Consumers are more skeptical about corporate messaging than ever before — a trust quotient that’s been trending downward for some time.

Perhaps that shouldn’t be surprising. Poll the American public and you’ll likely find an erosion of trust in numerous areas of society. For decades, Gallup has tracked a deterioration in trust of nearly all institutions, from government to religion to the media to big business.

The Edelman Trust Barometer brings similar discouraging news for people in positions of authority. Business leaders are not exempt, with 68% of Americans saying they worry that business leaders purposely mislead people by saying things they know are false or gross exaggerations.

Clearly, this trend is worrisome for brands and their messaging, and it is one of the reasons today’s entrepreneurs, CEOs, and other business leaders can’t afford to be invisible, remaining hidden away and sending company spokespeople in their stead. People want to know who you are and what you stand for. A decade ago, it still felt appropriate — even admirable — for leaders to keep a lower profile and let the brand itself take the lead. There was even a belief that drawing attention to yourself was ego-driven or self-serving.

That’s not the world we live in anymore. Today, if you’re not willing to lead from the front—visibly, vocally, and vulnerably—people don’t trust you. The leaders who will win in the next decade are those willing to step forward, share their perspective openly, and create real dialogue with their audience.

And once you walk into the limelight, you might not find it all that bad — especially once you grow in confidence as you gain experience in being front and center, rather than in the background.

Your Message and AI

Trust in businesses and business leaders probably hasn’t been helped by artificial intelligence, but AI may have carved out an opportunity for those trying to establish their authority. If nothing else, AI may have forced the hand of many corporate leaders.

How so?

As more content is AI-generated and automated, authenticity becomes premium. The more artificial the landscape feels, the more valuable a human signal becomes. So bottom line, if you’re not shaping your narrative, the algorithm will shape it for you.

One approach to building authority that I’ve used myself is to focus less on the volume of content and more on platforms that build credibility: writing books, podcasting, and long-form conversations with industry leaders. Those formats create deeper trust and attract the right audience organically.

When you build authority first, the business model becomes much more durable — and the opportunities that follow are often bigger than anything you could have planned.

Your Message and Ethical Use of Data

Of course, there are other ways for you and your brand to either gain or lose the trust of consumers — including the ways in which you use consumer data. That data is incredibly valuable, but it can also be a slippery slope if it’s misused.

Too many companies are chasing shortcuts by buying third-party data or aggressively mining first-party data in ways that ultimately damage trust. The modern consumer is already overwhelmed with emails, texts, calls, DMs, and ads. Assuming people will be pleased to hear from you simply because they might be interested in your product is a fantasy. As one person, frustrated with their interaction with a business, posted on LinkedIn recently: “I signed up to try your tool… not to get 16 emails in three days.”

Rather than inundating consumers with information about your brand, the smarter strategy is attraction rather than intrusion. Know who you are as a brand, understand who your audience is, and place your message where they can discover you naturally instead of forcing your way into their inbox. Building your authority in your industry falls neatly into that approach.

Leaders also need to recognize that the old tactics carry real risk today. Over-emailing, mass texting, aggressive cold outreach, and poorly managed call center strategies can backfire quickly, not only damaging your reputation but even affecting the health of your domain and deliverability if (and when) you are flagged for SPAM.

The most sustainable approach is ethical marketing: know yourself, know your audience, and build systems that invite people into your ecosystem rather than chasing them across the internet.

As the leader, make yourself a visible face of the company, someone whose insights and knowledge are shared with the world, whether you are speaking at an event, being interviewed on a podcast, penning an op-ed for a newspaper, or writing a book.

In that way, you can begin to build trust, and given that our world is flooded with automation and noise, trust is the only signal that still converts.

Article from: International Business Times