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November 14, 2022 Content Chat Recap: How Content Marketers Can Build Trust With Their Content

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A Content Chat header image that says today's topic is How Content Marketers Can Build Trust With Their Content with guest Melanie Deziel, who is @MDeziel on Twitter.

What’s the one marketing KPI that every team should track? According to Melanie Deziel, international keynote speaker and author of Prove It, the answer is trust.

If your brand cannot earn the trust of your community, then it will be significantly harder—if not impossible—to get them to purchase from you. Every message you send or post you write is an opportunity to prove your claims and show that you are trustworthy, and we want to teach you how.

In this #ContentChat recap, Melanie (@MDeziel), founder of StoryFuel and co-founder and VP of marketing at The Convoy, and the community discuss how content marketers can build trust with their content. Read the full recap below to learn:

  • What type of content can help to earn and nurture your community’s trust
  • Common business or marketing claims that need to be proven
  • How to audit your content for opportunities to build trust

Q1: Why is it important for content marketing teams to build trust with their brand communities?

According to Melanie, trust is the precursor to every KPI you track.

If your brand doesn’t seem trustworthy, then people will hesitate to purchase from you.

And without trust, you can’t build relationships.

When customers trust you, they will be honest with you and help you create a better experience for them.

Treat your community with respect to earn their trust. Take their questions and needs seriously, and help them overcome their challenges.

Trust is easily broken. Be genuine. Stay consistent. And use content to prove that you are trustworthy.

Q2: What type of content can help you to earn and nurture your community’s trust?

There are plenty of types of content that can build credibility for your brand. First up from Melanie: Content that corroborates, in which you’ll use experts to back up your claims and witnesses to provide social proof.

Content that demonstrates, where you’ll tell stories so your community can see what you mean and you’ll document the proof of the claims you make.

And content that educates, which includes facts (with sources) and will help your reader overcome their challenges or learn core concepts.

Balance these three content buckets to steadily earn trust.

Don’t be arrogant (unless that’s part of your brand identity). Be realistic about the value you provide and don’t badmouth your competitors. Your community will appreciate honest and transparent discussions about their challenges and potential solutions.

Q3: What types of marketing and business claims need evidence? What examples can you share?

Melanie’s book Prove It (get your copy here) explains the following five types of claims that need evidence:

If you’re making an ROI-based claim, you need to back it up.

Provide your team with a list of claims/stats and citations/proof points that they can use when creating content.

Q4: How can content marketing teams conduct an audit to identify claims they’ve made that they need to back up?

Melanie recommends you review your content and look for promises, guarantees, or expectation-setting. Start with your website, then any digital comms like email, social media, and online ads, and then your print and other materials.

Prioritize content based on its prominence. What does your community see most? Audit that first.

Explain to all writers in your content strategy guidelines how to identify claims that need proof.

Q5: How can teams prioritize building trust throughout their content creation process?

Adopt a “how can we prove this?” mindset, and empower your editors to call out claims that need proof.

Train your team on how to source information, and provide them with a culture where they can openly ask questions and get help if they need it.

And listen to your audience. Seek to understand their needs and let them ask you questions.

Q6: What brands do you consider to be trustworthy? How have they earned your trust?

The community shares the brands that they trust below. Which brands do you consider trustworthy, and why? Tweet us using #ContentChat.

Q7: How can you use UX to build trust through content?

Your user experience should mirror your brand’s convenience claims. If you claim that your brand is easy to use or simple to adopt, then the site and product experience should meet that expectation.

About Alek Irvin

Alek Irvin is a content marketing professional with a rich history in social media management, executive thought leadership development, and media relations. As a consultant at Erika Heald Marketing Consulting, he creates human-focused content and thought leadership platforms that help brand leaders connect and engage with their communities. Alek has worked with a range of startups and Fortune 500 companies across the B2B technology and consumer spaces, including IBM, Dell Technologies, Hitch Works, Emtrain, Integrate, and Frameable. Connect with him on Twitter @AlekIrvin.

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