We’ve talked a lot about why SaaS companies need to put people, not tech, first. It may seem counterintuitive, especially in a world obsessed with automation and efficiency, but you can’t overlook the fundamental truth of business: people buy from people they trust. 

That’s something Chase Howell, VP of Marketing and Communications at InfoTrust, understands deeply. As he explained on our Best Story Wins podcast, the company has put trust and connection above all else, and they’ve rewritten the B2B playbook in the process. While other companies are eeking out boring blogs and generic LinkedIn posts, InfoTrust is becoming an Amazon bestseller and breaking industry conventions. 

These smart moves have spurred six years of impressive growth, and they’re a great reminder that the best way to stand out is to create real connections built on authenticity. 

The Real Secrets of InfoTrust’s Success

For Chase and his team, it’s all about aligning actions with brand values and shaping strategies that put them face-to-face with their customers. These are some of the most notable ways they’ve done that to win their audience over. 

1) Focus on feelings, not tech.

Chase says that the company leans not on their technical services but on the feeling of confidence and peace of mind their solution provides. Their audience of marketers desperately wants to know that the dollars they’re spending will have an impact, and focusing on that future state (in which they know their budget was well spent with InfoTrust’s solution) is a powerful emotional driver. 

While tech features play a role in that story, the emotional core is what’s helped them make such strong connections with people. 

Tip: If you want your content to resonate, use the “so what” test to brainstorm compelling ideas. You can also use our tips to build stronger customer stories and write more emotional copy to connect with people at every stage of the journey.

2) Build credibility in strategic ways. 

InfoTrust invested heavily in creating their second book, Becoming a Privacy-Centric Marketing Organization, not just to drive sales but to establish unquestionable credibility in their space.

“We believed that it would help us stand out greatly in the marketplace versus our competitors,” Chase says. That strategy paid off in a pretty epic way. They hit Amazon bestseller status within 24 hours and were able to significantly shift their market positioning.

What made this approach even more brilliant was how they leveraged it beyond the book itself. Instead of pitching themselves to conferences and events as a vendor, Chase says they could pitch themselves as the bestselling authors of the book, which boosted them to another level of social credibility. 

Tip: You have access to internal thought leaders who can help you build substantial, authoritative content like books, white papers, etc. But you might be limiting yourself by turning to the same people. Follow our tips to uncover more experts and turn them into content creators.

3) Double down on live events. 

In a post-COVID world, digital events have dominated. But InfoTrust has found more value in live, in-person events. 

Chase says they’ve even doubled down on keystone events by not offering a digital option to attend (as has become more popular). “You have to be there because you’re only going to experience it the right way in person,” Chase says. 

This may sound like a controversial decision, but it all comes back to the fundamental human need for authentic connection. Live events create opportunities for personal interaction that digital marketing simply can’t replicate. As Chase points out, connecting in the snack area or passing people between sessions allows for more organic moments. 

This is something InfoTrust’s audience desires, as Chase says they’ve seen phenomenal numbers at their events in the last two years. 

4) Put your values front and center. 

A lot of companies pay lip service to their values, but InfoTrust has embedded its purpose into its operations. “Our success is someone else’s miracle” is their mantra, and they demonstrate that philanthropic philosophy through the InfoTrust Foundation, which distributes a portion of all company revenue to causes like healthcare and ending poverty. 

Not only are these causes the company cares about but CEO Alex Yastrebenetsky functions as the face of the foundation, which adds another layer of transparency and personal connection to the cause. 

This commitment to their values also creates a powerful differentiator, especially when potential clients are weighing similar companies. “If all things else are equal in terms of the value or the service that organizations are offering, oftentimes, someone is going to pick the option that makes them feel good,” Chase says.

Tip: Look for organic ways to tie your values into your marketing, whether that’s partnering with other organizations, lending supportive services, or generating content about the causes you care about. (For inspiration, here’s how 10 inspiring companies share their values.) 

5) Maintain a human touch with AI. 

As AI becomes more pervasive, authentically human connections become even more valuable. InfoTrust recognizes this paradox and takes a balanced approach to AI and other emerging technologies.

They leverage AI for efficiency while ensuring their output never loses the human touch that differentiates their brand. That means not publishing content that sounds written by AI or using impersonal AI-generated imagery.

As more companies rely on that type of imagery to depict things like offices and people, Chase says that simply showing real people (like the team members that will be serving clients) is going to be hugely underestimated.

What Can You Learn From InfoTrust? 

One of the most impressive things about InfoTrust is their ability to translate the basics of marketing (cultivating transparency and trust) into this evolving world. Though their formula is simple, it’s been hugely successful:

• Know your audience’s emotional drivers to grab their attention. 
• Share your expertise to give them something of value. 
• Put real people in the spotlight to build trust.  
• Keep your humanity at the core to stand out from the competition. 

These tenets will be more and more important as industries become more AI-obsessed, but they’re the best blueprint to win your market. 

On that note, if you’re looking for more tips to build trust, convert, and maintain authenticity, check out our full conversation with Chase on the Best Story Wins podcast.