Building Credibility with Your Customers: A #CMWorld Twitter Chat with Margaret Magnarelli

Growing up, my parents worked odd shifts.  We lived on takeout, with few big meals ever made at home.  I had a favorite pizza shop back then.  Fast forward to today, and it’s still my favorite. I’ve trusted this shop for years. They are my childhood. Now they are a part of my kids’ lives. They support our local schools and cheer on the Cleveland Browns. I believe in their values and actions.

When a recent order of mine was messed up, I tweeted them. (Because all good community manager turn to social media, right?) Mistakes happen, but this one really upset me. Guess what they did. They made things right. They delivered on their promises. They kept my trust.

Good news, content marketers. Just like my favorite pizza shop, we’re doing something right. CMI research found the vast majority of marketers say their audience views their organization as a credible and trusted resource. But if we’re not working with tomatoes and pepperoni, how can we continue to successfully build credibility?

One person I trust to answer this question is Margaret Magnarelli. As Executive Director of Audience Acquisition and Growth Marketing at Morgan Stanley, Margaret knows a thing or two about creating content that can instill trust with our customers. Ahead of her Content Marketing World presentation, Margaret connected with us on the #CMWorld Twitter chat to share her thoughts.

What follows is a brief look at our discussion. Take a look at our Twitter Moment for more questions and answers from the chat.

What does brand trust mean to you?

A1: Plus, 2 in 5 consumers in an @EdelmanPR Trust Barometer survey said they’d pay more for products from a company they trust. So trust may seem to be a touchy-feely qualitative factor, but you can tell your CEO that it’s also quantitative. ? (2/3) #CMWorld

— Margaret Magnarelli (@mmagnarelli) August 20, 2019

A1 Brand trust means knowing there are actual (nice) people behind a brand. It humanizes the brand, builds relationships with the audience, and engages the market. #cmworld

— Alexis Katherine (@estherproject) August 20, 2019

A1. Brand trust is delivering what you promise. When you create your messaging, content & products with a customer-centric focus, you’ll have that layer of authenticity that can’t be faked. The more you continue to deliver, the more consumers will believe in you. #CMWorld https://t.co/6NT8S3ngiT

— Brandpoint (@brandpointco) August 20, 2019

It’s said trust is earned, not given. In what ways can brands build credibility? What kind of content can help instill trust?

A3: I think I touched on this prior, but I think any content piece can be made more trustworthy by including more sources and leveraging third-party sources/data to paint a more complete picture #CMWorld

— Melanie Deziel (@mdeziel) August 20, 2019

A3: A key strategy for demonstrating authenticity: Tell stories through employees. We do this a lot at @MorganStanley. We want you to see the humans behind the firm, to meet our experts and see that we’re serious about giving back and doing the right thing. (3/3) #CMWorld

— Margaret Magnarelli (@mmagnarelli) August 20, 2019

A3: I think about building credibility the same way I do with my daughter. I set expectations, and meet them. I show up when I say I’m going to do so. Consequences are set and met, both positive and negative. #CMWorld

— John Cloonan (@johncloonan) August 20, 2019

Building trust isn’t easy. What steps are you taking to gain – and keep – your customers’ trust? Tell us in the comments below.

Margaret always provides valuable, tangible sessions at Content Marketing World. We know this year will no different. Don’t miss her presentation to learn more about the power of trust. And no lie. If you sign up now with code SM100, you’ll get a $100 discount!