Consumers and decision-makers are more informed than ever, but they’re surrounded by too many choices. This abundance of choice combined with a high level of marketing savvy means that consumers are operating with an extra level of scepticism when it comes to making purchase decisions.

How do you win trust - which is worth its weight in gold in marketing - when audiences are hyperaware of when they’re being marketed to or sold something? The answer isn’t more sales content - it’s education.

Sales vs educational content

Sales content is typically product or service-led, heavy on features, and uses urgent CTAs to drive customer action. Educational content, on the other hand, leads with a problem and is driven by demonstrable insights to help the audience understand why the subject at hand matters. This empowers the customer to make informed decisions for their own benefit.

How educational content builds trust

There are four key drivers of consumer trust: Competence, transparency, generosity, and consistency. Educational content leverages each one to great effect, establishing thought leadership and building longer sales cycles.

1. Competence:

By leading with a problem and demonstrating insight, educational content shows that a business knows what it’s talking about. It gives the customer the ‘whys’ of the product or service, rather than solely focusing on features. This helps to build up a reputation as an authority on the subject.

2. Transparency:

Explaining the processes behind products or services removes the fear of the unknown. It also demonstrates honesty on the part of the brand, which gives the customer another reason to trust the brand as a whole, as well as buying into the product or service.

3. Generosity:

Customers appreciate being provided with explanations and honesty without having to ask, or without being asked to sign up, make a purchase, or provide something else in exchange. It’s a solid way to build a connection between brand and customer, rather than creating a purely transactional relationship.

4. Consistency:

If a brand follows up a singular piece of educational content with a stream of sales-led communications, they’re likely to undo the good work of that first piece. Instead, a consistent, regular flow of educational content will further solidify the brand’s reputation as a “go-to” voice in the eyes of a customer.

B2B and B2C: The versatility of educational content

In a B2B setting, you can build a strong reputation amongst customers and industry peers alike with high-quality content. For example, a piece that teaches users “how to evaluate the software you need without wasting resources” is infinitely more useful and valuable in the long-term than “our platform has X, Y, Z”.

The content will help your customer to affirm what they need, identify your brand as the solution to that need, and give them the information required to be able to justify the purchase of your service or product to internal decision makers.

For B2C brands, detailed content will resonate much more strongly than sales-led alternatives.

“Buy our vitamin C serum” isn’t going to cut through the countless other adverts from skincare brands saying the same thing, but “what vitamin C does for your skin (and who shouldn’t use it)” demonstrates the competency, transparency, and generosity that customers want from brands today. Customers will be grateful for the educational content, they’ll build trust with the brand it’s coming from, and that’ll create an all-important emotional connection.

How educational content still drives revenue

It’s normal to have concerns about the persuasion power of educational content - after all, it can seem counterintuitive to leave out sales messaging when you’re trying to sell something. However, while your content might not immediately drive an uptick in sales, it can warm up leads, shorten sales conversations, and improve the quality of the leads you generate. It’s a slower-paced approach that can yield long-term rewards.

In conclusion

Educational content isn’t about a quick sale or conversion. It’s about building a strong connection with customers so that they see you as the voice of authority in your industry, which means your brand is more likely to be top-of-mind when they’re making purchase decisions. If your content isn’t building trust, then it’s probably costing you growth; the majority of brands that are winning today are the ones who are building these relationships and creating loyalty as a result.