231 American Journal of Economic and Management Business p-ISSN: XXXX-XXXX e-ISSN: 2835-5199 Vol. 2 No. 6 June 2023 UTILIZATION OF INSTAGRAM AS AN EFFORT TO STRENGTHEN CUSTOMER TRUST (INSTAGRAM CASE STUDY @GREENPUBLISHER) Widia Ningsih, Aisyah Nurjanah Universitas Islam Bunga Bangsa Cirebon, Indonesia Email: widianingsih633@gmail.com Abstract In the digital era and the development of information technology, social media has become an important communication tool for many businesses. The purpose of this study is to understand and analyze how Instagram social media, especially the @greenpublisher account, is used as an effort to strengthen customer trust. This research uses qualitative research methods, while data collection techniques are carried out by literature studies sourced from Google Schoolar and Instagram. The data that has been collected is then reduced, presented and conclusions are drawn. The results showed that Green Publisher strengthens customer trust through Instagram social media by subscribing to verified badges, informing reviews and transparency through the story highlight feature, providing free consultation services and showing institutional competence by uploading videos and photos on feeds. Keywords: Utilization; Social Media; Reinforcement; Customer Trust This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International INTRODUCTION In the digital age and the development of information technology, social media has become one of the important communication tools for many businesses. Advances in information technology and wide internet penetration have changed the way businesses interact with customers, one of the products of this technological advancement is social media. Social media is a participatory form of its users because they can provide positive or negative comments. The use of communication and information technology that facilitates access to information, provides information, or as a means of satisfying needs for its users (Mutiah et all, 2022). The existence of social media allows businesses to build and expand their reach, reach a wider audience, and establish closer relationships with customers. The utilization of social media is also implemented by a scientific publication institution, namely Green Publisher on Instagram @greenpublisher.id. Green Publisher utilizes Instagram social media to increase customer trust in its products. Trust is the foundation of a business. Trust is an awareness and feeling that customers have to trust a product, and is used by service providers as a tool to establish long-term relationships with customers (Diza et all, 2016). https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ American Journal of Economic and Management Business Vol. 2 No. 6 June 2023 232 Customer trust helps build strong relationships between businesses and customers. Trust can make customers feel comfortable and confident to make transactions with businesses repeatedly. In addition, customer trust also has a positive impact on business reputation. Customers who have trust in a business tend to leave positive reviews and recommend the business to others, this can improve the business image and help attract new customers. Previous research conducted by (Utami, 2021) shows that business communication through Social media trust is proven to have positive implications for increasing customer engagement. Maintaining Social media trust is crucial for business communication. If you are unable to maintain Social media trust in business communication, customer engagement may decrease. Similar research was also conducted by (Anggraeni et all, 2019) which states that consumers who actively participate in social networking (social networking) will become more familiar with the brand, which will then increase consumer confidence, and consumer confidence will increase consumer loyalty. Sedanglam in research (Aprilya, 2017) explains that trust requires a continuous effort and interactive marketing through Instagram allows users, both consumers and potential consumers to interact on an ongoing basis and this is where trust in the brand will arise and even increase. The novelty of this research is from the object of research itself, namely that there has been no research examining the use of Instagram social media in service companies. In addition, another novelty is the verified feature that was recently launched by meta on Instagram and has been implemented by Green Publisher, which is one aspect of novelty that was not examined in previous studies. The purpose of this study is to understand and analyze how Instagram social media, especially the @greenpublisher account, is used as an effort to strengthen customer trust. RESEARCH METHODS This research uses qualitative research methods, according to (Sugiyono, 2018) qualitative research methods are research methods based on philosophy used to research on scientific conditions (experiments) where researchers are instruments, data collection techniques and qualitative analysis emphasize more on meaning. Data collection techniques are carried out by literature studies sourced from Google Schoolar and Instagram. Literature study is a data collection technique by examining books, literature, notes, and various reports related to the problem to be solved (Nazir, 2003). The data that has been collected is then reduced, presented and conclusions are drawn. RESULT AND DISCUSSION Social media marketing can be a solution as a means of interacting, exchanging information and presenting products or services to increase trust. The utilization of social media as a marketing tool is done because this marketing strategy offers various opportunities to achieve business goals, one of which is building brand trust (Zulfikar, 2017). According to (Kim & Ko, 2010) trust is considered one of the keys to improving relationships with customers or with a particular brand, and it has been recognized, trust is a core variable for building long-term relationships with customers. Companies from various industries have tried various things to increase customer trust, one of which is Green Publisher. Widia Ningsih, Aisyah Nurjanah 233 Green Publisher is a publication institution that has been officially registered with Business Identification Number: 0304220013798. Green Publisher has also been registered as a member of IKAPI and also consistently holds webinars every month to contribute to academia. Green Publisher has 8 internal journals and more than 30 partner journals, various indexes and scoupes Green Publisher provides book publication services and IP management as well as assistance in converting final assignments into books or articles. Green Publisher has been established since 2018 and until now has helped thousands of authors to publish journals and books from nationally accredited to highly reputable. Green Publisher has also successfully organized international conferences. Green Publisher has various portfolios and official legal entity status, however, this does not make this institution feel sufficient with this status. Green Publisher also continues to follow technological developments such as websites, TikTok and Instagram as a means of marketing and strengthening customer trust. The Instagram application has become a popular means to broadcast information easily and very quickly, such as in the display of images or photos in the form of managing photos, editing photos, and sharing to other social networks. Here is the official Instagram of Green Publisher in figure 1: Figure 1. Instagram Green Publisher Social media trust is the trust gained in the social networking environment for the reputation of the product/service/organization that makes customers have the confidence to engage with communication on social media (Golbeck & Hendler, 2004). Green Publisher's efforts to increase customer trust on Instagram include subscribing to verified badges every month. This verified badge is a factor that can increase customer trust, this is because this badge is a sign of authenticity or authenticity from the institution, thus avoiding fake accounts that have the potential for fraud. This effort also fulfills the points of Perceived web vendor reputation and Perceived web site quality according to research (Aprilya, 2014) which can affect customer trust. Perceived web vendor reputation concerns how other people view the company which results in a good or bad company American Journal of Economic and Management Business Vol. 2 No. 6 June 2023 234 name and everything related. Meanwhile, Perceived web site quality aims to give a good impression of his online shop. In this case, Green Publisher applies this verified badge as an effort to give customers a positive view of the company. Another effort made by Green Publisher on its Instagram to increase customer trust is to utilize the story highlight feature on Instagram. Instagram has introduced a story highlight feature where posts that have been uploaded can be saved into a personal archive and can be viewed again (Mufiddah, 2019). Green Publisher utilizes story highlights to store some important information that can be seen by potential customers in addition to those in the feed, including information about legality, cooperation and reviews from customers. Figure 2. Green Publisher Story Highlight Transparency in an organization can also create a sense of trust, this transparency effort is also created by Green Publisher towards its team. In the Instagram story highlight @greenpublisher.id, this institution transparently shows the team working behind it. Educational background is also added as an effort to create trust in customers that this institution is operated by competent employees. The concept of transparency is closely related to honesty, in conveying information the institution must be honest (Nofitasar, 2020). This honesty is one of the factors that can create customer trust, this is in accordance with research conducted by (Kumadji et all, 2014). Trust is a form of feeling. Trust is a cognitive process that occurs in the human mind. Consumer emotions play an active role in trust formation between customers and banks. The key to this trust relationship is experience. If positive experiences are often experienced by consumers, consumers put trust in the product and vice versa (Suhardi, 2006). This positive experience is proven by Green Publisher with customer reviews on its story highlights to attract new potential customers. Meanwhile, existing customers are given a positive experience during the deal process. In addition, Green Publisher provides free consultations to new and existing customers, this positive and informative consultation experience is also an effort to increase customer trust. Green Publisher also utilizes the feeds feature on Instagram to increase customer trust. This feeds feature is in the form of video and photo uploads, Green Publisher's Instagram posts are filled with infographics, such as information about journal publications, and various tips when writing scientific articles. This information shows Widia Ningsih, Aisyah Nurjanah 235 that Green Publisher has qualified knowledge and competence in the field of publication and writing scientific articles. Figure 3. View of Green Publisher's Instagram Feeds Trust is measured in two dimensions, namely, competence and competence policy, which can lead to brand trust (Li et al., 2008). Customers will have trust in a brand if they feel that the brand has the necessary knowledge and skills in meeting their needs. Competence trust involves customers' belief that the brand has the technical expertise, experience, and proficiency in producing quality products and providing satisfactory services. CONCLUSION Green Publisher uses several strategies through Instagram social media to strengthen customer trust. First, Green Publisher subscribes to the verified badge, which is an official verification mark from Instagram. This shows that Green Publisher is a legitimate and trusted account. Second, Green Publisher uses the story highlight feature to inform reviews and transparency. Green Publisher can store and display relevant content, such as customer reviews or testimonials, so that customers can see evidence of satisfaction from other users. Third, Green Publisher provides free consultation services, which can help customers solve problems or provide advice related to publication and writing scientific articles, showing that Green Publisher cares about customer needs and is American Journal of Economic and Management Business Vol. 2 No. 6 June 2023 236 committed to providing the necessary assistance. Finally, Green Publisher demonstrates institutional competence through video and photo uploads on feeds. Green Publisher shares content related to journal publications and provides useful information and tips on writing scientific articles. Thus, Green Publisher strengthens customer trust by providing evidence of competence and the quality of services they offer through Instagram social media. REFERENCES Anggraeni, R., Layaman, L., & Djuwita, D. (2019). Analisis pemanfaatan social media marketing terhadap customer loyalty yang menggunakan brand trust sebagai variabel mediasi. 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Al-Idarah: Jurnal Manajemen Dan Administrasi Islam, 1(02), 279-294. Copyright holders: Widia Ningsih, Aisyah Nurjanah (2023) First publication right: AJEMB – American Journal of Economic and Management Business