4 Ways Sponsored Content Builds Trust

Let's say you're researching a product or service. You're Googling around. Which of these two articles are you more likely to trust?

1. A company that touts itself as being the best option

2. A company that presents facts without bias toward itself

You'll most likely lean towards that second company — the one that feels helpful without selling itself. That's the essence of effective sponsored content. It's a powerful branding vehicle. But if you can't build trust with your readers, yikes: It won't work. 

Here at Zoe Marketing & Communications, we have 35+ years of experience writing articles that connect with and help our readers. In this blog, we'll cover four key ways that we've found sponsored content builds trust:

• Picking topics that mean something to your readers 

• Focusing on people's needs and education vs. promoting yourself

• Speaking in an authentic, helpful voice that shows you care about what people want to know

• Being consistent in creating helpful articles that address your audience's concerns

By the end, you'll better understand how these simple factors build trust — and make your spon con work.

Picking topics that mean something to your readers 

This means pinpointing topics that people care about and are searching for. Dive into the minutiae of their worries and concerns to show them you're vested in helping them.

You may think your service is the best to solve your prospective clients' problems — and it may be! But stating that isn't going to earn their trust.

Instead, present information in a way where they can gain insight — and feel empowered to make a decision based on what makes the most sense. For example:

• Don't say that your school is the best. Instead, share tips on how parents can pick the right school for their child.

• Don't boast about your fitness center's amenities. Instead, offer advice on creating a realistic fitness routine.

In each case, you're digging into topics people care about. Your business is mentioned organically and sparingly in each article. In the process, it builds trust by association.

People recognize who's publishing this content, even if they don't buy something immediately. And when the time comes when they do make a decision, they'll remember a brand they trust.

Focusing on people's needs and education vs. promoting yourself

Go in with a mindset that you're willing to create content that's designed, from the first word to the last, to help people. This again builds up esteem and trust, because people get the sense that you're in their corner. Keep these two simple tips in mind:

Craft helpful content

We can't overstate it. A variety of different, well-crafted, well-designed content focused on answering questions fosters trust. A mere selling/transactional experience doesn't. Sponsored content is a relational experience.

Leave yourself out of it

When you answer your prospective clients' questions and help them solve a problem, they know you're not just shilling for their business.

It's contrary to the long-held "golden rule" of sales but, as much as possible, keep your company name out of it. Do this over and over, and you'll build trust and relationships. That's real gold.

Speaking in an authentic, helpful voice that shows you care about what people want to know

For starters, this shows you know what they want to know about. And, for nexters, it proves you can offer them the clear-cut, "commercial-free" answers they might not find elsewhere. This all makes you stand out from the crowd. To achieve this:

Do your research

Take the time to find out their questions, hesitations, anxieties and the pain they're feeling. When you know your prospects, you know how to speak with them in an authentic way that matters to them — without using sales language.

Read your competitors' websites

This is important because your prospects are looking on these websites, too!

Do your competitors talk about themselves more than they talk about their customers? That's a red flag for them — and an opportunity for you.

Alternatively, does your website talk more about you than your customers? That means there's space for trust-building improvement for you.

Follow the 'barebones' rules

That is:

1. Hype yourself as little as possible.

2. Think of each article as a conversation and a willingness to be vulnerable.

3. Show that you understand your prospects' needs.

Being consistent in creating helpful articles that address your audience's concerns

Just one or two pieces of spon con won't be enough to build trust with your audience — or generate leads. Repetition is essential. It shows that you're in their court and know your stuff.

A series of helpful content generates trust by:

• Demonstrating that you're taking the time to figure out your customers' pain points and questions

• Showing a continued ability to understand what resonates with people

• Establishing yourself as a solid source that can speak knowledgeably on many topics

• Proving you have "skin in the game" of focusing on people's needs (and not you)

Next steps for launching trust-worthy sponsored content

Sponsored content articles are effective marketing tools for building trust with prospective clients. It just takes a commitment to help them out.

As you learned in this blog, it starts with the topics you write about; people need to care about and search for them. Next, focus on people's needs and educating them vs. promoting yourself — in an authentic way.

Feel ready to try this type of content for your company? Talk to us. We have 35+ years of experience writing journalistic articles that connect with local audiences. And we can help your campaign launch on the right foot.

Still have questions about how articles can build trust in your prospects? Explore these articles for a deeper understanding:

• How do I write a good sponsored content article?

• How do I come up with great topics for sponsored content articles?

Keep focusing on your prospects' needs — instead of overtly touting your brand. That yields the most effective sponsored content results.