Trust earns influence

You gain influence when people trust you. But trust does not come easily. Or quickly.

People gain trust in you over time. As you prove yourself. As you are known to be reliable and consistent. As you are known to be insightful and valuable.

This whole package – your presence, over time – is what makes you trustworthy.

And that is what makes you influential.

Building trust

Trust is built little by little. That’s a big reason why it usually takes a long time to earn it.

Credibility is a big part of trust. People want to know who you are, what you’re about, where you come from, and what motivates you. They want a context in which to better understand you.

Online, that context is your profile. And having a complete and up-to-date profile is best way you can expedite trust.

When your LinkedIn profile has a recent photo, a complete but succinct summary, relevant and up-to-date skills, an accurate work history, and information about your education, you build trust.

When your Twitter profile has a photo of you (not a logo or a cute avatar), a relevant and interesting short bio, and a link to more relevant and complete information about you (like your LinkedIn profile), you build trust.

When your blog has an about page that has a recent photo of you, a nice summary of your skills and experience, and a bit of an explanation about what you blog about and why, you build trust.

First impressions

Expediting trust in this way is simple. And it’s important, because when you finally get someone’s attention, they are going to want to know a little more about you. That’s your profile’s job. Help it to provide a good first impression of you.

Lasting impressions

Making a good first impression is crucial. But you also need to be present. When you put yourself out there, you need to be there.

When your LinkedIn profile has a recent status update, or shows a recent comment or like on someone’s post, or contains a recent book review you’ve published to your reading list, you show your presence.

When your Twitter account shows recent tweets, retweets, favorites, and follows, you show your presence.

When your blog shows recent posts, your responses to comments, and categorized listings of your many past posts, you show your presence.

This is an important component of building trust. People want to know that you’re there now, and that you’ll be there in the future. Showing your presence online expedites trust.

Becoming trustworthy

Becoming trustworthy isn’t easy. And it isn’t quick. But it can be expedited quite a bit when you put these basic measures into action.

Why slow yourself down? Go, update your profiles. And show your presence.