One of themes important building blocks for your small business marketing is trust.
A recent report on marketing trends for 2025 highlighted the importance of customer trust. Did you know, for example, that eight out of 10 people in Britain now say they don’t trust social media content? However, almost two thirds prefer business content to celebrity or influencer posts. Find out how trust-based marketing can help build your business brand this year. 

Share your values 

Over half of people prefer brands whose values align with their own. If we spend a moment thinking about it, this clearly shows the importance of strong local connections. People care about where they live and work, and that gives local businesses an advantage over large corporate competitors. 
 
Customer trust is important for small business success. You can help to build on this with local advertising that shows how you work in the local community. It’s your opportunity to outshine expensive but clinical corporate marketing with authentic and relevant content. 
 

Tell ‘real’ stories 

One of the best ways to show how you serve your local community is through real-life examples. As a smaller local business, you have a big advantage over large impersonal organisations. You will often have well-established relationships with your customers. They might have been buying from you for years or even decades. With their permission, you can show how you solve their problems and help people every day. Even better, ask them to leave reviews and provide testimonials in their own words 
 

Understand your influencers 

The role of influencers who comment about certain subjects on social media is changing. We’re all more selective about the content we value and can quickly spot advertising and promotional content. As people mistrust what they see they will look for more reliable sources. 
 
That’s especially true for business to business (B2B) marketing. The latest trend to change the role of influencers is Real-User Content or RUC. It’s a step on from user-generated content (UGC) that shares actual experiences without any marketing polish. That’s why people still turn to Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts to learn something new or find inspiration. 
 
Video-driven social searches have become more popular. Video content isn’t just for scrolling, it helps people learn and discover new ideas. Best of all, this type of content allows you and your happy customers to speak directly to your audience. 
 

Be ‘authentic’ 

Authenticity’ continues as a theme this year. By answering questions not only about what you do, but how and why, you will create authentic content. 
 
People like to know what you’re doing and why ‘in the moment’, including the challenges and problems. You can admit when things go wrong and explain what you did. A little bit of personality and humour can create memorable content that stands out. 
 

What about AI? 

It might seem like artificial intelligence or AI is everywhere, but does it have a place for small business marketing? Generative AI or GenAI tools are widely available, but most people want clear labels for this type of content. They also want to know it’s ethical and legal. 
 

Your plans for 2025 

As you plan your marketing this year, consider opportunities to reinforce your position as a genuine local business. You can complement your authentic content with printed advertising that links seamlessly to your digital channels. 
 
Talk to our helpful team. We’re always happy to help you to build trust in your business brand with our titles. 
Share this post: