With chatbots, virtual assistants, and AI-generated content becoming more prevalent, internet users are starting to question what’s real and what’s artificial online. This skepticism presents a trust issue for brands in the AI era.
As AI capabilities advance, consumers are seeking out authenticity and human connections more than ever before. Brands that double down on AI without balancing it with a human touch risk damaging consumer trust. On the other hand, those that embrace AI thoughtfully while emphasizing real human experiences can strengthen trust and loyalty.
Here are some ways for brands to humanize their use of AI and build trust in the AI era:
1. Conduct Audience Research to Create Relevant Content
The best way to create content that resonates is to understand your audience’s true needs and perspectives. Here are some ways to conduct quality audience research:
Analyze Conversations with Customers
Look through sales call notes, support tickets, and any other conversations your team has with customers. Identify common pain points, objections, and ways customers describe your product. Use AI tools to analyze conversations at scale if needed.
Interview Customers
Set up interviews specifically to understand how customers talk about problems and your product. Ask about their journey and micro-moments. Look for insights you can turn into helpful content.
Monitor Online Discussions
See where your audience hangs out digitally like forums, Reddit, Quora, and social media. Observe the language they use and the questions they ask. Learn what problems they want solved.
Survey Customers
Well-designed surveys and polls give you quantitative data on customer needs. Send surveys after purchases, transactions, or content consumption to find improvement areas.
Research Competitors
Study competitors’ messaging and content gaps you can fill. But take care not to simply copy them. Use it to generate unique ideas tailored to your customers.
Analyze Performance Data
Look at metrics on past content and campaigns to identify your most effective topics, formats, and distribution channels. Find ways to expand on what has resonated.
2. Work with Real Experts to Lend Credibility
Creating content with your internal experts lends credibility and trust that AI-generated content lacks. Here are some tips:
Identify the Right Experts
Find experts who are passionate about solving customer problems vs. just promoting your product. They share practical insights audiences crave.
Handle Logistics Responsively
Respect your experts’ time constraints. Conduct 30-60 minute interviews at their convenience. Use AI to help refine notes into draft posts for their review.
Coach Experts on Storytelling
If needed, teach experts how to translate expertise into compelling stories and examples readers can relate to.
Feature a Range of Perspectives
Diverse perspectives from different experts keeps content fresh and multidimensional. Vary the departments and roles you pull from.
Let Experts Review and Approve
Make sure experts review content for accuracy and approve the final draft. They know best if you captured their knowledge.
Repurpose Broadly
Turn a one-hour interview into multiple blog posts, social posts, and video clips. Maximize the value from your expert’s time investment.
3. Adopt a More Customer-Centric Mindset
Focusing on truly helping customers should be what guides your AI strategy. Here are some principles of a customer-centric mindset:
Map the Entire Journey
Look beyond quick transactions. Understand how customers discover, research, and engage with your brand over weeks or months before purchasing.
Design Around Micro-Moments
Identify moments that matter most, like discovering a need, comparing options, and deciding to buy. Meet customers where they are in each moment.
Obsess Over Problem-Solving
Go beyond superficial content to address real frustrations, objections, and sources of confusion that impact customers’ ability to achieve their goals.
Prioritize Long-Term Relationships
Build trust by showing you care about customers’ ongoing success after a purchase, not just short-term sales. Take their whole experience into account.
Incorporate Real Experiences
Weave in genuine customer stories that put a human face on your brand. Syndicate user-generated content when possible.
Keep Listening and Learning
Continuously gather first-party data through surveys, feedback forms, online community monitoring, and other research. Let new insights guide your evolution.
The AI era requires reinventing outdated, self-promotional marketing to focus on problem-solving value. By embracing a customer-centric mindset in your strategy and content, you demonstrate authenticity.
4. Infuse Authenticity with Unique Perspectives
While AI can generate endless content, it can’t replicate real human perspectives and stories that build rapport. Some ideas:
Share Your Why
Let your brand purpose and origin story shine through. Share how your journey led you to solve problems for customers.
Spotlight Your Team
Let the individual personalities and passions of your team members come through. They are the real faces behind your brand.
Give Podium to Customers
Incorporate user stories, testimonials, and reviews in your own words from real customers.
Be Transparent
Openly discuss your brand values, culture, and commitment to customers. Don’t shy away from talking about failures and lessons learned.
Pose Thought-Provoking Questions
Don’t just lecture. Engage readers by asking for opinions, feedback, and ideas on improving.
Take a Stand
Advocate for issues like sustainability and inclusion that align with your values. Readers increasingly want brands to take a stand.
Encourage Diverse Opinions
While maintaining civility, make sure not to shy away from topics that generate some controversy and debate. It shows you embrace diversity of thought and are open to different opinions.
The more readers get to know the real people behind your brand, the more inclined they are to trust you. Find ways to infuse authenticity into your content through unique perspectives.
The Key is Balance in the AI Era
AI offers amazing opportunities to improve efficiency, personalization, and innovation. But going overboard with AI without the human touch can backfire. The key is adopting AI thoughtfully and strategically, while doubling down on authentic human connections.
Conduct ongoing audience research, create content with experts, encourage authentic voices, and keep the customer journey at the center. Forge genuine connections and your brand will earn trust in the AI era. Dehumanize the customer experience and you’ll drive them away. It’s really that simple.