Attempts to attract attention online are in vain if consumers don’t actually trust what they see. So what can advertisers and brands do to build confidence?
We have mentioned in other articles that consumer attention is hard to come by nowadays. We even wrote a full guide about it. Long story short: with people always busy and on the go, advertising is rarely at the forefront of their minds.
Most online experiences are designed to retain our attention – just consider social media feeds and endless video reels – so grabbing this attention has become a top priority for advertisers. But while this is undoubtedly important, another question brands and advertisers should be asking themselves is whether consumers actually believe an ad is trustworthy.
If a customer sees an ad but doubts its truthfulness, attention doesn’t matter; there is little chance they will risk engaging with it, especially amidst a cost of living crisis.
A consumer who doesn’t trust an ad is unlikely to invest their attention, time, or money in the product or service advertised. While in some cases a consumer might seek out customer reviews to inform their decision, unless a brand is a household name, it’s up to the advertisers to inspire this positive action.
So what can brands and advertisers do to win over customer trust and confidence? Are there media channels or types of advertising they should either favor or avoid?
The platform: Is social media worth the risk?
First impressions matter, especially as levels of trust in media across the board are low; in a recent study, only 8% of 36,000 respondents stated that they believe what they see in advertising to be true. This is far from a localized issue: across Australia, the US, and the UK, online ads do not fare well when it comes to consumer trust.
Social media in particular does not inspire trust in its users, with 70% of UK citizens skeptical of social content, and fewer than 1 in 10 automatically believing what they see in their feeds. Unsurprisingly then, a social media presence alone doesn’t fully convince consumers either, with 8 in 10 British consumers more likely to trust a business with a website.
The prevalence of harmful content online, fuelled by a lack of transparency and accountability, is driving this dissatisfaction, with general distrust flowing from online platforms to the ads that support these sites.
Nevertheless, with more people using digital media than ever before, online channels remain a vital means for brands to communicate with their audiences. So how can brands inspire trust in their audiences and ensure their ads are given a chance?
Understanding your audience
Research by IAB UK reveals that a “quality environment” is key to unlocking consumer attention. According to Kantar’s Media Reactions report, campaigns are up to seven times more impactful among a receptive audience.
Advertisers want their ads to be seen, but this requires consumers to be open and willing to focus their attention on advertising in the first place. And while insights on consumer trust can be disheartening, prolonged exposure to, and a growing familiarity with, different channels means that consumer preferences and attitudes have been developed around specific platforms – and these aren’t so black and white.
For example, we can increasingly see that where consumers are most accepting of ads is not where marketers prefer to advertise. Amazon, whose advertising equity – that is, the value of advertising power – has grown most significantly in the last year, is where consumers trust ads most, whereas marketers prefer Instagram.
Facebook, YouTube, and Spotify have also increased their ad equity since last year, and perhaps unsurprisingly, TikTok and Google have been most successful at drawing in both marketers and consumers. Influencer advertising, on the other hand, has become too saturated – which explains why some brands are prioritizing user-generated content (UGC).
Building relationships with your customers
When it comes to preferences, it’s crucial marketers delve into the culture and behavior of different communities and individual geographic locations. For example, while e-commerce stands out as a strong channel in general, its popularity will vary. Local brands such as Mercado Libre, for example, do particularly well in Argentina and Brazil, whereas Amazon comes out on top in Italy and Germany.
In short, when considering their options, advertisers and agencies really need to understand what any particular platform can offer and what kind of value this provides. Social media can be a valuable medium; although TikTok might not necessarily prove trustworthy, it can be a good place to attract attention and hone brand voice and identity. This is where a professional website, as well as more traditional platforms, sponsored events, print, and TV media showcase their value.
Although trust is not guaranteed, hooking consumers’ attention gives a brand the best chance to convince them that the ad aligns with their interests.
Customer experience: Making the most out of online placements
Both IAB UK and Kantar highlight how a cluttered online environment and an overwhelming number of ads are much more likely to cost you a customer than gain a new one – a worthy reminder to publishers who might favor increasing how many ads they support.
Ad volume and ad intrusiveness spoil the online experience for most consumers, especially when these ads crowd the content that users are trying to see. In general, the fewer ads on the screen (not the page), the more attention consumers have to pay to each ad.
Small changes in placement can also impact whether or not an ad is noticed in the first place. Prominent positions, such as images – often the focal point of an article – are considered premium spots, and can be easily activated through in-image streaming.
Indeed, ads that are in line with content – as opposed to alongside it – get almost twice the amount of attention. In fact, ads placed below the fold, easily dismissed by marketers, can piggyback off the interest of a user already immersed in the page’s content, which increases the likelihood of ad engagement.
While few brands would go without social media advertising completely – this is, after all, where many customers discover, discuss, and compare experiences – word of mouth and personal recommendations are the most trustworthy (and free) advertising any brand could hope for. Hitting all the right points when it comes to product, service, and delivery will transform customers into brand evangelists.
Increasing trust in media
Every website sends clues to the user about whether or not they are trustworthy. A well-made, well-maintained site with no grammatical errors will come across as much more professional – and therefore, trustworthy – than one that doesn’t.
But when considering a media strategy, advertisers need to consider where and how their ads appear as much as ensuring their own websites stand up to scrutiny.
This means advertising on traditional sites as well as social media platforms, avoiding an overwhelming number of ads, and ensuring ad placement both in premium positions as well as on premium sites.
Where and how you advertise, your product and service reviews, and a positive customer experience all matter. Ultimately, every point of the consumer’s journey needs to signal and demonstrate the brand’s trustworthiness.
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