Have you ever been to a store that had shelves which were partially stocked and not straightened? Such an unkempt presentation can make a buyer wonder if the business is failing or just a third class option. It is a turn off and can scare off otherwise ready customers.
When I see such a place that is ill managed, I tend to walk out. The experience makes me feel like there is not order or care. Those are two aspects which are important for building trust.
In the digital age, when people are searching and researching first, a static site without fresh content can scare away buyers. They can quickly come to a conclusion that noone is attending the store. Sure, the shelving looks great, but there is no product.
New information that can help strangers understand your market or stories that help customers see themselves experience success make them feel comfortable and draw near when they are getting to know you.
Current customers look for fresh content as validation of their decision to do business with you. It helps them continue in their education process of the value offering you have sold.
This is why your online content has to be continually growing and fresh. It is a signal to your audience that you are still around and doing business. You are not absent and your store is not in neglect.
It builds your reputation online for the search engines, but even more importantly, you grow or maintain your reputation with your audience. You are telling the world you are open for business and your ideas, strategies and tactics are on the shelves.
Building Fresh Content
Your content system has to be organized for easy access and perusing. Having a way for readers to naturally access older content which relates to your newest articles helps to create deeper engagement.
When I am reading content that helps me from a source that keeps me in the loop in my industry, I tend to want to learn more. I will click related links and look at other articles that are similarly categorized.
Furthermore, the content has to lead to something that helps me dig deeper if I desire. White papers, ebooks and tutorial videos can help me learn more. As I read more and the topics tune into my needs, trust is being built.
Engagement works this way. Instead of the fluff that the people focused on gimmicks put out there, you can share your knowledge and keep your shelves filled and ordered.
Furthermore, fresh content tells the world you are open for business and committed to keep them coming back to read more.
It may take organization around a publishing schedule, content systems and finding relevant information that can help or report on what is current. But in an age where everyone is putting out information, ensuring you have something fresh and ready to go every time can create a loyal following.
Be sure not to skimp on the quality. Think of yourself like a magazine publisher. Their job is never finished. There’s always the next month of content to produce, research and publish. Breaking the frequency would be unthinkable.
The key is to organize your strategies for your audience or partner with a team that can keep your content engine running.
So, as you think about how you connect with those that are new to what you do as well as your existing customers, consider being as fresh as possible to make that connection and engagement create trust.