One of the most challenging hurdles for marketers in the age of AI remains this: crafting content that doesn’t just engage, but drives action. According to a recent survey from the Content Marketing Institute, that challenge looms larger than ever in 2025. And here’s the truth: No one will act on your content if they don’t first trust your brand.
But trust is a tricky thing these days. With constantly evolving cultural expectations, shifting buyer behavior, and a flood of low-effort content, earning and keeping trust requires more than a catchy headline or polished design.
So, how do you earn that trust?
Let me tell you about Phyllis.
Phyllis was a used car salesperson I met nearly 30 years ago, when my husband and I were two broke 20-somethings with a newborn baby. One morning, we woke up to find our trusty little Geo Metro missing — and realized it had likely been repossessed overnight.
Enter Phyllis.
At the used car lot, this no-nonsense woman in her 40s or 50s listened to our story with surprising empathy. She worked the numbers on a junker we could afford, then invited us into her office and said something I’ll never forget:
“Ever seen Fargo? This is the part where the salesman tells you he’s going to talk to his manager about giving you a deal. But really, they just shoot the breeze about football. So give me five minutes. I’m gonna talk football, and I’ll be back.”
Just like that, she had my trust.
Phyllis didn’t try to manipulate or spin. She leveled with us. And in doing so, she turned a stressful, vulnerable moment into something unexpectedly human.
How to Be Real in Marketing
As marketers, we don’t need to be unicorns to build trust. But we do need to be real.
We earn trust when our content feels sincere, helpful, and grounded — when it connects instead of pitching.
Yes, the word “authentic” gets tossed around often, and I admit it’s started to lose its punch. But recently, I heard something that brought it back to life.
David Moulton from Palo Alto Networks, speaking on a LinkedIn panel hosted by the Cybersecurity Marketing Society, said something that stuck with me:
“One of the advantages we have in marketing is that we can solve problems our prospects or customers can’t,” David said. “They don’t have the time or the data to dedicate to that, and we can solve that and show them that we’re easy to work with and can answer their questions.”
That’s the kind of marketing that builds trust. Not content that’s purely SEO bait or pipeline filler, but content that mirrors the experience of working with you — helpful, clear, and respectful of people’s time.
Two Other Ways to Build Trust
Two other panel insights stood out, and they’re worth repeating:
1. Don’t forget about your existing customers.
Traditional funnels focus heavily on converting leads, but the customer relationship often goes cold once the sale closes. I see this across many companies, especially those with limited bandwidth or smaller marketing teams.
But here’s the thing: Creating relevant, helpful content for current customers is a low-cost, high-impact way to nurture trust, reinforce value, and boost retention. You don’t need fancy tech to pull this off. Just empathy and consistency.
2. We’ve gone overboard with gated content.
According to a Scribewise survey, fewer than half of B2B buyers are willing to give up their email to access content. Why? Because most of them don’t know yet if they can trust you.
If someone is still evaluating your brand — while trying to solve a problem or explore a solution — the last thing you want to do is block their path with a form. They’re far more likely to give you that contact info after they’ve experienced value from your content.
In other words, earn the right before you ask.
Of course, no dashboard tells you how much trust your brand earns. But here’s a gut check, courtesy of David again:
“As marketers, we should never build marketing we ourselves are grossed out by.”
Ask yourself: Would this gated ebook feel worth it if you were the target audience? Does the content deliver what it promises?
If you’re unsure, you probably already have your answer.
Is Your Marketing Content Trustworthy?
As the year unfolds, it will likely bring more disruption, noise, and even more pressure to perform. But some things remain constant — and trust is one of them.
If your content strategy is grounded in building trust, you’re already ahead.
Need a partner to help you create content that feels genuine and earns attention for the right reasons? Let’s chat.