Trust: The Secret to Success on Social Media, Say Credit Card Influencers

Financial influencers told a crowd of credit card journalists and marketers at CardCon 2025 that the key element to success on social media is trust.

Companies that understand how to engage over social media with consumers can gain an edge on their competitors.

Owen Beiny, owner of The Points Partner which helps businesses and individuals maximize their credit card benefits, told the audience at CardCon that value and trust are the only two things he cares about when it comes to interacting with consumers.

“If you are trying to provide, sell, or offer credit cards, in my opinion, you’ve already failed,” said Beiny, who once managed a team of paparazzi.

“But if you bring value and people trust you, then you can take them on a journey. And along the way, there is more than just credit cards you can offer them. But all surrounding that initial credit card interaction is trust and value,” he said.

Also on the panel were Tommy Lonergan and Eli Facenda, Co-Founders of Freedom Travel Systems, a company devoted to helping cardholders make the most out of credit card rewards.

Facenda said that knowing your audience is the most important aspect of keeping customers engaged.

He said that when you firmly understand the customer you’re trying to reach, then you can do more than just momentarily capture that customer’s attention.

“It’s about knowing your customer and knowing what is currently going on in their internal world psychologically,” Facenda said. “It’s important to know your niche. That allows me to position what I’m going to offer to them in a much more specific way.” 

In the social media landscape, “follows” are indicators of an influencer’s ability to engage with their audience. But Beiny revealed at the conference that “people don’t need to like you” to follow you online. 

“I couldn’t care less whether you like me, but I do want you to enjoy some of the value that I can bring,” Beiny said. “And I want you to trust me. Trust is something that you have to earn by showing up every single day.”

Consumers may follow an influencer they don’t like if they value their advice.

Card brands seeking to partner with social media influencers can research the demographics of an influencer’s followers. Those details will inform the card brand whether an influencer’s followers align with who the business is seeking to reach.

The CardCon crowd learned that, when it comes to influencers, you can’t judge them by their appearance.

“All influencers look the same on the outside, but the type of demographics that we hold are very different,” Beiny said. “The content we offer is almost identical, but the age group of our followers — and the amount of money they earn and their interests — differ. So matching those up is going to be key.”