Trust signals for PR & Marketing — Scott Baradell // Idea Grove

Scott Baradell, CEO of Idea Grove, talks about how trust signals work and when to use them. When customers trust your brand, they are more likely to support it and make repeat purchases. And trust signals like a well-designed website with good navigation and endorsements from reputable sources send a signal to consumers that the brand is credible and trustworthy. Today, Scott discusses trust signals for PR and marketing.
About the speaker

Scott Baradell

Idea Grove

 - Idea Grove

Scott is the CEO of Idea Grove

Show Notes

  • 02:29
    How marketers and PR can build trust signals
    Trust signals refer to the things that enable trust to develop between people. Marketers and PR professionals can intentionally build trust with existing and potential customers for their brands when they start viewing trust through that prism of trust signals.
  • 04:11
    The importance of brand trust and third party validation
    When clients approach a PR firm to increase brand visibility, what they really want to build is brand trust that cannot be achieved through self-promotion alone. To achieve brand trust, third-party validation through media coverage is necessary.
  • 05:32
    Classifying trust signals
    Trust signals are categorized into website, inbound, and SEO trust signals. Website trust signals include things like Better Business Bureau seals, customer and partner logos, research-based and engaging content, and easy navigation to form a connection between the website and user.
  • 07:22
    Inbound trust signals
    Inbound trust signals refer to evidence points outside of a website that lead customers back to it and influence their path to purchase. These signals include third-party validations like online reviews and articles and are essential in building trust and closing sales.
  • 10:55
    SEO trust signals
    SEO trust signals are factors that Google uses to evaluate a website's credibility, such as backlinks, site speed, and domain age. When Google has increased trust in a website or brand, they increase its visibility, so these signals are important to manage and optimize.
  • 13:47
    Why third party validation and SEO trust signals are distinct factors
    Google is the biggest arbiter of trust today and Google's algorithms play a crucial role in elevating trusted sources and curating what appears at the top of search results. As a result, businesses must be aware of the signals they are sending to Google.
  • 14:59
    Prioritizing trust signals
    Start with a website that represents the brand well as it is the foundation for bringing in inbound trust signals. While it can be challenging for businesses to invest in their website, it is crucial in convincing clients and achieving a higher take rate on media pitches.

Quotes

  • "Brand trust can really only be achieved or is best achieved through third-party validation." -Scott Baradell, CEO, Idea Grove

  • "I've put trust signals into three main categories, website trust signals, inbound trust signals, and SEO trust signals." -Scott Baradell, CEO, Idea Grove

  • "The term trust signals is about 25 years old. It was coined in the early days of eCommerce when people were just trying to figure out if they felt safe banking online, or providing their CC details online." -Scott Baradell, CEO, Idea Grove

  • "Almost everything that people do on their path to purchase involves things that you don't control. They're looking for third parties to validate you rather than for you to say good things about yourself." -Scott Baradell, CEO, Idea Grove

  • "You're going to say good things about yourself. It's the other people saying good things about you that has real influence and truly builds trust." -Scott Baradell, CEO, Idea Grove

  • "In Edelmans last Trust Barometer survey of 30,000 people, they asked Americans, what is your most trusted or source of news, and they didn't say New York Times or Fox News, they said Google News." -Scott Baradell, CEO, Idea Grove

  • "There's no point in getting search traffic to a crappy website." -Scott Baradell, CEO, Idea Grove

About the speaker

Scott Baradell

Idea Grove

 - Idea Grove

Scott is the CEO of Idea Grove

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