Pay attention

Just don’t mistake its value as a content marketing goal. [View Message in Browser]( / [Add Us to Safe Sender List]( WEEKLY NEWS 3.1.24 WEEKLY NEWS 3.1.24  FEATURED [How To Get the Most From Your Business Podcast (and Pitfalls To Avoid)]( By A. Lee Judge First rule of business podcasts: Remember that you’re not in the business of podcasting. The podcast is just fuel for a content engine that drives your business. Here’s how to fire it up. [Read more](  READ OR LISTEN TO MORE STORIES FROM THIS WEEK: [Your 4-Part Guide To Crafting a Winning Content Plan]( by Jodi Harris Knowing your content goals is one thing. Knowing how you’ll achieve them is another. A content plan outlines all the specific steps for activating the vision expressed in your content strategy. Focus on these four areas to build one. [Air Canada’s Chatbot Fail Should Propel You To Address These AI Questions]( by Content Marketing Institute Team Air Canada tried to throw its chatbot under the bus for giving incorrect information to a customer. But a Canadian court sided with the chatbot (and the customer). What does that mean for brands using public-facing generative AI tools? [Attention vs. Trust: Which Should Content Marketers Prioritize?]( by Robert Rose Don’t mistake the time a consumer spends with content as an indicator of trust. Surprisingly, as trust goes up, attention goes down. So, which should you focus on? [ICYMI: With Gated Content, Trust Goes Both Ways. Don’t Ask Until You’ve Earned It]( by Robert Rose Is your brand willing to trust first? Your answer can determine the success of your company’s gated and free content assets — and your long-term content marketing goals.  A NOTE FROM ROBERT ROSE Pay attention If you had to pick the impact your content would have on a potential customer, would you choose: - Deeper trust but quickly fading attention and recall or - Fixed attention and great recall but minimal, if any, trust? I know you want both, but in this exercise, you can have only one. You may say you can’t have one without the other. You might argue, “If I don’t trust it, I’m not going to pay attention, and I won’t pay attention if it’s something I don’t trust.” Yet, you do both independently all the time. In 2019, Edelman’s yearly research on trust showed that [only one in three]( (34%) consumers said they trust most of the brands they buy or use. In other words, people buy stuff from brands they don’t trust. This finding amazed me, but it made sense as I thought about it. I recently received an email from the credit card company I use. I read it and scoffed at their attempt to upsell me a new type of card. The brand had my attention, and I recalled the message. But I didn’t care enough to act on the offer. Still, that doesn’t mean I’ll stop using my existing credit card. In comparison, I do my banking with USAA. I deeply trust that brand, but I can’t tell you the last marketing email I received from them. When I searched to find out, I realized I get one just about every day. I just don’t remember. “May I have your attention?” and “Do I have your trust?” are two different questions. Yet many marketers still conflate and correlate one with the other. It’s easy to assume that time spent with content will deepen the consumer’s trust in the content or brand. That just isn’t true. [Researchers have found]( as “trust increases, attention decreases (in proportion).” It makes perfect sense. As people feel more safe and secure in a probable outcome, they need to pay less attention to the actual material. Their guard goes down, and their openness to the new or uncertain thing goes up. When your best friend suggests something new, you immediately say yes without asking for justification or reasons because you trust them implicitly. Author Stephen Covey calls that concept [The Speed of Trust]( in his book of the same name. As he writes: “(N)othing is as fast as the speed of trust … In a high-trust relationship, you can say the wrong thing and people will still get your meaning. In a low-trust relationship, you can be very measured, even precise, and they’ll still misinterpret you.“ The speed of trust in deepening and widening relationships with customers is essential. It’s precious and can be broken quickly. As marketers, you must focus on making every communication trustworthy, many times to the sacrifice of garnering attention. Here’s an example: I often see ads and content on social media for competing products of a website I just visited. The headline usually contains some eye-popping statistic inches away from being a lie. It gets my attention. But as soon as I read it, I mistrust the content. I might even click on the link to see how ridiculous it is. And, funny enough, I might even share it with a friend with a note saying, “Look how ridiculous this is.” Put simply, the content got my attention but failed to develop trust at the moment of truth. Trust is your goal as a content marketer. Don’t squander it. In Rose-Colored Glasses this week, I explain [how to use content to earn your audience's trust]( at each moment of truth. In the meantime, remember: It’s your story. Tell it well. Robert Rose Chief Strategy Advisor Content Marketing Institute Robert Rose Chief Strategy Advisor Content Marketing Institute Would any of your colleagues or friends benefit from Robert's weekly updates? Please invite them to [subscribe]( here.  SPONSORED CONTENT Uncover the Power of DXPs – Your Gateway to Digital Experiences! Discover the cutting-edge world of Digital Experience Platforms (DXPs) – the game-changer in modern martech solutions. Delve into the distinction between CMS and DXP to revolutionize your digital strategy. [Ready to Elevate Your Digital Presence? »]( MORE FROM CMI Deadline Tonight: Mentorship Program Are you looking for career guidance from someone outside your organization who understands the content marketing landscape? Need to talk through the challenges you face? CMI’s mentorship program gives you a chance to broaden your network and receive one-on-one guidance to expand your perspective and learn the skills you need to succeed. Apply by 11:59 p.m. tonight, March 1, for this free program to grow your content marketing expertise. 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