We live in the information age — aptly named because we have unprecedented access to information through many platforms. Researchers estimate that between television, radio, the internet, email, and social media, the average person receives the equivalent of 174 newspapers worth of data every day. 

 That means consumers have a lot to sort through and choose from when shopping for virtually any type of product. And studies show they demand more transparency from companies to help them make an informed decision. 

 This is especially critical in digital marketing. With information so abundant and readily available, companies are becoming increasingly transparent in an effort to engage the potential customer. They’re inviting potential customers into their world rather than talking at them.

 Here are five ways that being transparent in digital marketing can win over customers:

• It builds trust. You deserve more than someone playing games with you and withholding information. Consumers expect and are entitled to know exactly what they’re signing up for. The financial advisors my firm works with, for example, tell us that they build such good rapport with their seminar attendees before the event occurs because of the way they’re featured on the event landing page. There’s a lot of “gotcha marketing” going on in the world today, and no one likes to feel like they got fooled.

• Develops loyalty. Surveys show that the vast majority of consumers will be loyal to a brand that practices transparency. Brands now have the enhanced opportunity to show their personalities and values due to the internet and social media. So consumers expect to know more about companies than ever before. And if you give them transparency, they’re willing to pay extra for it.

• Shows authenticity. To do digital marketing right, companies need to take a deep dive into who they are, where they’ve been — warts and all — and show a vulnerability that potential customers can relate to. People can see themselves in what you truthfully present. The whole objective is to create a human interaction, and being authentic in this way is one of the most powerful things you can do.

• Pairs a great offer with great value. Regardless of what you’re selling, there is some ulterior factor we’re using as an advertising carrot. An example would be a time-share presentation; get a free cruise if you sit down and listen to them talk about some product they’re trying to sell you. But the carrot blinds you from the actual intent of the event. In order to be transparent and build good trust, the offer has to be paired with value.

• Increases efficiency. Becoming more transparent through digital marketing can greatly improve a company’s efficiency by spending less time talking around product limitations and sidestepping customers’ concerns. By not embellishing your results, you save time for more productive work.

Giving consumers access to all the information they need to know without masking your intentions is a proven way to build better relationships through digital marketing.      

Jonathan Musgrave is the owner and chief digital marketer for Steep Digital Marketing (www.steepdigital.com), which he founded in 2017. His digital marketing agency specializes in seminar advertising, lead generation, and marketing automation for financial advisors.

As the leader of a fast-growing company that assists clients with their technology requirements, I operate in an environment that continually changes. Today’s questions very quickly become yesterday’s decisions. How does one keep pace? What is the effect on leadership?

Having spent most of my career in technology, I think I have a pretty good grasp on the subject of dealing with the pace of change. Yes, it seems to have accelerated, but for me the primary constant is dedicating myself to lifelong learning. Without a keen interest in learning what’s new, it would be an almost impossible task to stay current.

Since keeping current is critical in any competitive business, a common challenge organizations face is motivating employees to stay current, even across a mix of generations working together. 

From a leadership perspective, the way we help make that happen is by creating a working environment built on teams. When people work and learn together, they get comfortable enough to provide their educated opinions, which in turn oftentimes yields great results.

We started with the creation of our leadership team at iV4, comprising key stakeholders. Our meetings have become increasingly productive, but can sometimes be raucous. That’s OK because we share common goals and just sometimes disagree on how best to go about meeting them.

From there, we built both formal business teams — for example, our cybersecurity and data center teams — and informal teams, one being our recognition squad.

Teams are a great collaborative vehicle, but what happens as the company grows and teams get larger? Do you add more teams and/or more managers? Or do teams just get bulkier so they become less intimate and managers have to spread their time more?

While some people would claim this is a great problem to have, it doesn’t absolve the leader of needing solutions to address this type of situation. 

As teams within an organization grow, people-centric skills in leaders become more valuable to eliminate the distance between individual team members and leadership. A 2019 Harvard Business Review article by Julie Zhuo defines those skills as “hiring exceptional leaders, building self-reliant teams, establishing a clear vision, and communicating well.” At the same time, leaders must be nimble to know when to step in and when to get out.

Interestingly, some studies have shown that success in working in teams is more important than company culture when it comes to employee satisfaction. Clearly both are important, but it demonstrates the importance people place on working with their co-workers. Enter trust.

When you work with someone you learn you can rely on, trust starts to build. When team members are able to trust their teammates to do their parts and not undermine the team structure, teams can become very efficient, becoming cost-effective machines within the organization.

While teams are essential in growing organizations, their dynamics will likely change. At one point, I tried to participate in as many teams as possible. That just doesn’t work anymore. Also, as the CEO of the company, I’ve seen people be intimidated by my presence, even after reassuring everyone that I’m just another employee.

So, what is the right path? At iV4, we stress learning as a constant and teamwork for enhancing productivity and idea stimulation. But most importantly, we do everything we can to instill trust in everything we do. Trust with colleagues, teams based on trust and trust to question decisions that are made. And, trust with our older and younger counterparts.

Technology and companies are ever-changing, and we need to keep up. Leadership that enables a culture of trusting teamwork is what works for us.              

Mike Spoont is CEO of iV4 (www.iv4.com), an IT consulting, support, and professional services firm with offices in Fairport, Syracuse, and Amherst.