Apple Top 30 Podcaster & Amazon no.1 Bestselling Author

I help small business owners like you get seen & get sales on social media, without feeling overwhelmed.

With over a decade of experience in running small businesses, I'm on a mission to make social media easy, fun and profitable for small business owners.

📩 FREE 30 Content Prompts here for instant content ideas!

📲 Let’s connect on Instagram → @amandahughes.uk