{"id":3892,"date":"2021-06-29T10:42:00","date_gmt":"2021-06-29T10:42:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/prowly.com\/magazine\/?p=3892"},"modified":"2024-07-11T14:31:06","modified_gmt":"2024-07-11T14:31:06","slug":"earn-trust-inthe-fake-news-era","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/prowly.com\/magazine\/earn-trust-inthe-fake-news-era\/","title":{"rendered":"How Can Brands Earn Trust in the Fake News Era?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Google \u201cfake news\u201d and you\u2019ll get over 140,000,000 results.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s even an ad for fake news, and the majority of the results on page one are sites that gather and list fake news to make you aware of all the false information that has taken over the internet and social media.<\/p>\n

The problem is, fake news is tough to spot. And that\u2019s not our fault. Fake stories have been designed to be as authentic as possible so that we are not able to differentiate them from real stories.<\/p>\n

Particularly in politics, fake news is not only prominent but also influential, even on a subconscious level. No wonder then that Facebook has launched a feature to detect false stories and fake accounts<\/a> before the UK general election last month.<\/p>\n

The result of all this is mistrust.<\/p>\n

Today, consumers are empowered with their own devices and tools to search and find information in their own time and at their own pace, whenever they need it or want it.<\/p>\n

The way we buy has fundamentally changed. We don\u2019t trust to be sold to or advertised at; we want to make our own decisions through searching, reading blogs, speaking to peers on social, etc.<\/p>\n

[perfectpullquote align=\"full\" cite=\"\" link=\"\" color=\"\" class=\"\" size=\"\"]We buy based on the content that we find and consume, and also based on the experience that the content and the brand provide.[\/perfectpullquote]<\/p>\n

This is why fake news is such a problem for brands. It\u2019s false content, and as such it diminishes consumer trust even more.<\/p>\n

So how can you earn people\u2019s trust in the fake news era?<\/p>\n

With these three key things: consistency, integrity, and reliability.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s take a look at each of those.<\/p>\n

Consistency<\/h2>\n

If you want to be taken seriously, you have to be consistent. This means that you have to deliver the same message via each and every outlet that you use and to every person that you encounter, online and offline.<\/p>\n

Consistency goes back to your value proposition as a brand. Who are you and why are you in business? What makes you wake up in the morning and do what you do? What are the unique capabilities that you possess and who should benefit from them?<\/p>\n

When it comes to value proposition, I always advise clients to answer these fours questions in a single sentence:<\/p>\n