Nowadays, people are more skeptical of what they read on social media or the rest of the Internet.
More often than not, those who consume content, whether it’s written or not, crave authenticity and are more likely to be someone who is being inauthentic.
When that happens, trust is lost and target audiences stop paying attention to what’s being shown to them.
Simply said, no matter how great your content is, all of it will mean nothing if it comes across as inauthentic to your readers.
As a writer, it’s your job to craft content that’s authoritative and trustworthy.
This way, you can build an audience that’s highly engaged and trusts what you’ve written.
… BUT how exactly can you do this?
The answer lies in this public speaking insight.
Carmine Gallo, the author of “Talk Like TED,” emphasized the importance of staying in your lane or rather, being authentic, open, and transparent because according to him, “if you try to be something or someone you’re not, you’ll fail to gain the trust of your audience.”
While this was written as a public speaking insight, the same still applies to writing.
How exactly can you build trust among your target readers?
Here are a few pointers:
-
Stick to topics related to your niche or expertise.
As a writer, it’s understood you’ll have exposure to various types of content as you’ll be writing for various industries throughout your career.
However, when working on writing projects, it’s important to write about topics that’s related to your niche.
After all, how can you build trust and authority if you’re writing on topics that fall outside the subject matter of the project you’re working on?
For example: If your niche falls into the entertainment category, it will be out of place if you suddenly start writing about car reviews.
While this example may sound extreme, this tends to happen from time to time so you should make sure to avoid it.
-
Leverage and feature the insights of subject matter experts.
Another way of building trust (especially when the project you’re working on is still at its early stages) is by featuring insights from subject matter experts.
This can come in the form of interviews or even direct citations in your write-ups.
Regardless of which method you go for, featuring insights from subject matter experts goes a long way in building trust from your target readers, regardless if your writing project is still in its infancy or if it has been around for years.
-
Be transparent.
Transparency goes a long way in building trust among your readers.
This can come in the form of citing your sources, admitting your biases (especially if your content is political or academic), and making your privacy and opt-in policies clear (if you’re working on a newsletter).
-
Optimize your content based on what your readers need.
While it’s commonplace to optimize content based on search engine and social media algorithms, optimizing your content with that in mind will hamper your efforts in building trust, especially when the writing project you’re working on is still in its early stages.
Readers are less likely to trust your content if you’re churning write-ups based on what the algorithm says.
Remember: Human beings are your target audience, so you need to create content that caters to the segment you’ve chosen to target.
In this regard, you have to know and understand your audience’s needs and pain points and use these as a guide in writing your content.
This process enables you to identify the language and tone that best resonate with your intended readers.
-
Feature testimonials when relevant and applicable.
One of the best ways of organically building trust among your target audience is through testimonials. This is especially useful if your newsletter is part of an offering or service.
While ads are useful, testimonials are much more powerful tools in building trust because these are sourced from actual people who’ve had a positive experience either with your brand or your content.
Testimonials also go hand in hand with transparency efforts, so make sure to leverage this when you can!
—
Building trust is a challenging endeavor, especially when your writing project is still in its infancy and has yet to have a solid following.
While this may be a tall order, doing so isn’t impossible.
All you need to do is to have the willingness to build and foster that trust.
Once you do, you won’t have to worry about people not trusting what you’ve written.
So, what are you waiting for?
The next time you embark on a writing project, leverage the insights we shared with you!
These just might be what you need to build a solid following from the get-go!
About The Dynamic Marketing Communiqué’s
“Wednesdays: Write with the Pen of the Masters”
Who doesn’t find content writing to be a skill that requires a lot of practice and effort?
In fact, many people may even find copywriting very intimidating.
However, you can be a good writer as long as you have the right tools. You won’t always get things right the first time, but with enough time and practice, you’ll get the hang of it!
When you write copy for any brand or for your company, your aim is to make an impact and…
… to get people to remember.
Getting people to remember means getting consumers to buy your product or avail of your service.
… and when you get your content to deliver the results you want, THAT is great copy!
Every Wednesday, we publish content based on tips and insights from the masters of content writing, copywriting, and storytelling.
Become more familiar with ways to write great copy that helps you gain ROI from your efforts, drive profitability, and achieve your business goals.
Learn time-tested tactics that better capture the attention of your target audience, and maximize the benefits of great copywriting.
Hope you find this week’s insights interesting and helpful.
Stay tuned for next Wednesday’s “Write with the Pen of the Masters!”
Cheers,
Dyane Diasanta
Senior Content Writer
Valens Dynamic Marketing Capabilities
Powered by VX Dynamic
www.vxdynamic.com
