Establishing and building trust with your audience online is fast becoming the most important digital marketing currency. And it’s not surprising, given the recent rise in generative AI and deepfake technology.
In a world where everything online seems fake, learning how to earn trust and promote authenticity with your audience is now the most important skill to master.
Deepfakes, generative AI, and establishing audience trust
As we’ve previously explored, generative AI empowers anyone to quickly create low-grade content such as text, images or video with a few prompts. Deepfake technology is a form of artificial intelligence that allows you to create convincing fake images, videos or audio recordings by using a person’s likeness to make them appear or say things they never actually did.
Every day, often without being cognizant of it, your customers and clients are exposed to content created by generative AI and deepfake technology. From videos about politicians and celebrities to scam calls, articles and images, it’s everywhere.
But as we become more exposed to these types of content, we become more aware and more vigilant about spotting the fakes. According to recent insights from the Forbes Business Council, fewer than half of consumers believe what they see online. This is creating a challenge for businesses who now have to work harder to establish trust and loyalty with their audiences. As AI makes content production practically free and infinite, global media commentators are predicting that human-written content will evolve into a “luxury good”—a scarce, premium, and trusted commodity.
How to increase trust with your audience online
According to insights from the Edelman Trust Barometer 2025, 90% of consumers will purchase from brands that they trust, while 87% are happy to pay more for products from trusted brands. But how do you create trust with your audience in a world where everything feels so fake? Here are a few ways to increase your trust signals:
- Where possible, name the author of your content.
- Verify your social media accounts and keep them up-to-date.
- Focus on creating high-value, meaningful content that connects with your audience rather than producing a lot of content for the sake of it.
- Create content that feels raw or unedited, such as videos where you talk directly to the camera without many or any edits, or behind-the-scenes footage. People love to see the real stuff in life.
- Ensure your website links to your social media pages, and includes a news section where all business announcements are uploaded. If anything seems suspicious, people can check your website to confirm what’s real.
By prioritising the relationship with your audience and creating meaningful content that speaks to them, you’ll organically build trust, advocacy and loyalty.
