Social Credibility? What is it and why is it important?

At the core of a successful online presence for businesses lies social credibility. Having good social credibility means building a relationship with customers based on trust and engagement. Simply put, social credibility means that a brand's social input is creditable. It is about having influence and high levels of perceived values with current and potential clients (Oconn, 2016). Having social credibility for online communities means having opportunities, a steady stream of clients, recognition and prestige and influence in your market (Oconn, 2016). An online community with good social credibility will have a streamlined brand across all platforms, such as consistent profile photos, genuine and credible information for clients and social connections, continuous and consistent engagement, a visible and active page and staying present on all platforms (Oconn, 2016). Bad credibility can be detrimental to online communities as customers may see the brand as unreliable, and unprofessional and deter potential and existing clients (Fifield, 2016). In today’s online world, bad social credibility can lead to cancel culture, which is basically a mass expression of disapproval and exerting social pressure (Romano, 2022). An example of a trending cancel culture is JK Rowling’s cancellation in 2020 after posting transphobic beliefs via her social media outlets (Romano, 2022). The well-known author was publicly criticised and lost credibility and following by many of her networks. Thus, proving it is important to prioritise social credibility to be or remain successful online.

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Reference

Fifield, P. (2016). Brand credibility: why it’s important and the role of PR - Tech PR Blog - Wildfire. Wildfire. Retrieved 29 August 2022, from https://www.wildfirepr.com/blog/brand-credibility-important-role-pr/.

Oconn, B. (2016). What is Social Credibility? Free Sales Training Articles and Insights. Retrieved 29 August 2022, from https://thebitterbusiness.com/2016/12/15/what-is-social-credibility/.

Romano, A. (2022). Why we can’t stop fighting about cancel culture? Vox. Retrieved 6 September 2022, from https://www.vox.com/culture/2019/12/30/20879720/what-is-cancel-culture-explained-history-debate.