Establishing trust with customers through content marketing is easier said than done. The following isn’t an exhaustive list, but what I consider four important criteria necessary for building trust.

1. Authority
To establish authority, first you have to actually be an authority. No faking it with your customers. They’ll know whether you’re an authority they trust by the kind of content you offer and how you present it to them.

2. Accessibility
Content marketing relies on conversations, and it’s hard to trust someone you can’t get in touch with.  When you’re customers want to engage with you and your brand, don’t go into hiding. If they call you, answer the phone. If they ask for something, respond to their requests immediately. Accessibility leads to trust, because knowing you’re there is one less thing your customers will worry about.

3. Accuracy
People make decisions and form opinions with the information they have on hand. If your content is filled with inaccurate language and inflated claims about your products and services, your customers will find out. Even if you’re not “technically” lying, think how disappointed customers will be when they feel misled. Accuracy is part of building trust because it helps you manage expectations.

4. Transparency
Like accuracy, transparency suggests that your organization has nothing to hide. Be honest with customers. If your organization does something wrong, own up to it. Again, it’s only a matter of time before they find out anyway.