Four Tips for Gaining the Trust of Readers
By Michael Stelzner
Research proves that consumers have a general distrust for advertising.
Why? Because advertisers have fooled us one too many times.
You know this has happened to you.
Today I Was Conned
Just today, someone from my church called saying, “We received this letter stating our web domain will expire if we do not mail in this payment right away.”
It was from some company I had never heard of.
“Toss it in the can,” I said.
The small print revealed it was an ad.
Talk about deceptive advertising!
The Connection
People do not trust advertising.
It is important to keep this in mind when writing white papers, blog entries or anything else that can be perceived to be a form of advertising.
The fact is a LOT of businesses are using white papers with great success.
However, there are also plenty that are muddying the water with false claims.
Some Pointers
To keep the integrity of these documents, I would like to suggest a few important steps:
- Use someone else’s words: Quote a reputable third-party to add credibility to your paper. “White papers are ideal educational marketing tools,” said Michael Stelzner, author of the book Writing White Papers. Quote an analyst, a magazine, a popular blogger or a book. This helps show that you are not the only one that thinks the reader needs to pay attention.
- Involve numbers to bolster your claims: Numbers in the form of percentages add more credibility. If you found a study that says 66 percent of cows have brown spots and that adds to your case, use it. Figure out creative ways to talk about numbers. For example, “Two in three cows have brown spots.”
- Draw it: Charts are often more powerful than words. Many readers are visually orientated, so try and create a diagram, chart or table to make your claims. Sometimes a visual can go a long way in explaining something. People trust charts.
- Tell a story: An example or case study is another way to build some credibility. Talk about real encounters and the trust level rises.
Note: Many of these ideas were inspired by Jon Kranz’s newsletter.
Your Turn
Got any great examples of deceptive advertising?
What are some strategies you use to gain the trust of readers? Speak up and be heard.
(1 votes, average: 5 out of 5)
Loading …
Receive email updates when new articles are posted.
