How to win at content marketing: build trust and establish authority

While many company blogs put out boatloads of content on a daily or semi-weekly basis, a lot of them fail to gain the traction they had hoped for when they first started. Some content marketing professionals blame a lack of knowledge about their customers while others cite a lack of cohesive content marketing strategy as the primary reason for business blog failure.

There is no doubt that having a thoughtful strategy and knowing your audience is important to building a successful company blog. However, focusing on these aspects of blogging and content marketing can only improve an already functional or semi-functional blog; they are not the foundationupon which a successful company blog is built.

On a fundamental level, your startup’s blog and the content you put out should be guided by two underlying goals: building trust with your audience and establishing yourself as an authority in your field. Increased sales, new prospects, and increased customer engagements are merely by-products of a successful company blog that first and foremost builds trust and establishes authority among its readership.

If the content you create and the strategy that guides it builds trust between your brand and your audience while demonstrating expertise in your field, the benefits of effective marketing will come organically.

The Value of Trust and Authority in Blogging

Let’s say you’re the owner of a mobile app development startup and you’ve decided to create a company blog about mobile app development so that you can better connect with your customers.

Your ultimate goal with said company blog should be to establish yourself as the internet’s premier resource for individuals and businesses looking for information about mobile app development because this is what will drive customer engagement and acquisition the most. In other words, your goal should be to become the default authority on mobile app development and the content you put out should be centered around demonstrating your unparalleled expertise in that specific field. When people believe that you’re the best there is because you’re putting out content that conveys that, you won’t have to sell your product because people will be lining up to buy it; they trust your content and as a result, they trust your company and all of the products it sells.

Demonstrating authority and nurturing trust is all of the marketing your blog needs to do.

Establishing Authority and Trust in Content

There are three primary features that underscore authoritative content that people trust.

Focus Your Content — Fog Creek Software is a world-renowned software company that focuses on creating product management tools and their blog is an excellent example of content that establishes authority. Fog Creek doesn’t sell to the public, it sells exclusively to developers and their blog reflects that perfectly. They could’ve created a blog about tech or about startups and potentially gotten more readers, but they wouldn’t have been able to establish themselves as authorities because those topics are simply too broad and not what they specialize in. Instead, Fog Creek focused exclusively on writing about their particular area of expertise (software development) and as a result, have created an undeniably interesting, engaging, and profitable company blog.

Research Your Content — First Round is an innovative fintech company aiming to disrupt venture capital and make it more conducive to the modern realities of doing business and launching startups (kind of like what we’re doing with PR for startups). First Round has worked with some truly legendary startups like UpStart and Uber and after reading a couple of articles on their blog, you will have little doubt as to why. Each and every post is researched meticulously and packed with actionable info and often, industry specialists are interviewed to give posts that extra bit of credibility and standing. You don’t necessarily have to load each one of your posts with statistics and buzzwords; however, you want to make it obvious to readers that you’ve put some thought into what you’re writing.

Develop Deeper Relationships with Your Audience by Personalizing Your Content — Most listicles and advice columns will tell you to engage with your audience by connecting with them on social media and responding to their comments. While using social media to connect with your customers is undoubtedly important, your goal should be to develop a deeper relationship with your audience by going further than the often superficial interactions you have with them on social media. Disney Parks’ blog is an excellent example of a company blog that goes the extra mile. Its behind-the-scenessection features sneak peeks, interviews with Disney staff, and a ton of other content that’s specifically tailored towards making the reader feel as if the blog post was written exclusively for him or her. The articles and videos in Disney’s blog don’t speak at you, they speak to you and as a result, Disney’s blog nurtures a deeper level of trust than it would if it merely retweeted a fan’s post or responded to a comment.

Takeaway

Too many company blogs focus on creating content that will generate hits or improve their SEO while neglecting the fundamental purpose of a company blog. Increased traffic, more customers, and greater brand recognition come organically; establishing authority and getting readers to trust your company however, require meticulous planning and a concerted effort. Executed properly, this effort will more than pay itself off. Authoritative content that conveys unmatched expertise in the specific field your company operates in will establish your brand as the go-to in its sector. Fostering trust between your customers and your company by tailoring your blog to your audience will create devoted followers out of fans and the casually interested.