If focusing on the truth of their products or services is something your client values, they’re likely investing in the help of influencers. Given America’s obsession about weeding out fake news, businesses want to ensure that they’re not on the receiving end of public scrutiny — especially not when consumers are watching every dollar. So, your clients may be thinking, why not invest in a real live human to promote their wares and inspire trust? The problem with influencers is that they’re not the most trustworthy source.

Influencers

According to a study by Ipsos, only 3% of U.S. adults find influencers really trustworthy. (That’s the same percentage as those who trust politicians… yikes). And only another 12% trust influencers even a little. The remaining 85% either don’t care about influencers or distrust them in varying degrees. In short, if your clients are currently investing their ad dollars in influencers, they’re likely wasting their money.

What do Consumers Find Trustworthy?

Reviews

That’s not to say that American consumers don’t trust other people. They simply don’t trust those who are getting paid to endorse a product or service. Instead, they’d rather hear from other consumers just like them. That’s why reviews from other shoppers are the most trustworthy source for products and services. 10% of consumers trust reviews a great deal and 39% trust them at least a little. Only 21% of consumers distrust reviews by other consumers. So, reviews need to be incorporated into your client’s marketing strategy, even if it’s just making the reviews more visible on the client’s website.

Articles on Social Media

Another trustworthy source among consumers is articles that their friends and acquaintances have shared on social media platforms. 26% of consumers trust this source at least a little bit. Is your client currently active on social media? That’s step one. Step two is publishing content worth sharing. Post your client’s white papers, new product announcements, and such on their social channels. Also, if their product or service was included in some kind of recommendation article, share that post! Consumers also trust the word of other companies and brands (31%). To find out which social media channels your client’s customers are most active on, check out their audience profiles on AudienceSCAN on AdMall by SalesFuel.

TV Commercials

The COVID-​19 pandemic has more people turning to their TVs for both updates on current happenings and for entertainment while cooped up at home. This is great news for advertisers for a few reasons. One, the obvious, because potential customers are consuming more TV content, including commercials. Two, their trust in the medium is growing. Ipsos found that 23% of American consumers find information they see on TV at least a little bit trustworthy. While you’re looking up social channels to use on AudienceSCAN, you can also see what types of TV programming your client’s target audiences are tuning into.