Over the past few decades, consumers have been bombarded with a never-ending stream of advertisements and promotions. TV placements, website pop-ups, magazine ads, billboards and more. Wherever you look there’s somebody trying to capture your attention and sell something to you. But during those times, little was known about how good the product was.
Until the era of the blogger.
Everyone knows that word-of-mouth referrals are the top tier of referrals—and bloggers created that and then some. These trusted voices managed to cut through the noise and build a loyal following of engaged consumers. By sharing their personal experiences, offering expert advice, and prioritising transparency, bloggers helped revolutionise the way consumers perceived products and services, elevating consumer trust to new heights.
Nowadays, with so much noise in the online space, and more people capitalising on blogging as a career path, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for consumers to distinguish between genuine recommendations and paid promotions. You only have to look at Instagram to find people not disclosing paid partnerships, or look at Youtube to find beauty influencers changing their opinion on a product they previously (and publicly) disliked when payment is involved.
However, when you look outside of the few just looking to make a quick buck and past the vanity metrics of influencer follower counts, you’ll see that the trust that bloggers helped establish is still there. And that’s because (the majority of) bloggers focussed on value and integrity. They:
- Helped customers to make informed decisions by sharing their expertise, providing in-depth reviews and tips and tricks, opening up discussions or retelling personal stories from their travels and excursions.
- Built genuine community and connection by sharing areas of their lives, enabling them to authentically connect with others around a shared interest or passion. Whether it’s work, a hobby, a product, a book or a trend. Getting involved in the conversations that occurred by answering questions and responding to comments.
- Provided transparency as a default, talking about products and services which aligned with their interests, sharing their real opinions and disclosing when something was paid or gifted—and being honest when it didn’t do what it claimed to.
By prioritising authenticity, transparency, engagement, and expertise, bloggers successfully elevated consumer trust in the online space. And now these practices have been adopted by businesses across the globe—with many incorporating integrity and value into their brand and content strategies as a core pillar.
For me, there’s no doubt that bloggers helped change the game and revolutionised consumer trust in the process. But what do you think?
