How to build trust? Let's talk about business models that don't rely on traffic generation.

When it comes to personal IP, everyone understands: the most important thing is trust.

So, what exactly is trust, why do users trust, and how can we gain their trust? Is it because of professionalism, showing up on time, or your likable appearance? We need to figure out the real situation.

This article doesn't focus on the traffic logic. It only talks about how trust is built.

01 For most people, it's difficult to build up traffic

Many students send me benchmark accounts, saying that the content of these accounts is well - done and they like it very much.

I usually only reply with three words: Started early.

It's not that I'm reluctant to admit others' excellence. As a former platform operation manager in the short - video field, I have a lot to say about this.

I've seen many accounts that gained followers rapidly. Basically, they caught the wave: platform strategy adjustment, new advertising tools launch, new business support, etc. Just catching one of these opportunities is enough.

What stage are we in now? The bonus period is over, and you're late to enter the game.

It's very difficult to catch up with the top accounts, even the top accounts in niche verticals with only 10,000 followers.

This is the reality, but it doesn't mean there's no solution:

If there's no large - scale traffic, we can choose a business model that doesn't require a large amount of traffic and a large number of followers.

This is a simple math problem:

If the traffic scale is small, we can increase the individual value of each user. In the long run, it will also bring a relatively large revenue scale.

Here comes another question:

Shouldn't high - value individual users be in high demand? Shouldn't they have all been targeted by the top accounts or early entrants?

Yes, so we should choose the areas that they are reluctant to do or inconvenient to do, that is, the tracks that will affect their money - making efficiency.

Thinking about this, the answer is clear:

The niche and segmented tracks are the ones they don't want to do. We can choose the high - value demands in them.

This is the only chance for late entrants with less traffic.

02 Large - scale traffic is a positive funnel, while trust is a reverse funnel

The traditional traffic - based business operates on a positive funnel.

For example, if 1,000 people watch your live - stream tonight, 500 of them may be interested, 100 click on the shopping cart, and finally 30 people make a purchase.

From seeing, being interested, clicking to paying, it's a step - by - step conversion process.

It depends on two things:

First, whether there are enough people entering at the top of the funnel.

Second, whether the conversion rate at each level is high enough.

So the positive funnel is most afraid of the lack of traffic.

If there are only 100 people at the top, no matter how high the conversion rate is, the number of final transactions won't be large.

However, a trust - based IP doesn't follow this logic. I call it a reverse funnel.

For example, if only 300 people watch your live - stream today, 10 of them are interested, but no one makes a purchase.

From the perspective of the positive funnel, the data of this live - stream is poor.

But after you've done 5 live - streams, the number of interested people accumulates to 50. Among them, 5 people have a need and buy your product worth 10,000 yuan, resulting in an income of 50,000 yuan.

You may think my calculation is too simple.

But I can tell you clearly that this is the business logic I've personally experienced. My one - person company is growing bigger and better with this model.

As I keep going through this process and continuously getting income, I naturally believe in this logic and the long - term compound value.

The 5 people who made a purchase weren't convinced on the spot.

It's your continuous output, showing up on time, and sincere and unreserved sharing that impressed them, making them trust you and decide to come to you.

This is what I call the reverse funnel.

The positive funnel focuses on the step - by - step conversion of traffic.

So the positive funnel requires a large enough traffic scale to achieve conversion and screening. In essence, it's a "washing" logic.

But in the era of stock market, it's difficult for everyone to find a large source of traffic inflow. This narrative logic is hard to justify.

The reverse funnel focuses on the continuous accumulation of users' trust after multiple contacts.

It's a traffic access logic with a screening threshold and continuous accumulation. In essence, it's a "hiding" logic.

The reverse funnel first determines who you serve and what problems you solve, and then continuously builds trust around a small number of the right people.

03 The first layer of trust is continuous repetition

Next, let's talk about how to build trust.

The simplest but most important logic for generating trust is repetition:

When a person sees you for the first time, they probably won't remember who you are or what you said.

The second time they see you, they may think they've seen you before.

The third and fourth times, when they keep seeing you talking about the same kind of problems, they'll gradually form a perception:

This Han Xu always seems to be talking about how to work independently. He seems down - to - earth and reliable, not the kind of person who talks big...

Users may not have watched your live - stream completely or read every article carefully, but every time they see you, they know you're still doing this.

This already has value. The same logic applies to brand marketing.

Users won't buy a product just because they've seen an ad once. They first notice you, then form an impression of you, and gradually get familiar with and understand you.

The principle behind personal IP is the same.

But repetition doesn't mean saying the same thing 100 times. It means using different content to continuously strengthen the same perception.

Today, you talk about why the content doesn't lead to conversion. Tomorrow, you talk about how to turn professional skills into products. The day after tomorrow, you talk about how AI can be involved in business operations.

On the surface, these are different topics, but they're all answering the same question:

How can a person turn their professional skills into a sustainable business?

Here's a problem:

Many people can't build trust through their content not because of the low update frequency, but because they keep strengthening different perceptions every time.

Today, you talk about the workplace. Tomorrow, you talk about AI. The day after tomorrow, you talk about the feeling of starting a business. A few days later, you comment on a hot topic.

Users do see you repeatedly, but they never know what you're really doing.

Repetition can only strengthen perception. If your perception is chaotic, the more you repeat, the more confused users will be about you.

04 Repetition alone is not enough. Users also need to see your judgment

Continuing on, a person may be remembered by users if they appear repeatedly, but users may not necessarily trust them.

Another important source of trust is that users can see your ability to judge problems.

Especially when it comes to high - value non - standard products, it's difficult for users to judge the delivery quality before making a payment.

When buying a mobile phone, users can check the configuration, read reviews, and try it out offline. But when buying a consultation, coaching, or customized service, they can't see what the final delivery will be like.

They don't know if you can understand their situation or if your methods are suitable for them.

So in high - value transactions, what users are most worried about is not the high price, but making the wrong purchase.

Your content is the process for them to judge you.

Why, when the content doesn't lead to conversion, some people should change the topic first, some should change the product first, and some may have chosen the wrong customers from the beginning?

Why, among people with professional skills, some are suitable for creating courses, some for providing consultations, and some shouldn't rush to develop products at all?

If you can continuously clarify these problems, users will see more than just a few knowledge points.

They'll gradually form a judgment:

This person can see problems accurately. If I encounter similar problems in the future, he may really be able to help me figure them out.

So a trust - based IP shouldn't just show how much you know, but how you make judgments.

See, you have topics to choose from. It's the real - content that is truly valuable.

05 Trust also requires a sense of authenticity

A trust - based IP also needs a very important thing: a sense of authenticity.

A sense of authenticity doesn't mean exposing your privacy, sharing what you ate or where you went every day, or putting your family and emotional life entirely on the Internet.

A sense of authenticity makes users feel that there's a real person behind the content.

I understand a sense of authenticity in these words: multi - faceted, full - bodied, and rough.

We understand a person by looking at their 360° state, which is what a real person is like.

So "multi - faceted" means presenting to users what they're like in work, family, making friends, and their leisure life. In this way, users will have a deeper understanding of this person.

Many people are worried about the labels getting messed up.

I can only say that those who teach about IP in a nonsense way are really unreliable. There's no need to worry about this at all.

But we should make a proportion in topic selection. Although it's multi - faceted, there should also be a focus, and this doesn't conflict.

Moreover, we should express clear opinions.

What we like and what we dislike, especially what we hate and despise, can better reflect a person's values.

We shouldn't pursue absolute correctness, and we shouldn't even be afraid of being scolded, laughed at, or attacked.

Those who criticize us aren't our users. They may be your competitors or old farts who are full of paternalism but have no money in their pockets.

Truly valuable opinions have the attribute of being one - sided. If you want an absolutely correct answer, you can ask AI.

06 Behind a trust - based IP is a complete system

At the beginning, I said that this article doesn't focus on the traffic logic because nowadays, everyone basically understands it.

I think the thinking behind how to do this is the most important. So a trust - based IP isn't just a content - creation skill, but a whole set of personal business systems.

A sentence I often say in class:

Build trust through short - videos, achieve conversion through live - streams, and close deals through private domains.

Although there are some differences in different industries, the general logic of online customer acquisition is like this. Every action and every content form has its value.

But we can't look at this separately. We need to combine it with the business model.

What is the business model?

It's still the same old thing: target users, track, demand, scenario, product, deal - closing...

I feel that I'm being very paternalistic when answering such questions, talking on and on.

Indeed, I can't solve the problem by just talking about a single point. In my mind, it's an inter - connected system, and we need to look at it as a whole.

This article is from the WeChat official account "Operation Dog's Work Diary" (ID: yunyingriji), written by Han Xu, and is published by 36Kr with authorization.