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🧲 Turn your content into a trust magnet [templates inside] [SAF #141]
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Hey Reader, Ever spent hours crafting the perfect blog post, only to realize it sounds exactly like every other result on Google’s first page? Yeah, been there. It hurts. Information overload isn't just a cliché anymore. It's our everyday reality. ChatGPT spits out more advice in three seconds than most humans do in a week—so why the hell should your audience trust your content over what an AI regurgitates? They probably shouldn't. Unless your content does something more than just deliver information. It creates trust. Trust is why people say:
Last week, I sent an email about trust lag → you can read it here in case you missed it. I got three replies, all of them saying the same thing in different words: “I bought from you because of your emails”. Which, of course, sent me on a spiral trying to figure out the mechanics behind winning people’s trust through content. So this is what we’re exploring today. Before that, a quick word from today’s partner, who’s building a solution I’m VERY excited about. 📣 Brought to you by 📣Founders Tree Tired of "Zoom coffees" that lead nowhere? So am I! If you've ever thought, "I wish I knew if it even makes sense to talk to this person", I've got good news for you: Founders Tree is a brand-new app that will change how we network. You only get matched with people you have a goal in common, so you never waste time on calls or even irrelevant DMs. Looking for a partner? You'll be matched with another partner seeker. Want to sell a service? You'll be matched with someone who's looking for that exact service. Need a mentor? You'll be matched with someone who's looking for a mentee. I’m one of the first people who joined the waitlist because I believe in its potential. Also, because I want the early bird access fee and the free trial when it goes live 😁. Want to be the first to know when it launches, say goodbye to useless Zoom coffees, and get founding member privileges?
Want your name up here? Grab a slot! Why trust-infused content wins(almost) every timeInformation alone stopped being impressive when anyone could type a prompt into ChatGPT. Your reader isn't lacking information — they're drowning in it. What they do lack is clarity, context, and someone brave enough to say "Hey, here's what really works, and here's where I screwed up." People trust people who offer clarity, confidence, and, yes, vulnerability. Neuroscience backs this up: storytelling literally triggers the release of oxytocin, the “trust hormone,” in your reader's brain. If you want your content to actually convert—not just inform—you need to strategically layer it with credibility, in a structure your reader can trust. So should you ditch ALL information and focus on relatability and vulnerability? NO! Absolutely not! The fine line between trust-building and informational contentI know a few people in my niche who are great at what they do, and they have the Stripe screenshots to prove it. Yet, I wouldn’t trust them to tell me the time. I’d expect them to slightly tweak the real time if it served them. → These people publish A LOT of relatable content and very little actual information. There’s a dark side to storytelling, and too many people exploit it. In my book, there are two components to trust — to trust someone enough to hand over your hard-earned money:
For instance, this is why I jumped at the chance to promote Founders Tree, my friend Alexander’s new project AND to join it myself: I trust him. If I hadn’t known him and what he’s about, I would have politely declined. So yeah, you need both. Without informational content, you sound like an influencer who tries to capitalize on trauma pr0n. Without relatability, you sound as sterile as Wikipedia stumps. So how do you balance these out in your content? The anatomy of trust-infused content that’s neither shallow nor sleazyQuick note: the frameworks below are not set in stone. Toy with them a bit and make them yours: 1. Trust-infused social media postThe anatomy:
Example (LinkedIn): Intro: I once spent three days wordsmithing a single post and designing. Micro-story: It flopped—30 likes, zero leads. Then I wrote a messy, slightly ranty post in 12 minutes while waiting for coffee. Lesson: People don’t want polish. They want perspective. Proof: That “messy” post landed 4 DMs and 2 new clients. Invitation: What’s your “this shouldn’t have worked, but it did” post? Disclaimer: this is an intentionally bland and vanilla AF example to make it easier to adapt to your own voice and stories. 2. Trust-infused newsletter (story → insight → next step)The anatomy:
If you look closely, a lot of my newsletter issues follow this framework, or they’re derived from it. Example: Opening story: Last week, a client confessed he spent six months tweaking his homepage, yet saw zero uptick in conversions. Realization moment: Turns out, he was optimizing information, not trust. Framework: Here's the three-step framework we used to fix it within a week: [...] Invitation to action: Want similar results? Book a discovery call with me here. 3. Trust-infused blog post (intro → core content → CTA)The anatomy:
Example intro for blog post: 90% of my clients think their content isn't converting because they're bad writers. The dissection of the balancing actSee how the examples above work? They DO offer information, but they’re not bland, soulless “how-tos”. [A good primer on “how I” vs “how to” content.] I’m a firm believer that how-to content is here to stay and, yes, it needs to be written by humans, too, not just AI. Because it’s valuable. Because it’s more than stories about someone stumbling upon luck. If you look at most of my newsletter issues, you’ll see that I do three things:
So yes, AI can take care of TOFU (Top Of The Funnel) content, but human writers who enjoy their audience’s trust add some extra layers:
Remember, your job isn't just to inform — it's to interpret and apply. Your reader doesn't need another ChatGPT summary. They need a trustworthy filter: you. Radical honesty: the real trust shortcutEver wonder why people still buy from brands openly admitting their weaknesses? It’s simple: honesty is refreshing. In a world of Chads promising overnight six-figure funnels, blunt honesty about what your product can't do makes your claims about what it can do believable. Next time you introduce your product, service, or idea, clearly state the limitations up front. For example: "This masterclass won't make you rich by Tuesday. It will, however, teach you how to reliably create profitable content without guessing what works." You don’t lose sales by being honest — you just filter out unrealistic expectations and you avoid angry clients and their pitchforks. The same applies to the storytelling in your content. No matter how good a story is, ditch it if it’s made up. Quick reminder: there’s nothing quick about building trustIf you came here hoping for a magic trust hack, sorry to disappoint. Trust-building isn't a weekend workshop — it's a relentless practice. Your next post, next email, next blog: each builds a layer of credibility and familiarity. It compounds. So don’t panic if the first piece doesn’t blow up immediately. Trust compounds slowly but pays massive dividends over time. I wrote more about that in my manifesto. Speaking of honesty, I need to confess something: I’m a relentless fighter against bro hacks and overpromising — you probably already know that. Still, I get it. I get why people buy from them. I get why they want the quick fix rather than the years of work. The human brain is wired to seek pleasure, not pain. And building trust is a painstakingly slow process. We’ll talk building trust and influence without the thirst traps, the fake vulnerability, or the endless content treadmill in next week’s issue. Your repeatable method for profitable trust-infused contentIf you're tired of guessing what kind of content will resonate, convert, and build trust, check out my Profitable Content Engine masterclass. You’ll get a straightforward, zero-fluff method to consistently create trust-first content that reliably converts (without feeling salesy or spammy). And you’ll have Convertly Lab, my custom GPT, as your trust sidekick to help out. People love it! Here's the link again: The Profitable Content Engine.
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Strategic AF
Tired of marketing advice that’s either obvious or outright shady? Strategic AF flips the script. It's the only newsletter that treats solopreneurs, founders, and marketers like grown-ups, not toddlers looking for the next shiny toy. Subscribe to get sharp, no-nonsense strategy advice without the cringe. No bro-marketing, no fluff — just real, sustainable growth tactics. Subscribe if you want results. Scroll past if you prefer gimmicks.
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