Capturing consumer attention and building a strong brand reputation is becoming harder than ever before. Increased competition online means that more and more companies are focusing on content marketing, adding countless new voices that consumers must sort through on a daily basis.
If your content marketing is not generating the kind of consumer confidence you want, then the following tips can help you push the right psychological buttons to grow your brand and improve your reputation.
- Provide authentic social proof
If social media has taught us anything, it’s that most people are naturally inclined to want to belong to a group and are often more likely to base decisions on what other members of that community are doing.
As competition for consumer goods and services online heats up, social proof in the form of reviews, testimonials and influencer marketing is a key element to a good content marketing strategy. Show people why they should choose your product or service over the competition by introducing them to others like them who have already chosen your brand.
- Offer emotional investment
Savvy consumers want connection, to feel an emotional bond with the companies they deal with. This can come in many forms, including one-for-one businesses, charitable initiatives, cause alignment or sponsorships and cause marketing.
Cause marketing can be an effective strategy for some brands. With cause marketing, companies create and distribute content that incites an emotional reaction from consumers to help build loyalty, deliver added value and strengthen relationships.
- Develop a candid, human persona
Authenticity is increasingly important in content marketing and goes hand-in-hand with appealing to consumers’ emotions. With so much choice and easy access to similar products and services, brands are looking for ways to set themselves apart from the competition.
Research has shown that today’s consumers are changing the way that companies sell. One way that this shows up in modern content marketing is through the development of a more casual, human persona in marketing communications. With the right audience, a candid approach in the form of staff profiles, Q&A sessions, live video events, behind-the-scenes content and the like can really resonate.
Conclusion
Strengthening consumer confidence is essential in today’s competitive content marketing space. By creating and publishing content that appeals to consumers’ psychological motivation, many brands are finding success in improving their content marketing ROI.