11 Tips on How to Use Content Marketing to Build Trust and Relationships with Your Customers

11 Tips on Building Consumer Trust and Relationships with Content Marketing in 2024

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By Tomislav

Key Takeaways

Provide Free Value-Added Content: Offering free content builds trust with customers and differentiates your business without hurting ROI.
Solve Problems Through Content: Create content that addresses specific issues of your target audience, showcasing your expertise in a helpful manner.
Humanize Your Brand: Attach real faces and stories to your content to make your company more relatable and trustworthy.
Demonstrate Expertise: Share insights into your business operations and philosophy to establish credibility and showcase expertise.
Engage Consumers Directly: Utilize short-form content and personal interactions on social media to build relationships and enhance brand image.
Create Relevant Content: Focus on targeted, custom content to address specific consumer segments, leveraging long-tail keywords for higher conversion rates.
Share Industry Secrets: Provide behind-the-scenes insights to establish authority and build trust with your audience.

#1 Embrace Free Content to Add Value

While you can’t make your products free, you can add value through free content marketing.

By offering content without a price tag, you build trust with your customers, showing that not everything about your business is transactional.

In a world bombarded by 4,000 to 10,000 ads daily, where every ad seems to yell, “give me your money!”, providing free, helpful content can be a breath of fresh air for consumers.

Differentiate your business by offering value with no strings attached.

Contrary to what you might think, free content marketing doesn’t hurt your ROI.

For more insights, you can refer to my article on content marketing ROI and case studies.

Content marketing isn’t new; it’s been used for almost two decades by both global brands and small local businesses.

#2 Solve Problems Through Your Content

Merely publishing content isn’t enough; it must be problem-solving and comprehensive.

First, understand who your customers are. Develop a buyer persona and pinpoint their challenges related to your niche.

Once you know your audience, create content that addresses their specific issues.

For example, if you’re a dentist specializing in pediatric dentistry, don’t just proclaim your skills.

Instead, write an article like “Top 10 Tips on How to Prepare Your 7-Year-Old for a Dentist Appointment”.

This not only provides valuable information for parents but also subtly showcases your expertise in handling young patients.

Parents reading such content are more likely to think, “Dr. Susan really understands this; I’ll take my child to her.”

#3 Avoid Overly Salesy Content

Providing free, problem-solving content is excellent, but don’t let it become overshadowed by excessive product promotion.

Being too salesy can diminish the value of your relationship with the consumer.

Remember, your audience is savvy. After engaging with your helpful content, they will naturally seek out your products or services.

This principle applies to social media too. There’s no need to constantly plug what you offer in every interaction.

Maintain relevant information in your profile, and let your expertise in your posts lead people to discover your business.

Constant promotion can signal that you’re more interested in profit than in providing value, which can be off-putting, especially if the content is otherwise excellent.

Inappropriately placed sales pitches can ruin good content.

Trust your audience to find and appreciate your offers organically.

#4 Emphasize Informational and Educational Content

77% of B2B marketers prioritize educational content in their marketing strategy.

Here’s a variety of formats for creating valuable informational content:

  • How-to guides
  • Tutorials
  • Lists
  • Resource pages
  • Cheatsheets
  • Checklists
  • Reviews
  • Infographics

You have ample options for delivering informative content.

A key aspect of educational content is comprehensiveness.

Cover your topics and keywords thoroughly, addressing all facets that someone seeking knowledge might need.

Comprehensive content not only aids your consumers but also boosts your rankings.

Longer engagement with your content can positively influence SEO metrics like average session duration, bounce rate, and dwell time.

Content marketing allows targeting various audience segments, so tailor your educational content to suit all skill levels and proficiencies.

Educational content is effective for both novices and experts.

#5 Humanizing Your Brand Through Content

It’s easy to forget that companies consist of real people with their own dreams and aspirations.

Reminding your audience of this can deeply humanize your brand.

Content marketing is an effective tool for this.

Attach a face and name to your content to add a personal touch.

Using a conversational tone makes your company seem more approachable and relatable.

However, this might not be suitable for technical manuals or whitepapers.

Incorporate real photos of your team to enhance this human connection.

Pro tip: When your company faces challenges, share those stories.

Cautionary tales can be educational and relatable, and they’re likely to be shared on social media.

Admitting mistakes and sharing learning experiences humanizes your brand significantly.

#6 Demonstrating Expertise Through Content Marketing

Content marketing is a powerful way for both personal brands and companies to showcase expertise.

While creating a great product is paramount, people often seek signs of competence before making purchases.

Content marketing can fill this gap. It’s free and valuable, establishing credibility without demanding anything in return.

A practical method to demonstrate expertise is to document your company’s activities.

Gary Vaynerchuk’s philosophy of “document, don’t create” is particularly relevant here.

Give your audience an insight into your business’s daily operations. This approach eases the pressure of having to ‘create’ content.

‘Documenting’ feels more natural and can lead to authentic, educational content.

This authenticity in content is invaluable in proving your expertise.

#7 Commit to Consistency in Content Publishing

People thrive on habit and structure.

Committing to a regular publishing schedule builds a loyal audience.

Bruce Springsteen aptly said, “Sustaining an audience is hard. It demands a consistency of thought, of purpose, and of action over a long period of time.”

This rings true for both creative and business endeavors, which often overlap.

Content marketing is a long-term commitment, and consistency is a critical success factor.

Regular content marketing demonstrates your dedication to your audience and product.

It also creates a sense of stability around your brand, contributing to a less tangible, but very real, return on investment.

#8 Engage Your Consumers as Part of Your Content Strategy

Remember, content isn’t limited to just blog articles.

Every interaction, even a tweet or a comment, is content.

Don’t underestimate the value of short-form content in building audience relationships.

On platforms like Facebook, where organic reach is minimal, engaging directly in comments and groups is crucial.

This personal engagement, though not highly scalable, is incredibly effective.

Interacting one-on-one in the comments impacts customers on a personal level, fostering loyalty.

Such engagement shows your commitment to customer satisfaction, enhancing your brand’s image.

Seeing a brand actively respond to customer queries makes people realize, “This company values its customers and doesn’t just see them as a revenue source.”

Never overlook the power of audience engagement.

Make it interactive and personal, connecting with your audience beyond superficial interactions.

#9 Creating Relevant Content is Key

Achieving content relevance is crucial for impactful business content.

82% of customers view companies more positively after engaging with custom content.

Unique, custom content not only demonstrates your brand’s strength but also your commitment to quality.

Focusing on relevant, targeted content allows you to address specific segments of your consumer base, enhancing the potential for value-driven, problem-solving content.

Broad content aimed at large audiences often fails to reach anyone, primarily due to intense competition for short-tail keywords.

However, being ‘forced’ to target long-tail keywords can be beneficial.

These keywords often have higher conversion rates due to stronger purchase intent.

For instance, someone searching for “gaming mouse under $100” is more likely to make a purchase than someone searching for “computer mouse.”

Relevant content is a win-win: more useful for consumers and more effective for your business.

For more insights on content relevance, refer to my detailed article on this topic.

#10 Utilize Storytelling in Content Marketing

Humanity has always cherished storytelling.

It’s a timeless tool for making sense of the world.

Incorporating storytelling into content can significantly enhance its appeal.

Imagine you run a content marketing agency.

Your “About” page could be straightforward, like:

         “We’re the XYZ content marketing agency, helping businesses with content marketing.

Or, it could be more engaging, like:

         “Every day, we tackle common marketing challenges companies face. Our agency excels in crafting high-performing content across industries, backed by data.

Although I’m not the best copywriter, this illustrates how a storytelling approach can be more captivating.

Combining storytelling with compelling visuals can really elevate your content.

Using relevant examples and statistics can also enrich even dry topics.

#11 Share Industry Secrets in Your Content

If you’re searching for content ideas, consider sharing industry secrets.

This content is valuable as it reveals behind-the-scenes insights not commonly known.

Educating consumers in this way builds trust and relationships.

For instance, a divorce lawyer sharing comprehensive content about divorce law won’t lose clients.

Instead, this approach positions them as a leading authority in their field.

Clients impressed by their expertise, honesty, and authenticity are more likely to seek their services.

This strategy is effective in various industries.