In this episode, I’m going to show you how to use content marketing to build trust.
Now, most people think that all content marketing will build trust, but if you’re doing it the way that most people teach, it actually does the opposite. It makes people more skeptical, more resistant, and harder to convert.
At the same time, there’s another approach that makes people trust you before you ever talk to them, and leads come in already believing that you’re the right choice.
The difference between those two approaches has nothing to do with how good your content is. It comes down to how people find you.
Because when most people think of content marketing, they think of two things: either posting content to stay top of mind or trying to get new people to see it through virality or paid ads.
Both of those approaches miss something huge. Neither of them build trust with new people. In fact, they do the opposite. Not all leads are created equal.
Do Viral Videos Actually Build Trust?
A video that goes viral or paid ads don’t build trust with people. In fact, they do the opposite. Not all leads are created equal.
When people see an ad, they come in with their guard up. They’re skeptical. They’re hard to close.
But on the other hand, some leads come in already trusting you.
For the rest of this article, you’ll see the difference between those two approaches and why most businesses are building trust the hardest way possible.
Paid Ads vs. Search: What Builds Trust Faster
The big difference between generating leads with ads and generating leads through search comes down to one thing: trust.
When someone sees an ad, you’re interrupting them. They weren’t looking for you. They weren’t asking for help. So they put their guard up.
Now they’re skeptical, cautious, and trying to figure out if they can trust you.
Most of the time, they’re just hoping to skip through your ad.
Even when someone becomes a lead from an ad, they don’t see you as the expert. There’s no trust there. They see you as a salesperson.
This means that during the sales process, you have to work harder to break down those barriers and build trust.
Now compare that to search.
When somebody finds you through search, they were already looking for help. They had a problem, asked a question, and you showed up with the answer.
Instead of interrupting them, there is appreciation. Instead of skepticism, there is trust.
There is even a sense of reciprocity because you helped them, and now they want to learn more about you.
These are what we call referral-quality leads.
When trust is already there, the conversation is easier and the relationship starts stronger.
That doesn’t mean ads don’t work. You can turn a profit with ads, and if you are, keep doing it. They can be useful for testing and optimizing your funnel.
But it’s important to understand that ads are temporary. The moment you stop paying, the leads stop coming in.
How to Become the Go-To Authority
When you focus on search, you build positioning and become the go-to authority in your space.
Everything you create becomes evergreen and continues to work for you into the future.
Your authority compounds over time as you continue to build momentum.
Your content works for you around the clock, even when you’re not working, even when you’re on vacation, and even when you’re not posting new content.
This is the difference between rented attention and owned authority.
Watch Next
If you want to understand how to build this kind of authority the right way, explore the next step: learning the benefits of personal branding and how it positions you as the trusted expert in your space.
