Consumers are becoming increasingly difficult to reach. There are two reasons for this:
Doesn't trust deserve more attention?
Marketing emphasizes attention because consumers have limited attention to give. Our brains can only process seven pieces of information. In consumer terms, these are seven brands or products. It's logical that marketers are constantly vying for one of these seven spots. The question is whether trust should receive more attention. With the current status in which consumers already have a natural distrust, attention alone is no longer enough. You may capture their attention, but consumers still won't trust you. If they don't trust you, they won't consider buying from you.
It's necessary to first remove this distrust from the consumer. You can't start building a trusting relationship after consumers have already bought your product or brand. You need to start building trust before consumers even consider your product or brand. You need to turn your brand from a negative to a positive.
Content marketing as a means of building trust
What is trust? And how do you build trust with your brand in advance? Trust means 'assuming that someone has your best interests at heart'. It is a relationship that grows or weakens after each interaction between brand and consumer. A negative interaction weakens the relationship, a positive interaction strengthens it. Advertising, which imposes itself on the consumer, can sometimes be perceived as unwanted. In such a case, advertising is a negative interaction. People are disturbed when they do not have a need for it. Advertising also often tries to sell you something. Does this give the feeling that they have your best interests at heart? Not really.
Content, on the other hand, is something that people voluntarily want to consume. A positive interaction. This is because it fulfills a certain need, such as being entertained or getting information. This can give the feeling that they have your best interests at heart. Because content creates this feeling, it can be seen as a means of building trust. You could say that the more positive interaction you create through content, the more trust grows in the brand. It works the same way between people. The more meaningful time you spend together, the more trust is built. Just look at friends and family.
Because content builds trust, it also helps consumers make purchasing decisions more easily. Trust is something you need when you are in a state of uncertainty. Someone who knows everything does not need trust to make a decision. Only when you do not know everything do you need trust to remove the uncertainty and rely on the best possible outcome. Consumers do not know everything about brands and products. So, they need a bit of trust to choose a brand. Content marketing helps with that.
Do we no longer need advertising?
No, advertising provides attention. It ensures that you as a brand remain top of mind. That you have one of those seven spots in the consumer's mind. This is also important, but as a brand, we need to first go back to a position where we are not distrusted. Once we have created that, we can go back to capturing attention.