Nothing sends up red flags faster than someone saying Ӕrust me.ԠItҳ the same as ӈonestly, I swear, itҳ the truth!ԠYou canҴ build trust by demanding it נthe more you talk about it, the less credible you sound.Building trust takes continued action over time. Itҳ always a work in progress and itҳ incredibly fragile.Brands need to work on building that credibility with their audiences. In the 2020 Edelman Trust Barometer report, 53% of respondents ranked trust as a deciding factor in purchase decisions, second only to affordability. The report also found trust is a crucial indicator for customer loyalty, with half of respondents saying it played a major role.But hereҳ the challenge: less than half of those surveyed נin 11 countries across the globe נsaid they trust major brands.s content marketers, we should be helping build that relationship. And thereҳ good news on that front! Advertisers are no longer the least trusted source of information.WeҲe now the second least trusted. Politicians are the one institution with less credibility.Okay, enough doom and gloom. Here are six ways that B2B content marketing can build trust with your buyers.6 Trust Builders through B2B Content MarketingIҶe divided this list into two sections. The first three are table stakes נthese are things that brands should already be doing, that customers expect and demand. The second three are ways to kick that trust up to the next level.Base Level Trust Builders1 נHonestyYou canҴ get more basic in building trust than not lying to potential buyers. Your content should never attempt to mislead or misdirect your audience. This includes claims about your solution, or your competitorҳ solution.ɠwould extend the definition beyond product, though, to the quality of the content itself. If you promise practical, valuable content but deliver a sales pitch, thatҳ dishonest.ಠנTransparencyItҳ not just what you say that can damage trust; itҳ also what you donҴ say. For a business, that could mean using consumer data without their express consent. It can be as major as covering up a scandal, or as small as deleting negative reviews.ɮ the Information Age, anything hidden will eventually be brought to light. If your business is lacking transparency, it will be found out נand trust will take a serious nose dive.3 נConsistencyCustomer experience expert Shep Hyken says the secret to creating a raving fan is to consistently exceed expectations. Itҳ the ӣonsistentlyԠpart that makes all the difference. For B2B content, that means establishing a regular cadence for publishing high-quality content and continually following through.ɴҳ much better to publish one amazing content piece a month than four mediocre ones. Set your content calendar to a level of commitment that combines consistency and quality.[bctt tweet="Ӊtҳ much better to publish one amazing content piece a month than four mediocre ones. Set your content calendar to a level of commitment that combines consistency and quality.ԠנJoshua Nite @NiteWrites" username="toprank"]Next Level Trust Builders4 נUtilityWe all know that content needs to have value for your audience. Thatҳ a given; youҲe asking for their attention, so you should reward it. By ѵtilityҠI mean offering value that goes beyond the narrow context of your brandҳ solution.Dzeat B2B content can help your buyer impress their boss, do better at their job, or get that next promotion. If you consider the broader context of their lives beyond their interaction with your solution, you can find all sorts of opportunities to help.Ŷen if your content isnҴ pointing people straight at your Ӳequest a demoԠlink, if it has true utility, it will build trust with the brand. Thatҳ the kind of long-term relationship building that absolutely serves a business purpose.5 נSincerityDo you care about the people youҲe marketing to? That may feel like a loaded question. Of course we care about these folks, right? WeҲe practicing empathy and building personas and personalizing content and weҲe doing it all for them.But do you sincerely want these people to succeed, to be happy and content? Do you genuinely believe your content will help people achieve these goals? If you can say ѹesҠto the above, that decency and sincerity will come shining through in your content.6 נPurposeA few more statistics to round things out: In the Edelmant Trust Barometer survey, 60 percent of consumers in the U.S. say they would buy or boycott based on whether a brand speaks out on racial injustice. Nearly half said they care about a brandҳ impact on the environment.մility and sincerity in content are about seeing the audience in the broader context of their lives. Purpose is about seeing your brand in the broader context of the world we live in. What is your brand doing to make the world a better place? How can your content support and amplify those efforts?͡rketers are natural-born storytellers. We can use that superpower to tell stories that desperately need to be heard. For a quick source of inspiration, check out Lushҳ Instagram profile.ࠒight next to playlists about their bath and body products are lists tagged Ӕake ActionԠand ӄecolonize.ԠTheir purpose is an integral part of their brand. This approach may alienate a few potential buyers, but it inspires a community of raving fans who share Lushҳ values.DonҴ Let Your Trust FallTrust is one of the key ways your brand can differentiate itself to win business, build relationships, and create raving fans. But you canҴ simply ask for that trust: It has to be continually earned. Content marketers are in the best position to do that work נif we choose to take up the challenge.Want to learn more? Check out these content marketing insights from the latest CMI benchmark report.The post How B2B Content Marketing Can Build Trust that Stands the Test of Time appeared first on B2B Marketing Blog - TopRank