A 2022 report by Salsify found that 49% of consumers started purchasing (or purchased more!) from a brand they trusted. But if that trust dwindles, a recent PwC study reports that 73% of consumers would spend significantly less.
If building and ensuring trust with prospects and customers is not your priority, it should be — and authentic content is a great avenue to connect and build confidence with the people who matter most.
Some tips to get the job done:
Focus on content that’s demonstrably correct. Done right, content should educate, inspire and convince your audience that your brand is the brand of choice.
If you’re making claims, it’s essential to back them up. Decide which claims align with your target audience and objectives, and present qualitative or quantitative proof to back them up.
Offer evidence. The proof is in the pudding — let your prospects see it. Narratives, for example, utilize stories to illustrate marketing claims. So, if you’re a mortgage company, you may write about how your products have changed people’s lives by giving them the capital to purchase their dream family home.
Factual documentation, on the other hand, illustrates your point with side-by-side comparisons, statistics, case studies and more. Both are compelling ways to communicate your brand’s impact.
Build your case with third-party validation. There are two types of corroborators you can use: industry experts or first-hand witnesses.
Experts can provide quotes, endorsements or lend their social media influence to support your claims. Witnesses can be clients, customers or employees who share their thoughts through testimonials or reviews.
Don’t be that guy. If your content comes across as too aggressive, prospects will lose interest and conversions will diminish. In other words, you don’t want to sound like a used car salesperson. It takes time to build a trusting relationship — you can’t force it.
Educate. Provide truly useful information that assists in the decision-making process. Guides and tutorials can help coach your audience through your product or solution experience while showcasing your expertise. Consult with sales or your customer service team on commonly asked questions and buyer concerns, so you can answer them with upfront and honest information to move them through the funnel.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re running an enterprise-level or small business content marketing effort. People do business with brands they know, like and trust, and authentic content can help you score all three.