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15 Ways To Make Your Blog Trusted And Credible

Written by - 16 Comments
Categories: Blogging, Social Media

I walked into the office and there were plaques, awards and trophies prominently displayed for each new visitor to gaze at and understand that this organisation was credible and worth doing business with.

Credibility has always been sought after because it can mean the difference between being chosen for that new job, winning that new account or gaining that new promotion. Displaying credibility is something that social media excels at and  includes attention quantification with how many friends you have on Facebook , followers on Twitter and connections on LinkedIn.15 Ways To Make Your Blog Trusted And Credible

Just like entering someones office foyer and being impressed with displays of credibility your blog needs to have on show some social proof that provides obvious statements stating quietly or loudly that it is worth staying around and maybe coming back because you are person of “note”.

So what types of independent social proof and credibility banners could you display on your blog and social media channels that indicates your “expert status” and position as a thought leader in your industry that might separate from your competition.

  1. Facebook shares (as indicated on your button at the top of the post),
  2. Twitter retweets
  3. Fans (Facebook fan page)
  4. Friends (Facebook personal page)
  5. Connections (LinkedIn)
  6. Traffic (Blog or Website)
  7. Subscriptions (including email and RSS)
  8. Awards won
  9. Video views (YouTube)
  10. Books Written
  11. eBooks published
  12. Speaking engagements booked and presented
  13. Advertising banners
  14. Twitter grade
  15. Website grade

Now just because you may be able to display many of these on your blog doesn’t mean all should be made prominent or else your design is going to suffer.

Also it may be best to not display subscriber numbers until you have a quantity that is significant enough to display. Also keep in mind these do not replace the main reason people will be visiting your blog because of the amazing original content they will be finding there.

There are other ways to display credibility to earn some “Kudos” when people view your site so if you have any more to add and share would love to hear your thoughts.

Image by Lan Bui


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  • http://blog.esimplestudios.com Gabriele Maidecchi

    Nowadays credibility comes from many sources, like the ones you mentioned.
    Generally speaking, every appearance of “community” you have around your online presence testifies it’s worth “hanging out” with you, just like in real life, if you think about it.

  • http://www.financialstart.net Mike

    Great information. 92% of what you write online is only read by you! Credibility builds real value.

  • http://businessposts.net Business Posts

    Blogs surely require decent grammar. I switch off when the grammar is poor. “Sort after” … ? Or “someones office foyer” … ? Or orphan spaces like “you have on Facebook , followers on Twitter” … ? (All in your post – and more.)

    You can get away with this on Twitter (perhaps), Facebook (maybe) – but not on a blog post.

    Wuality prospects will switch away immediately when they see poor such poor grammar (even in your otherwise good post).

    Get a decent poofreader! 8-)

    • jeffbullas

      I think I have found my proof reader !!

      • http://www.mojo40.com Diane Dolinsky-Pickar

        I think all those signs and symbols establish credibility, but in fact, we are just a wee bit over-impressed with the lingo and the social media tags these days. So I would add one more element of credibility, since some of us were raised on old-fashioned work, sweat, and shoe leather on pavement. Interviewing known personalities, and including quotes from individuals whose name and brand bring cache, mean that you have the connections and the access to big names. That means a lot. I personally like to see that in a post, and we ourselves (as bloggers) aim to point out all different and interesting ideas from those at the top of innovation and experimentation!

  • http://www.viktorix.com/ Viktor Nagornyy

    I have to disagree with #4, personal Facebook page and friend count has nothing to do with credibility. There are people who collect Facebook friends just to have lots of friends, just like the early days of Myspace. People would collect friends just because. On the other hand, blogs Facebook page likers/fans would be a better source of credibility.

  • Kookdayah

    What mean trafic? I have blog but dont have any trust me yet… how i can do>

  • http://twitter.com/DagmarBleasdale Dagmar Bleasdale

    Great info, thanks! I display that I have over 12,500 Twitter followers, but all the other info is on my advertising page.

    Dagmar
    Dagmar’s momsense

  • http://bodyearthself.blogspot.com D.A. Colvin

    Thank you for writing this great helpful article, Jeff.  I appreciate the helpful information very much.  :)  D.A. Colvin @notperfume on Twitter

  • http://bodyearthself.blogspot.com D.A. Colvin

    Thank you for writing this great helpful article, Jeff.  I appreciate the helpful information very much.  :)  D.A. Colvin @notperfume on Twitter

  • http://jeffbullas.com Jeff Bullas

    Thanks for the typo correction Andrew. It is now fixed :)

  • http://learnit2earnitwithlynn.com Lynn Brown

    This is good information that you are sharing here Jeff.  I just hope business entrepreneurs- professionals don’t get the idea that having buttons, badges and banners creates credibility.  Being consistent with your audience, don’t over sell, never spam and be respectful towards other professionals is key.  Creating the kind of content that your visitors will want to come back for more and when they start signing up for your email or free book is an indicator that you are building that trust and credibility.  And of course TIME is a huge factor.  If you just started today, don’t expect the flood gates to open.  Instead keep at it and within a short time things will start churning, be ready and always respond. 

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  • Emily Barnett

    Not sure if it is an existing button or plugin, but the ability to share your Klout score seems like a good idea too. As much as i agree that the “popularity buttons” are also gaining traction when establishing credibility, I also agree with Diane Dolinsky-Pickar: quotes from clients, articles that you or your business have been featured in, and any awards that are prominent in your industry should not be overlooked for their importance.

  • http://twitter.com/ChrisSmith_UK Chris Smith

    Nice Post Jeff. I love the Digg Digg plug-in for wordpress blogs. It allows people to tweet/like/stumble/pin etc, while at the same time displaying how many tweets/likes etc the post has had. Engaging with your community and displaying credibility in one fell swoop!