Want More Readers? Use the Know-Like-Trust Principle

KLT is a natural law in the business world — and in writing, too

Image courtesy of Word Wise at Nonprofit Copywriter

There are plenty of tactics for growing your audience of readers and your stable of freelance writing clients. But the underlying principle is this: Know-Like-Trust.

It’s also called the KLT Factor. And it’s a natural law in the business world.

Marketing expert and author Bob Burg coined the “Know Like Trust” phrase in his book, Endless Referrals. It goes like this: “All things being equal, people will do business with, and refer business to, those people they know, like, and trust.”

• If you’re a blogger, you want people to do business with you by reading and engaging with your content.
• If you’re a freelance writer, you want people to do business with you by hiring you to write for them.
• If you’re an author, you want publishing houses to do business with you by awarding you book contracts.

Which means that if you’re a writer, you want people to know, like, and trust you. Because you want them to read your words — and in many cases, pay you to write those words.

Know-Like-Trust: you do it every day