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Jan 21, 2026 Lynette LeGarde

Event Recap: The Simple 2-Step Content Strategy Proven to Earn Trust & Drive Action Faster

Past Event: The Simple 2-Step Content Strategy Proven to Earn Trust & Drive Action Faster

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With a focus on earning customer trust on websites, the 1st Social Media Breakfast Madison (SMBMad) event of the year was held on Jan. 21, 2026 at DreamBank in Madison, WI. Despite the cold weather, Joe Ballard, SMBMad Board Member, gave a warm welcome to the crowd in person and those attending online – the event was streamed on Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn.

Ballard provided an update of the Social Media Breakfast Board, noting that current President Meg Golz and Board Treasurer Dan Roe are completing their terms. The SMBMad Board is seeking board members, volunteers, recap writers, social media coordinators, sponsors, nonprofit organizations to feature, and guest speakers. Those interested, can fill out a form on the website.

An added bonus of attending the event was the giveaway of a Facebook Portal Mini. In-person attendees of the SMBMad events through April 2025 will be eligible for a chance to win a Facebook Portal Mini.

Featured speaker and digital marketing coach and content creator Keith Gilmore presented his “2-Step Content Strategy” and discussed the importance of earning customer trust and driving action on websites.

Gilmore shared that we are now in history’s worst “trust recession,” meaning that buyers are more informed and more skeptical. He noted that 80-90% of decisions of a buyer’s journey have been made by the time they reach out.

Highlights from the Presentation include covering 2 -Step Content Strategies:

  1. Part one of the content applies only on your website.
  2. The other part of the content will apply everywhere on your social media, YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, website, and email communications.

Important considerations on your website include asking;  Do you offer a free estimate or consultation? Do you offer an onsite visit or discovery call?

This content strategy works well for service businesses who have a high touch process to bring in new customers.

“We are in history’s worst trust recession. Nobody believes anyone,” says Gilmore. “Buyers are more informed, but they are also more skeptical. When they reach out to you, they have already formed the majority of their decision. The biggest customer concerns are usually underneath and unaddressed. Trust has not been earned yet.”

Gilmore, who since 2008 has helped his clients grow their 6- to 8-figure companies, suggests four pillars to earning trust in 2026:

  1. Say what your competitors avoid
  2. Show what others prefer to hide
  3. Sell with honesty, not pressure
  4. Be more human than others are willing to be

Gilmore referenced Marcus Sheridan’s 2017  book, They Ask, You Answer, which described the real estate crash of 2008. Sheridan lost $250K in three days, leaving him asking questions about what the customers were concerned about and what their questions were. From there, he discovered a pattern about buyers. Sheridan then created video and written content that addressed all these topics within his Clear Content Roadmap – a framework for earning trust and driving action faster. As trust goes up, he found, resistance starts to diminish. As a result of implementing his roadmap, he was able to close 80% of his appointments with shorter sales calls and fewer price pushbacks.

The ultimate purpose of marketing is to:

  • Make sales unnecessary
  • Make convincing unnecessary
  • Make using pressure unnecessary
  • It is NOT about the transaction

Gilmore suggests two approaches:

Traditional Approach

  • Buyers contact them
  • Appointment happens
  • Addressing objectives
  • Overcome price objections
  • Follow up

Trust-First Approach

  • Prospect finds answers first on the website
  • Prospect knows what to expect
  • Show up more educated
  • Shorter calls, buyer decides
  • Educate your buyers before the sales process occurs

With his 2-Step Content Strategy, Gilmore says there are three unspoken questions that customers have:

  1. Can I trust you with my information?
  2. Why do I need this information?
  3. What happens next?

What are the two steps, then?

Step 1:

The business will create a Landing Page Video that will not sell anything but will strive to gain the buyer’s trust. The video will answer the three unspoken questions and live on the page where you have the consultation form or on your booking page (appointments). This video does not need to be fancy. It can be a selfie video which will be very natural and very intuitive. When done right, the conversion rates of this video go up 60-90%. Gilmore has seen this rate go up 250%.

Step 2:

The business will create an 80% video to handle questions and concerns that take up the sales interaction, and help prospects feel more educated. You will become a trusted advisor. You can include seven common questions in this video. You can ask your prospects to watch the video before the consultation call or visit. You can send a link of the video in automated email or text; you can ask them to watch the video. You can also send it in an automated reminder message.

Once you have the 80% video, you can use the long-form content video and trim it down into multiple short form content videos for social media, YouTube, LinkedIn, email communication, etc.

The content from the 80% video helps with heavy lifting. The short form videos also increase the chance that AI tools will recommend your content. Your videos answer customers’ questions that they are asking Chat AI Tools. Tip: Customers prefer clarity more than a polished video.

What are buyers most skeptical about?

The Big Five:

  1. Cost and Pricing
    • Business fears losing business if they reveal prices.
    • Customers get frustrated when they cannot find a price.
    • Explain what affects pricing and include a price range.
    • Say what competitors will not.
  1. Problems and Concerns
    • Do not avoid tough questions.
    • Address the concerns before it becomes an issue.
    • Sell how competitors are afraid to sell.
  1. Comparisons
    • Customers are already comparing.
    • Take control of the narrative.
    • Transparency and education.
    • Show what competitors hide.
  1. Review and Rating
    • Not about saying “We’re the Best.”
    • Share customer stories & honest feedback.
    • Be more human than competitors.
  1. Best of Lists
    • Not pushing a product, but informed decision making
    • Becoming a trust advisor

Using the 2-Step Content Strategy lightens the sales load, works with or without the Big 5 Content, helps buyers show up informed and educated, makes the buyer less defensive.

Access Your Free Bonuses: https://trustedvoicemarketing.com/esw-bonuses

View the slides from the presentation here.

SMBMad also thanks the host, American Family Insurance’s DreamBank. They feature 6-15 free events and is available for meetings and as a workspace for soloprenuers and entrepreneurs. It provides free Wi-Fi, coffee, and treats. You can email DreamBank regarding events that you would like to book in their space.

SPONSORS:

NONPROFIT SPOTLIGHT: Dane Buy Local

Dane Buy Local champions independent businesses in Madison, WI. Established with a clear mission of fostering a resilient local economy,they are driven by a profound passion for building strong communities and connecting consumers with local merchants.

Connect with them at:

What’s next?

February’s Social Media Breakfast Madison (7:30-9:30 a.m. Feb. 18) will feature “19 Ways to Give Your Website a Glow Up” with John Hutson and Steve Mintz from Hutson Design at Dream Bank. This event will be in-person and virtual. Be sure to follow Social Media Breakfast Madison on Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn.