What if You Were Trusted with the Truth?
When I started EM-Media over 20 years ago, there was a belief that you couldn’t believe anything you heard in advertising. We were constantly fighting this invisible enemy of mistrust.
I think those sentiments still hold true when it comes to advertising, but along the way, something interesting happened. Brands began to produce their own content and push out their story and values in ways that were at one time only possible through a strong public relations department.
It is that weird intersection of public relations and marketing that my passion for marketing and advertising was rekindled. Content marketing, as it came to be called, was a game changer in my opinion.
Smart organizations invest in their marketing not for transactional ROI but to build a relationship with their customers and clients.
You want to be the first email that gets sent, the first door that gets opened, and the first message sent over social media when there is a problem to be solved or a service to be performed. If your organization is seen as trustworthy, customers and clients will trust you like they trust the word of a good friend.
Don’t Stop at Top-of-Mind. Be Top-of-Trust.
I always joke with my millennials that I was talking about storytelling long before it was en vogue. I jumped on content marketing ahead of the curve because I’ve always believed that it is the power of a good story that moves people to take action.
As technology has improved so has the ease and speed at which we can tell our stories effectively. We can produce videos at warp speed in comparison to the process even 15 years ago. With a consistent blog and a good writer, you can become your own industry publication that over time will drive a mind-boggling number of leads through your doors.
It’s an investment for sure, but as one of my employees likes to say, “It’s not more or less expensive, it’s just different expensive.”
Advertising is about the transaction. Marketing is about the position.
Position yourself correctly, and your advertising dollars will go a lot further. When things get hard, we all want somewhere to turn. I’ve been at this for a long time, and my encouragement to anyone looking to grow their business is to spend the time and money to establish yourself in your community and industry by being out there telling your story as often as possible—in person, on social media, and through consistent content.
And if you’re going to foster any organizational values, choose trust. It’s in very short supply these days.
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