Ways to build trust that are worth considering for any type of business.

Building trust with your clients is often ignored or does not fall part of a marketing or PR strategy. The customer is often forgotten in a business's marketing and PR strategy by looking at new sales without considering what your current clients can do for you. 

When you ignore your customer you lose their trust. If you lose their trust you can lose your client and they will go to one of your competitors. 

Here are some easy ways to keep your clients trust and easy ways of attracting new clients to your business by building on the relationships that you have with your current clients.

• Collect testimonials and reviews. People trust people. People like to see the opinions from others on the quality of service that they have received before they make a decision on a service or product. A recent study indicates that the average consumer reads 10 online reviews before making a purchasing decision. In the retail and consumer world, reviews can be found online. In the B2B space, there may be product reviews or even testimonial on the company’s website or Facebook page. However these are chosen testimonials or edited ones so they can be biased. Video has become important because people can hear and see a customer talk about a product on video is a turbo-charged testimonial.

• Get quoted in an article. Even a one-line quote in a large article can be powerful when used the right way. You can even send articles to online publications on various topics that your company is an expert in and show how well you know your product of service.

• Business credentials reinforce your brand’s expertise.  Even displaying the number of years you’ve been in business can help add to the trustworthiness of your organisation.

• Exploit the wisdom of your colleagues, friends and family. This is also called “word of mouth” marketing and it’s perhaps the most credible type of marketing you can have. It consists of referrals from people you know and trust. Studies have proven that recommendations from people you know are exponentially more powerful than traditional advertising and marketing.

Henno Kruger from Running Wolf Rant talks about how he sees the music scene changing after the Coronavirus

We interviewed photographer, influencer and blogger Henno Kruger owner of http://rwrant.co.za/ about the music scene. Henno is passionate about music and can often been seen at a music event taking photos for the musicians and for his blog. Henno is very much a behind the scenes guy that likes to highlight the brilliance of South African musicians.

Tell us about yourself and how did you get involved in the music industry and why you are so interested in music.

I've always been a fan of live music shows. I think the first show I went to was a Koos Kombuis show at a place called Navigator's Ladies Bar (that used to be across the road from the Reserve Bank in Pretoria). Since then I've always made an effort to watch bands / artists live at pubs / clubs. I watched James & Smashing Pumpkins live in 2000 (at Supersport Park in Centurion) - 43,000 people attended to show - After that I was hooked. I just had to get my fix on a regular basis. Sadly I missed all of the Cokefests (because I wasn't earning that much before 2010), but I did manage to catch live shows and make my way to Oppikoppi annually (I ended up going to 20 of them in total). 

From 2011 things changed significantly though (thanks to my blog and me re-disovering my love for photography). I started posting festival reviews and photos on a regular basis and starting mingling with artists and organizers at shows and festivals on a regular basis. Because people were reading my blog and checking out my photos and I became part of the SA Music family (which is actually smaller than people think it is, but it's a fun group of like-minded peeps).

Why did you start your blog?

Back in 2008 I was doing a lot of chatting online (as one used to do). I got very opinionated about a subject in a chat with a girl (who I haven't met till this day). She kept on telling me that I had a lot to tell the world and that I should explore options to do it. She suggested that I start a blog. I was not keen to do it, but I gave it a shot. 

I started using Blogger (*puke*) and tried Wordpress.com (which was not too bad, but still didn't give me the control that I wanted) and eventually settled on buying my domain and installing Wordpress to start Running Wolf's Rant. RunningWolf was my nickname on IRC and I liked to rant (I got that idea for the Rant & Rave section in Top 40 magazine). I degress, but I actually got one of my letters published in that section when I was still in high school (my psuedonym was "Kurt Grungehead").

In 2009 my site was featured on 5FM and I posted my first Oppikoppi review and it got a little traction, I realized that people liked to read my rants and reviews and I decided to post more regularly, that just increased from 2010 onwards (especially after I started tweeting - a lot). I've deleted some posts, but I currently have more than 2900 posts on the site :D

What were the trends that you saw before the lockdown?

The industry was pretty stable before lockdown (despite some ups and downs and a dwindling SA economy). Rock bounced back with RAMFest 2020 in Pretoria (which I luckily attended before the lockdown). Awesome shows were lined up for April & May. My girlfriend and I were actually planning to go to STRAB (in Mozambique). 2020 was going to be a great year for SA Music.

Just before lockdown I saw that a lot of live music venues were limiting capacity, live venues were closing (like Mercury in Cape Town), festivals and concerts were getting postponed and cancelled. I don't work in the music industry full time, but I'm actively involved with it at times. I know a lot of people that are part of it (bands, artists, photographers, organizers and venue owners, etc.). It was actually heart-breaking seeing all of this happening. I've seen many folks build up a band / brand / following / venue / festival from scratch and the prospect of them not being able to engage, work or build the industry is just unfair / sad / concerning / scary. Negativity doesn't belong in the SA Music Scene.

What are the trends that you see during the lockdown?

Performances in living rooms or lapas that are being streamed on different platforms (with musos asking for tips for themselves or venues), Zoom parties (with bands / artists / DJs asking for tips and people drinking home brews or the horrible whiskey they got for Christmas in 2014), Music Quiz Nights hosted by musicians, bloggers (like yours truly) promoting new music from artists & their online shows. There has definitely been a surge in people consuming video content online. Platforms like Netlfix and Showmax have broken streaming records. The same goes for music streaming platforms like Spotify.

How do you see the industry changing after the lockdown?

It's going to change big time. Some things will still be the same, but a little different. Pubs and venues will limit their capacity and enforce social distancing. Festivals will get a lot smaller. There will be sanitising stations all over. I don't think we're going to see festivals with more than 2000 people in the near future. Tickets will be more expensive (because of limited capacity - venues pay artists thanks to ticket sales - less tickets sold, less money in). Crowdfunding is going to become even more popular amongst artist - most of them were already struggling before lockdown and won't have money to pay for studio time and tours when the lockdown is over. People will also get very picky about the shows they want to go to.

But, I don't think that the changes will  all be negative. Concerts / performances / festivals will sell tickets to stream their shows. That's a revenue stream that hasn't really been tapped into properly yet in my opinion - even though some people are getting gatvol of it during lockdown. The shows you go to will be a more intimate affair that will allow you to connect with performers (thanks to crowd reductions). 

What have you got in the pipeline for your blog?

I''m currently working on a SA Music Directory (which will link to articles about the artists / festivals / venues that I've featured on there). I'm also working on trimming old content that's not relevant any more.

Learning by living with a Gen Z youngster during lockdown

I’m hooked on marketing, PR in particular, and I love psychology (as a hobby). I often find myself looking at the behaviour of others and gauging where my next PR campaign will go. And so my lockdown time with my daughter, son-in-law and two beautiful grandchildren has been a lot of fun and learning!

I had to smile the other day when Alec, my young Gen Z 12 year-old grandson said to his mom:

“I want to make ice-cream.”

“You what?,” she answered with surprise as he hasn’t shown a particular interest in being in the kitchen in 12 years!

“I saw this guy on TikTok making Oreo Ice-cream and I want to try,” said the youngster

To cut a long story short, the most delicious ice-cream was made (by Alec himself as he didn’t want help at all as it would then not be authentic) and that started his kitchen antics. More ice-cream has been made, bread has been baked and a couple of more interesting recipes attempted.

Alec only just slots into Generation Z by a year or two (depending on which continent you are on or report you are reading) Gen Zs were born in the digital revolution. From the age of three Alec was asking us to google topics that he found interesting (he knew more about sharks, dinosaurs, volcanoes and space than we did!).

When he was asked, at three or four, what he wanted to be when he grew up, he thought for a while and came back saying he wants to be on the team that discovers how to take oxygen to Mars! He didn’t want to go himself (this after his little brother was a little perturbed at his travelling there), he just wanted to help find out how to live there.

As a typical Gen Z kid, he will be viewed by marketers as being born in the most diverse generation. School teaches them how to think as opposed to what to think, to prepare them for jobs that haven’t been invented yet. 

Covid-19 has been a breeze for him. He has slotted into home schooling quickly and naturally (often quicker than his educators). He can work on multiple screens and do multiple activities at the same time. He is already on his cellphone while his educator is helping someone else who seems to have a problem.

Working on computers comes naturally to Alec. Prior to lockdown he would come to our office and sort out problems that staff were having with their computers

Gen Z’s do not enjoy fake news at all I have noticed, and when they discover it is fake, it’s discarded in a flash. YouTube and TikTok are their key source-gathering platforms and influencers play a massive role in their lives, they even see themselves as influencers. Attention span is short and I have to admit I rarely see him watching movies on TV, in fact the TV often doesn’t get switched on at all.

What I see a lot of is online gaming with friends. Raucous laughing and even fighting. Gaming also turns them into young entrepreneurs – there is a lot of buying and selling and negotiating! There is nothing more satisfying for them than making a great deal.

Getting back to the cooking, I see the digital revolution as of particular interest to the way the Gen Z’s are approaching life. There is less fear and more creativity and experimenting through watching multichannels. While peer pressure has been problematic in previous generations, there is less of this in Gen Z. They are very well aware of the trolls that can stalk and terrorise them on digital media and they have learnt to stand up for themselves.

According to research conducted by Fractl, every generation has an almost equal number of similarities and differences regarding the consumption habits and preferences for digital and online content. With the Gen X, Y(Millenialls) getting older it is now time for marketers to look at the Gen Z and the Gen Alphas that are still young but coming up behind them

Khalid from Cricket Fanatics Magazine talks about how he had to change his company for the lockdown

Cricket Fanatics Magazine is a new website that talks about all things around fans for cricket. The Magazine had not been running for long before the coronavirus lockdown and Khalid needed to change his business and content schedule. As a sports magazine a lot of the content came from live events, one on one interviews and press conferences. This all came to a stop so Khalid needed to find other ways to generate content. He has been very successful and his Magazine has grown whilst he is stuck at home. Find him at https://cricketfanaticsmag.com/ https://www.facebook.com/cricketfanaticsmagazine/ https://twitter.com/cricfanaticsmag https://www.instagram.com/cricketfanaticsmag/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxN-rFXO2mW0rZ2A-aNEUyA

Interview about the entertainment industry during the Coronavirus Lockdown with Timothy Moloi

Born and raised in Orlando, Soweto, Timothy grew up in a home filled with song. It was this love for music and his natural flair for infusing familiar and beloved standards with a new freshness that has made him a favourite with audiences throughout South Africa. With his smooth-as-velvet voice and masterful range, Timothy is truly one of South Africa’s most extraordinary talents. The artist has performed with the KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra, the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra, the Eastern Cape Philharmonic, the Electric Pops Orchestra, the Johannesburg Festival Orchestra and the Soweto Gospel Choir. And that’s not even the half of it. Timothy Moloi performed the song ‘Hope’ at the opening ceremony of the FIFA 2010 World Cup at Soccer City to an estimated global audience of 500 million viewers! His double SAM- nominated debut album LOVE THAT MUSIC received critical acclaim and is available on iTunes. Television performances have included the MTN South African Music Awards, Miss South Africa, SABC3 JOBURG POPS, The SABC2/Sowetan Community Builder Of The Year Awards, the SA Rugby Awards and the MNET ‘Heroes Against Crime’ Awards, as well as several guest appearances on popular programs such as Morning Live, Expresso, Top Billing, Afro Cafe, Spirit Sundae, World Today, TML, E.tv Sunrise, Afternoon Express, Musiek Roulette And Noot Vir Noot.

Interview with Proteas Legend Temba Bavuma about his Foundation and the kids that he mentors

Temba Bavuma is better known for his cricketing ability but he is also very active in mentoring kids from underprivileged backgrounds in South Africa. He is giving them the opportunity to have a chance in life and take the world on as equals with the more affluent kids. His foundation is not only working on helping kids, it is also involved in building sporting facilities. Here is an interview that I did with Temba. For more information about his foundation go to https://www.facebook.com/TBF011/