316 - 4 Pillars of a Known & Trusted Brand with Marcus Sheridan
Mar 7, 2025
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Marcus Sheridan, co-founder of Priceguide.ai and author of Endless Customer, dives into the evolving landscape of trust in marketing. He discusses how AI is reshaping brand discovery and the shift towards transparent pricing and self-service experiences. Sheridan emphasizes the four pillars of a trusted brand and the importance of radical transparency. He also explores innovative marketing strategies that prioritize storytelling and agility over traditional SEO, urging marketers to adapt and create meaningful connections with their audience.
Building a known and trusted brand now requires businesses to prioritize transparency, particularly around pricing, to meet evolving consumer expectations.
The integration of AI and self-service strategies is essential for brands to adapt to changing buyer behaviors and enhance customer engagement.
Deep dives
Challenges in Customer Acquisition
Many businesses are currently facing significant difficulties in acquiring customers, primarily due to shifts in how customers now discover and trust brands. The impact of AI on traditional search and marketing tactics has left many brands struggling to gain visibility and trust in a crowded marketplace. Personal injury attorneys, for example, reported a marked decrease in results from Google, indicating a broader shift in consumer behavior that demands companies adapt. Moreover, with a rising preference for seller-free buying experiences, it is crucial for brands to offer self-service options to meet new consumer expectations.
The Importance of Branding
To succeed in today's market, businesses must focus on becoming well-known and trusted brands rather than solely relying on traditional SEO methods. Building brand trust is increasingly critical as consumer confidence in brands declines, highlighting a need for transparent communication and engagement. With more companies now recognizing the limitations of their reliance on Google search rankings, a shift towards establishing personal and business brands is imperative. Becoming a known and trusted brand will serve as a sustainable foundation for long-term success, especially in the face of rapidly evolving market dynamics.
Four Pillars of Building Trust
To establish a known and trusted brand, four essential pillars should be adopted by businesses. First, companies must be willing to address questions and topics that others in their industry avoid discussing, particularly those related to pricing and value. Second, brands should utilize video to reveal insights that competitors shy away from, presenting a more transparent view of their operations and offerings. The final two pillars involve innovating sales approaches, such as self-service tools and allowing customers to select their sales representatives, while also fostering a more human-centric experience to enhance authentic connections with consumers.
The Future of Marketing Success
As the marketing landscape evolves, brands are encouraged to adopt creative strategies and prioritize relationship-building over traditional metrics like clicks and conversions. The shift to a more omnipresent approach across various platforms is vital, necessitating marketers to be more innovative and bold in their tactics. Emphasizing a human element in marketing communications can also facilitate strong connections with the audience, essential for trust-building. Thus, marketers must evolve alongside the changing market conditions, embracing risks and creativity to achieve notable results.
How do you create trust between your brand and its audience? How do you get people to truly know what you’re all about?
Google something right now. What’s the first thing that pops up on the page? In the past, you’d say a website link or shopping suggestions. But now, you get AI summaries, suggestions, and more. We’ve got Marcus Sheridan to break down what’s happening and how SEO is transforming alongside AI capabilities. If your business is built on solely Google Ads and Google Search, it’s time to venture out and seek AI-focused strategies.
And, Marcus talks about the buyer's journey and how it’s evolving. Gone are the days of needing a quote and requesting via form. Instead, companies are realizing that being upfront and transparent about cost are doing much better than those who don’t—and it’s all a part of a customer-featured self service model.
Plus, how should companies measure and track success? The reality is that we can’t actually measure as accurately as we’d like to, BUT there’s so many ways to reframe success.
If you’re a marketer who wants to level up your brand’s AI game and keep up with what’s happening with the latest in UX/CX, this is the episode for you.