How To Establish Credibility With A Single Blog Post
Ah yes, credibility. And trust… I might as well lump that in here as well because the two go hand-in-hand.
Assuming you actually have credibility and your readers actually should trust you, a blog post like this is fairly easy to create.
If you don’t have any real credibility, and there really isn’t any reason your readers should trust you, you’re fucked… and deservedly so.
This is why it’s super important that the people who truly can create content like this actually do it. Wondering why?
It’s because content like this is one of the easiest ways to convert your blog’s visitors into full time readers, subscribers, users, and (eventually) customers.
So the question now is, how do you create content that establishes this credibility? Well, it’s pretty simple. Whatever it is your blog is about, you need to prove that you either:
- Have a deep passion for it.
- Have significant first hand experience with it.
- Have above average knowledge about it.
- Have had some amount of success with it.
- Any combination of the 4.
Like real life examples? Good, because here comes two now.
Real Life Example #1
This very blog, Create. Market. Profit., is about creating, marketing, and profiting online (duh). So, let’s think. How would someone like me who has a blog like this go about creating the type of content that proves any of the things on the list above? What could I do to establish credibility with a single blog post?
Well, for starters, I could write up an insanely comprehensive account of how I significantly increased traffic to my brand new site or blog. I could take you from the very first day – where I was getting no traffic whatsoever – to the end of the third week – where I was averaging 4,000 unique visitors per day.
I could explain exactly what I did to make this happen and exactly how I did it. I could touch on the fact that it took the creation of awesome content that went very viral and got a ton of high quality links from some of the biggest blogs in the world and hit the front page of sites like Digg and Delicious numerous times… all within the span of a few weeks.
Hell, I could even include screenshots of my traffic stats for added emphasis and proof.
Of course, this is exactly what I did do.
But, what does a post like that do for me and my blog? I’ll tell you: it accomplishes every single thing on that list above.
Every person who reads that post instantly sees that I really do have first hand experience with this stuff. They see that I really have had some degree of success with it. They see that I really am fairly knowledgeable about it, and just putting together a post like that pretty much shows that I really do have a passion for it all.
And just like that, I’ve established credibility with a single blog post.
From that point on, readers of that post will automatically trust me a little more whenever they read anything else I write about any related subject (increasing traffic, creating content, link building, etc.).
Why? Because they know the credibility is there now. I’ve proved it to them. Just by reading that one post, they now know that I’m not just some guy talking about shit I don’t really have much knowledge about, experience with, passion for, or success with.
They now know that I have all of those things, and this instantly makes them (you) more inclined to read my blog, subscribe to my feed, follow my advice, believe what I say, try what I recommend, buy what I sell, and so on and so on.
Oh, and you don’t have to take my word for it either. You’ve probably read that post by now (if you haven’t, go read it sometime). Tell me, when you got to the end of it, was a higher level of credibility established in your eyes? Did your trust in me to provide you with quality information increase at all? Did you become a little more likely to read what I write, take my advice or value my opinion?
Yeah, that’s what I figured, and that’s exactly what I set out to do.
Behold the power of credibility.
Real Life Example #2
I did something similar with my post about How I Increased Adsense Revenue From $1,000 to $10,000 Per Month, and “credibility” was one of the main reasons I wrote that post in the first place.
Sure, I wanted to do an Adsense post explaining how you can increase your revenue, and I could have easily just written that list of tips I give at the end of that post. However, I recognized that this was a perfect opportunity for me to also establish credibility, so that’s what I decided to do.
Do you think I truly enjoyed discussing certain specifics of the amount of money I’m making? Honestly, I didn’t. It made me feel a little awkward and uneasy. But, I did it because I knew it would have the complete opposite effect on you, my readers.
A post like that makes you feel good. It puts your mind at ease. It allows you to let your guard down a little and start to realize that you’re safe to listen to what I have to say. Why? Because I am a credible source of information, and a post like this helped prove it.
That is the goal with content like this, really. To make your readers stop and think “alright, this guy really is someone I should listen to.” Credibility is the only thing that causes that to happen. And when that happens, trust can be built and a relationship can be formed.
And THAT right there is the sole difference between the people on your blog being “visitors” and the people on your blog being “subscribers.”
“Visitors” and “customers.”
“Visitors” and “whatever-it-is-you-want-people-to-do-on-your-site.” You get the picture.
Credibility is a game changer. So if you have it… show it. If you don’t, you’re in the wrong niche and you probably deserve to fail.
Now You Try
Looking at the examples above, some people might be thinking that I somehow have it easy. I blog about increasing traffic, so I just need to show screenshots of my traffic stats to prove I’ve done it myself. I blog about making money online, so all I need are some screenshots from my Adsense account showing money being made.
And then taaadaaa, credibility is established.
Honestly, it’s just as easy for you. Assuming you truly do have the credibility, it’s really the same with any other blog niche.
Follow my lead. This is essentially a blog about making money online. How do I prove to you that I have at least some idea what I’m talking about? Well, the easiest and most obvious way is by showing you that I actually do make money online.
How do I prove to you that I really do know how to increase traffic to a new site or blog? By showing you that I’ve done it myself and by walking you through the entire process of how I did it.
It’s not rocket science, kids. If you’re in a niche where you can show success-based proof (as in: “I’ve actually done it myself”), then do it. It’s the first thing every visitor to your blog will be looking for.
Here are some more examples…
- Have a blog about weight loss or fitness or something similar? Let’s see what you look like. Better yet, let’s see how it compares to what you used to look like. Let’s hear the story of how you did it. Let’s see a progress graph showing how much weight you lost or how much muscle you built over whatever period of time you lost it/built it. Show me that you’ve done it or are at least well on your way to doing it.
- Have a blog about knitting or drawing or art/crafts or design or Photoshop or anything similar? Show me the coolest and most impressive stuff you’ve made. Show me that you can do it/have done it.
- Have a blog about travel? Let’s see pictures of you in some of the coolest places you’ve traveled to. Let’s hear what it was like there. What hotels did you stay in? What landmarks did you visit? Show me that you’ve been there and done that.
The fact of the matter is people don’t want weight loss advice from a fat guy. People don’t want travel info from someone who hasn’t actually been anywhere. People don’t want to read a cooking blog written by someone who orders in 7 nights a week. People redoing their bathroom want to learn from someone who has already redone their own bathroom.
If you’re in a niche like this, the first thing your visitors will do is seek out proof that you’ve done it/can do it/are doing it. Give them what they want.
And if you can’t, be it because you haven’t actually done it yourself or in your specific case, in your specific niche, it just doesn’t really allow or call for a “success” type of post like this, then just move on to something else on that list I mentioned earlier.
If you can’t prove your success, prove your passion, or knowledge, or experience. It’s just as easy.
- Have a blog about TV or movies? Show me your badass DVD collection.
- Have a blog about sports? Tell me about the 5 greatest games you’ve been to live.
- Have a blog about comics and other equally nerdy stuff? Show me pictures of you at Comic-Con.
I could keep going and going and going.
(Need an example for your specific niche? Mention it in the comments.)
Content like this is not required, it’s just the fastest and easiest way to establish credibility.
Now, posts like this are not required for establishing credibility and building trust. Honestly, as long as you truly are credible and worthy of being trusted, it will come across in the quality of your blog’s content.
And, when people gradually read more and more of your content, they will just as gradually begin to realize that you are indeed credible and trustworthy.
The very big problem however is my use of the word “gradually.” It takes a lot of reading of a lot of content over a significant period of time before credibility is established this way. It definitely works, it’s just that it takes time to work.
And many times, visitors to your blog won’t be willing to put in that time.
On the other hand, creating the type of blog content that I am talking about in this post does NOT take time to work. It works instantly to establish some level of credibility and trust the second someone reads it.
In many cases, this instant credibility is all you need to convert your traffic into regular readers, subscribers, users, customers, or whatever else.
In just as many cases, a lack of this instant credibility is exactly what will turn them away.
you really got me there, bulls eye.
Fantastic post and I couldn’t agree more! This is quickly becoming one of my favorite blogs.
I can’t speak for anyone else but I know I subscribed to your feed about halfway through the post about increasing traffic to your new site.
Deric: My aim is spectacular.
Matt: Yup, according to some basic analytics, many people subscribe to my feed after reading that post (and the Adsense post). People may start on some other post, then go on to some other post, then go on to one of those… and THAT’S when a lot of them decide to subscribe. Content that proves that you really are credible really does work.
Another great post. Too many puffers out there. A suggestion; add the WP-Email plugin so I can forward your stuff around. Plus, you will get to track what gets emailed.
I have already shared your traffic post with my partner on our privacy blog and your Adsense post with another guy. I started tinkering with Adsense on my blog and within a week earnings were up 350%. Thanks!
RTG: Thanks for sharing, always appreciated. Regarding my lack of some sort of “email this” option, there actually is one (and it tracks, too). The social media icons at the end of the post… the one on the right with the + in the middle… hover over that for an “email” link. Although, the fact that I have to point this out probably means it could be done better.
Awesome job with the 350% Adsense increase. Testing/tinkering works. The process may seem like a pain in the ass at first, but you’d be surprised how fast that pain dissipates when revenue starts increasing by the second.
Don’t stop now, though. Keep on testing.
Wow, a lot to take in there, albeit you definitely nailed it. Brilliant writing and great examples to take from, thanks!