Building trust with prospective buyers has become one of the most defining challenges for marketers. With shifting expectations, saturated digital channels, and rising skepticism, brands are under more pressure than ever to prove their credibility early and often. Because of this, marketing leaders across the US are rethinking how they communicate value, earn confidence, and turn curiosity into long-term loyalty, especially through formats like video testimonials that show real people, real experiences, and real outcomes.
To find out what 141,593 opinions of marketing leaders in the US were about building prospect buyer trust, we utilized AI-driven audience profiling to synthesize insights from online discussions for a full year, ending November 19, 2025, to a high statistical confidence level. This revealed clear trends, strategies, and preferences for trust building. Here’s what we found:
Index
- 53% of marketing leaders work in the manufacturing or industrial industry
- 36% of marketing leaders agree that social proof and customer reviews are the most important factor that influences a potential buyer’s trust in a brand
- 30% of marketing leaders say that social proof plays an essential role in their conversion strategy by reinforcing messaging consistency
- 70% of marketing leaders say building consistent brand messaging is an extremely effective way of establishing credibility early in the buyer journey
- 62% of marketing leaders agree that emotional storytelling is extremely compelling for potential buyers
- 33% of marketing leaders say that video testimonials are somewhat effective feedback content that resonates with audiences
- 42% of marketing leaders say that lead quality growth is a very positive metric for measuring the impact of customer stories
- Social media storytelling is the top method of showcasing customer success to prospects for 77% of marketing leaders
- 50% of marketing leaders always update their customer stories or marketing materials when they receive new video testimonials
- For 100% of marketing leaders, crafting engaging story narratives is somewhat challenging when collecting customer stories
- 61% of marketing leaders say that good relationships with their brand are a positive motivator for customers to participate in testimonial creation
- Professionally produced customer video testimonials are a good format option for 45% of marketing leaders
- 74% of marketing leaders say that visual storytelling is quite an important overlooked element of trust-building content
- 70% of marketing leaders say that increasing transparency in communication is their essential strategy for increasing customer engagement in the next year
- 28% of our audience is based in Chicago
- Turning Prospects Into Loyal Customers Through Authentic Communication
- About the Data
Which Industry Best Represents Your Organization?
53% of marketing leaders work in the manufacturing or industrial industry
Some industries are better represented than others:
The US relies heavily on manufacturing, industry, healthcare, and wellness, so it’s not surprising that these industries are most represented among marketing leaders. More than half of our audience(53%) say they work in the manufacturing or industrial sectors. Industry isn’t the country’s largest sector by GDP, but it remains one of the largest and most important. IbisWorld reveals that industry revenue has grown at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 1.8% over the past five years and is expected to reach $6.9 trillion in 2025.
Almost half (46%) of our audience works in healthcare or wellness. In these related industries, building trust among prospects is essential, especially when treatments or products may be a matter of life or death. As for the rest, 1% work in professional services, and another 1% in technology and software.
What Factor Most Influences A Potential Buyer’s Trust In A Brand?
36% of marketing leaders agree that social proof and customer reviews are the most important factor that influences a potential buyer’s trust in a brand
There are different ideas about what most influences brand trust among potential buyers:
Marketing leaders in the US clearly recognize that various factors influence potential buyers’ trust in a brand. For 36% of our audience, the most important factor is social proof and customer reviews. After all, a brand can say anything it wants about itself, but for most consumers, the proof is in customers’ experiences of it or its products and/or services. A Trustpilot survey found that positive star ratings and reviews were the most important trust symbol, with 82% of respondents saying this made them more likely to make a purchase. Around 66% said the presence of social proof increased their likelihood to purchase a product.
Consistent brand communication follows hot on the heels of social proof, with 27% saying this is the most important factor for influencing brand trust in potential buyers. 17% feel somewhat different, saying this factor, while not the most important, has a strong influence. The key here is consistency, which implies reliability and stability.
Other strong influences our audience mentions include video testimonials shared by real customers (11%), which are a type of social proof and customer reviews, and transparency in product performance (9%).
What Role Does Social Proof Play In Your Conversion Strategy?
30% of marketing leaders say that social proof plays an essential role in their conversion strategy by reinforcing messaging consistency
Social proof plays various roles in conversion strategy:
Social proof is much more than a one-trick pony when used in brands’ conversion strategies. For 30% of marketing leaders in the US, it’s absolutely essential for reinforcing messaging consistency, which is itself incredibly important. Research shows consistent brand messaging is essential for building trust with the audience, creating a strong brand identity, and improving customer experience through greater clarity.
24% of our audience say social proof is essential for reducing objections – a view which was backed up somewhat by 6% who say it’s important for this purpose. This makes sense, as potential customers who have some objections can easily be reassured by the testimonials of customers who’ve used a brand’s products or services.
22% say social proof is so essential, it’s central to their every campaign, while 13% say it’s essential for supporting credibility for new leads, presumably for the same reasons why other segments of our audience value it. 6% say social proof is essential and is showcased through their video testimonials.
What Do You Believe Is The Most Effective Way To Establish Credibility Early In The Buyer Journey?
70% of marketing leaders say building consistent brand messaging is an extremely effective way of establishing credibility early in the buyer journey
There are different approaches to establishing credibility effectively early in the buyer journey:
While it’s clear the marketing leaders have different approaches and experiences to establish credibility effectively early in the buyer journey, the overwhelming majority of our audience (70%) say the best way to do this is through building consistent brand messaging, describing it as extremely effective. This ties in strongly with what we saw regarding the importance of consistency and trust, brand identity, and customer experience above.
For 12%, publishing authentic customer success stories is extremely effective for establishing trust early in the journey, which again emphasizes the power of testimonials, reviews, and social proof. However, 4% say this approach is not effective at all.
4% say providing transparent pricing information is extremely effective, although a larger percentage (6%) say this is only somewhat effective. This suggests that price point is only one factor most potential customers consider when embarking on the buyer journey. 2% of our audience finds offering free educational resources to be extremely effective, while the remaining 2% say using video testimonials is somewhat effective at establishing trust.
What Makes A Customer Story Most Compelling To Potential Buyers?
62% of marketing leaders agree that emotional storytelling is extremely compelling for potential buyers
Some elements make customer stories more compelling than others:
Customer stories aren’t going to have much of an effect on potential buyers if they’re not compelling. 62% of marketing leaders in the US say that emotional storytelling makes customer stories extremely compelling, while 23% say it adds value. An article published in ShodhKosh: Journal of Visual and Performing Arts highlights how customer stories play a key role in brand storytelling, helping to communicate a brand’s identity, purpose, and values while evoking emotions such as joy, nostalgia, and trust.
Humanizing a brand in this way makes it more relatable to customers and helps create a sense of community and belonging, encouraging loyalty and influencing purchasing decisions. Effective storytelling also helps set brands apart, creates an emotional bond with customers, and leads to customer retention and word-of-mouth advertising.
The rest of our audience’s thoughts on what makes customer stories compelling to potential buyers also touch on this. 8% say authentic customer voices are extremely compelling, while 4% say the same about visual presentations through video testimonials. For 3%, these visual presentations add value.
What Type Of Customer Feedback Content Resonates Most With Your Audience?
33% of marketing leaders say that video testimonials are somewhat effective feedback content that resonates with audiences
Different types of customer feedback content resonate with marketing leaders’ audiences:
Some types of customer feedback content resonate more with audiences than others. According to 33% of marketing leaders, video testimonials are somewhat effective in this regard. This is surprising, as the relatively small percentage of our audience who mention video is out of keeping with the much higher percentage of customers who appreciate this medium. Research reveals 79% of consumers have watched video testimonials to learn more about a brand or product.
For 29% of marketing leaders, customer interviews are somewhat effective at resonating with their audience. It’s not implausible that at least some of these interviews are in video format rather than text- or audio-only formats. 38% say written case studies are not effective at all. This may be because their audience isn’t particularly interested in case studies or they prefer other formats, such as video.
What Metric Do You Value Most When Measuring The Impact Of Customer Stories?
42% of marketing leaders say that lead quality growth is a very positive metric for measuring the impact of customer stories
Certain metrics stand out when measuring customer story impact:
Almost half (42%) of our audience appreciates lead quality growth, saying this is a very positive metric for measuring the impact of customer stories. 14% also value this metric, describing it as positive. This makes sense, as the idea behind highlighting customer stories is to attract new leads and convert prospects into buyers.
The rest of our audience mentions an increase in audience engagement as a metric for measuring customer story impact. However, opinions of this metric range from very positive (8%) or positive (16%) to very negative (19%). This suggests audience engagement might be limited to platforms such as social media, but doesn’t actually translate into sales.
How Do You Usually Showcase Customer Success To New Prospects?
Social media storytelling is the top method of showcasing customer success to prospects for 77% of marketing leaders
There are clear trends in showcasing customer success to new prospects:
It’s clear that the marketing leaders have different ways of showcasing customer success to prospective customers. That said, the vast majority (77%) of our audience says that social media storytelling is their top option. This large percentage is followed by 6% who say social media storytelling is a good option, and 10% who say it’s not their main choice.
In a Forbes article, marketing expert Maria Alonso says she has seen storytelling create an emotional connection powerful enough to increase a company’s market share by 25% and revenue by 30%. Her reasons for this are similar to what we saw above – storytelling encourages loyalty and trust while leaving a lasting impression.
As for the rest of our audience, 3% say their top method of showcasing customer success is by publishing case studies on their website, while 2% say they do so through press releases and articles. The remaining 2% say video testimonials are a good option for highlighting customer success, which makes sense, considering what we saw above regarding the number of customers who watch videos to learn more about brands, products, or services.
How Often Do You Refresh Or Update Customer Stories In Your Marketing Materials?
50% of marketing leaders always update their customer stories or marketing materials when they receive new video testimonials
Marketing leaders have different approaches to refreshing or updating customer stories in their materials:
The frequency with which marketing leaders update or refresh customer stories in their marketing materials varies, with 50% of our audience saying they always do it when they receive new video testimonials. However, 14% say they only do this sometimes after receiving new testimonials.
2% say they always do it, and 20% sometimes do it when new clients are added. The rest of our audience’s approach is linked to time periods or campaigns. 6% say they always update customer stories on a quarterly basis, while 4% say they sometimes do it as part of their quarterly updates. Another 4% say they sometimes refresh customer stories with every campaign cycle.
While we can’t say any of our audience’s timing is incorrect, the 50% who update whenever they receive new testimonials arguably is the best way to do it, as there’s no getting away from the importance of online customer reviews. According to research, brand responses to reviews can increase conversion rates by 144%, while a well-positioned review section can triple them. Unsurprisingly, 72% of consumers say positive reviews increase their trust in a local business.
What Is Your Biggest Challenge In Collecting Customer Stories?
For 100% of marketing leaders, crafting engaging story narratives is somewhat challenging when collecting customer stories
The biggest customer story collection challenge is the same across the board:
Our entire audience agrees – crafting engaging story narratives is a somewhat challenging aspect of collecting customer stories. On this point, Gartner has some great advice, while noting that more than 90% of case studies do not feature the necessary components to stimulate the target audience’s interest.
When writing engaging, impactful narratives, brands should start by considering their target audience’s interests and pain points. Next, they should use a simple story arc that outlines the customer journey from initial problem to a successful resolution. The target audience should be able to relate to the characters, obstacles, and other elements of the story, which should be built around data-driven results.
What Motivates Customers Most To Participate In Testimonial Creation?
61% of marketing leaders say that good relationships with their brand are a positive motivator for customers to participate in testimonial creation
Customer participation in testimonial creation is motivated by various factors:
Speaking about what motivates customers to participate in testimonial creation, a large portion of our audience mentioned positive relationships with the brand. 61% of marketing leaders say this is a positive motivator, while 31% say this is very positive. It’s worth noting here that, when customers develop a bond with a brand, 76% are more likely to choose it, while 57% are more likely to increase their spending with it.
The rest of our audience pointed out a couple of other motivators. 4% say a desire to share their success is a very positive motivator for customers to participate in testimonial creation. The remaining 3% say visibility through video testimonials is a positive motivator for involvement.
What Is Your Preferred Format For Capturing Customer Testimonials?
Professionally produced customer video testimonials are a good format option for 45% of marketing leaders
Strong preferences emerge over customer testimonial formats:
Among the more than half of our audience who mention professionally produced video testimonials, 45% say this is a good option, and 8% say it’s their top choice for capturing customer testimonials. While this segment of marketing leaders isn’t incorrect, Google research highlights how content relating to viewers’ passions is 1.6 times more important than whether it has high production quality.
Some marketing leaders have a different approach, with 16% saying written case studies are their top choice, while 11% say this format is a good option for capturing customer testimonials. 20% say remote video interviews are their top choice, which may be due to the difficulties involved in trying to get several customers from different locations together for interviews.
What Do You Believe Is The Most Overlooked Element Of Trust-Building Content?
74% of marketing leaders say that visual storytelling is quite an important overlooked element of trust-building content
While exact opinions differ, everyone agrees that visual storytelling is overlooked as a trust-building content element:
Our entire audience mentions visual storytelling as the most overlooked element of trust-building content, although there are differing opinions regarding its importance. 74% say this element is quite important, while 26% say it’s absolutely essential.
Research into how stories change our brains, published by The Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley, underscores why the human brain loves stories. One reason is that, for social creatures who mix regularly with strangers, stories effectively transmit important information and values. Another reason is that personal, emotionally compelling stories engage more of our brains, meaning we remember them better than we would a set of facts.
When it comes to emotionally compelling visual storytelling, our brain mechanisms engage more as there’s an awareness that we might have something valuable to learn. All compelling stories have two key elements – they capture our attention and transport us into the world of the characters. It’s clear that visual storytelling should not be overlooked in customer testimonials and other trust-building content.
How Do You Plan To Increase Trust Through Customer Engagement In The Coming Year?
70% of marketing leaders say that increasing transparency in communication is their essential strategy for increasing customer engagement in the next year
Some strategies for increasing trust through customer engagement in the coming year are more popular than others:
Increasing transparency in communication is an essential strategy for increasing trust through customer engagement for the majority (70%) of our audience. There’s a good reason for this. A Statista survey of consumers who purchased something online found that 60% said they believed the most important traits of a brand are trustworthiness and transparency. This is a 5% increase on the 55% who felt the same way a year earlier.
15% of our audience says their essential strategy for increasing trust includes hosting live events or webinars. Both platforms for communication, these methods do not preclude greater transparency. 2% say sharing behind-the-scenes brand content is an essential strategy for them, while 5% say this strategy is worth considering. 5% say their essential strategy includes launching customer advocacy programs. Only 3% say expanding the use of video testimonials is worth considering, which suggests other audience members are satisfied with the way their brands use testimonials.
Which City Are You Based In?
28% of our audience is based in Chicago
Our audience includes marketing leaders from various major cities in the US:
28% of marketing leaders in our audience are based in Chicago, which isn’t surprising. Around half a million people work in the city’s manufacturing sector, which is renowned for its production of food, metals, and plastics. The city’s also home to a thriving healthcare sector, which employs more than 90,000 people and generates more than $47.8 billion in annual output.
At 27%, an almost equal number of our audience members are based in New York, followed by 23% who call Los Angeles home. 22% of marketing leaders are based in Houston.
Turning Prospects Into Loyal Customers Through Authentic Communication
Our audience marketing leaders in the US provide various insights into how they build trust among prospective buyers. We’ve seen how they place significant value on social proof, online reviews, and consistent communication, and with good reason. We’ve also seen how consistent messaging effectively establishes credibility, while storytelling can be used to make brands memorable, increase engagement, and showcase success. However, this element comes with various challenges, with most marketers struggling to create engaging narratives.
These and the other statistics we’ve explored boil down to a few standout points. Prospective clients want transparency, consistency, and stories they can relate to, which explains why video testimonials were mentioned again and again.
If your brand consistently comes across as human and honest, providing prospective buyers with consistent messaging and proof of how you’ve made a difference in the lives of others, there’s a good chance those prospects will become loyal customers.
About The Data
Sourced using Artios from an independent sample of 141,593 opinions of marketing leaders in the USA interested in building prospect buyer trust across X, Quora, Reddit, Bluesky, TikTok, and Threads. Responses are collected within a 95% confidence interval and 5% margin of error. Results are derived based on what people describe online, from opinions expressed online, not actual questions answered by people in the sample.
