How to Build Trust On Social Media Before You Have a Big Following
Growing an audience on social media takes time. But here’s the good news: you don’t need thousands of followers to start building trust, attracting leads, and booking clients.
In fact, many successful creators, coaches, and service providers actually convert better with smaller audiences because they focus on building real relationships.
Here’s how to build trust online even if you’re just starting out or haven’t hit 1,000 followers.
1. Make Your Brand Feel Human (Even If You Don’t Your Face)
Though many brands are moving towards “founder as the face” content, you don’t have to be the face of your brand to build trust.
Faceless creators, brands, and service providers are thriving by building trust through consistent voice, value-packed content, and a strong visual identity.
Even without selfies or videos, you can make your brand feel personal by:
Writing captions in a conversational, first-person tone
Adding voiceovers or hands-only content in Reels
Creating a recognizable visual style (consistent colors, fonts, templates)
Sharing your “why” or values in a pinned post
Whether you’re on camera or not, let your personality come through.
2. Share the Journey, Not Just the Highlights
It’s tempting to only post polished, perfect content. But what actually builds loyalty is vulnerability and honesty. Today’s audience doesn’t just want to see your polished end product. They want to know what it took to get there.
Content ideas to try:
Share a lesson you learned from a recent mistake or challenge.
Take your audience behind the scenes of a project or launch.
Post a “then vs. now” transformation or mindset shift.
Talk about something you’re figuring out in real-time.
You don’t need to overshare or spill everything, but a little vulnerability goes a long way in building trust. People don’t want perfection on social media anymore. They want real.
3. Create More Two-Way Conversations
The biggest mistake creators and business owners make is talking at their audience instead of with them. Trust grows when people feel seen and heard. So instead of just posting content, think about how you can turn your feed and Stories into a conversation.
Here’s how:
Ask questions in your captions or stories.
Use polls and quizzes to invite interaction.
Respond to every DM or comment with intention.
When people feel acknowledged, they’re more likely to stick around. The more interactive your content feels, the more people will return not just for your content, but for the relationship you’re building with them.
4. Use Testimonials (Even Small Ones)
You don’t need dozens of five-star reviews and case studies to start showing credibility. Social proof can be as simple as screenshots of kind messages, quick quotes from happy clients, or even replies to stories.
Try this:
Create a highlight on Instagram just for client wins.
Repost positive messages.
Use Canva to turn short testimonials into polished graphics.
Trust is built when your audience sees that other people also trust you.
5. Be Consistent — Not Constant
You don’t need to post daily to stay top of mind.
What matters more is showing up consistently. That might mean posting 2–3x per week, but with clear messaging, helpful content, and a little personality.
People will start to recognize your name, trust your tone, and remember what you offer, even if they don’t buy right away.
Trust Comes Before Sales
If your content hasn’t been converting the way you hoped, chances are it’s not your follower count holding you back. It’s the connection you’re building with the people who are already watching.
You don’t need to go viral. You just need to be valuable — consistently, intentionally, and authentically.
Ready to go deeper?
We created a course that walks you through everything you need to build your brand, create scroll-stopping content, and finally start turning followers into clients without burning out.