Trust has become one of the most valuable assets in B2B marketing. It influences who buyers listen to, which messages resonate and how decisions are made. Yet while most marketers recognize the importance of trust, few have a system in place to build it.
Trust is not the result of a single campaign or message. It develops over time through consistency, relevance and credibility. And it is more than a brand value; it is a business priority. In fact, according to our 2025 B2B Marketing Benchmark, 42% of marketers ranked increasing brand awareness and reputation among decision-makers as their top business goal, ahead of all other objectives.
“Ben Franklin famously said, ‘If you would be loved, love and be lovable. Today, he might say, ‘If you would be trusted, trust and be trustworthy.’ It’s not about one action. It’s the accumulation of consistent customer-centric actions that builds trust,” said Drew Neisser, Founder of CMO Huddles.
That’s why we developed the Trust System. This new framework – which you can find in our new Benchmark report “Trust Is the New KPI: How Video and Influence Drive Full-Funnel Impact” – helps marketers embed trust into their strategy and measure their progress over time.
The Trust System: A New Way to Build and Scale Credibility
The Trust System gives marketers a structured approach to trust-building. It includes a repeatable cycle marketers can leverage for earning trust throughout the buyer journey. Further, it delivers a maturity index that helps teams assess their current stage and identify next steps.
This model shifts trust from a vague concept to something practical and actionable. It provides a clearer picture of what trust looks like in day-to-day marketing and how to build it with intention.
“To operationalize trust, treat it like a strategy, not a slogan,” said Vasileios Mylonas, Founder & Chief Strategist of The Cool Lion. “Create systems that spotlight real voices, client proof and long-term value, not just vanity metrics.”
The Trust Flywheel: A Repeatable Process
Trust builds through momentum. The Trust Flywheel outlines a four-phase cycle marketers can follow to reinforce credibility at every stage:
- Attract attention through credible voices and relevant content
- Engage buyers with thought leadership and value-driven messaging
- Deliver on expectations with transparency and proof points
- Amplify your reach through creators, customers and trusted advocates
When repeated over time, this cycle helps brands earn trust in a way that compounds across campaigns.
“Stand up a structured influencer ‘swarm’—brief hundreds or thousands of micro-creators around a bold policy stance and launch in synchronized waves,” said Kathleen Booth, Senior VP of Marketing and Growth at Pavilion. “Cluely’s $15 million spend on 10,000 TikTok voices shows how this playbook can deliver enterprise-grade virality for pennies on the impression.”
The Trust Index: A Maturity Model
Marketers are at different stages when it comes to building trust. The Trust Index offers a five-level model – from beginner to expert – to help teams understand where they stand today and how to grow.
- Experimenting – Using video in a limited, tactical way without an influencer strategy
- Emerging – Recognizing the importance of trust but not yet aligned across teams
- Aligned – Coordinating creators and video to build credibility with purpose
- Advocate – Earning amplification from creators, customers and employees
- Optimized – Measuring trust-building efforts across the funnel and adjusting as needed
This index is a tool for reflection and planning – not a ranking or scorecard. It helps teams set realistic goals and focus their efforts.
The Trust Funnel: Mapping Trust to Action
To turn strategy into execution, the Trust Funnel helps marketers rethink how they engage buyers at every stage. Instead of focusing only on conversion, the model considers what kind of trust a buyer needs to move forward.
When trust becomes the throughline across the funnel, campaigns do more than generate leads. They build confidence.
Trust Needs Structure, Not Just Instinct
The data shows that trust drives real business results, from awareness to loyalty. But many B2B marketers still treat it as a soft metric or rely on gut feel.
The Trust System gives marketers a way to move beyond just instinct and start building trust with intention. It is rooted in what buyers say they want and what high-performing teams are beginning to prioritize. It helps marketers move from reactive messaging to a more intentional, measurable approach.
“One of the most effective ways to scale trust in B2B marketing is to combine LinkedIn’s Thought Leader Ads with influencer content,” said Brendan Gahan, CEO and Co-Founder of Creator Authority. “This strategy does more than expand reach. It improves performance and makes better use of your media budget. You’re not just buying impressions. You’re investing in credibility that converts. You’re spending thousands to save hundreds of thousands.”
But strategy alone isn’t enough. Putting this system into practice means understanding where your team stands today and what it takes to move forward.
That’s where the Trust Index comes in. It’s designed to help you benchmark your current approach, identify your next step and scale trust in a way that works for your business.
In the final post of this series, we’ll show you how to activate the Trust Index, navigate common challenges and apply this framework in a way that drives real impact.
Ready to see where your team stands? Download LinkedIn’s 2025 B2B Marketing Benchmark: Trust Is the New KPI to explore the five stages of the Trust Index.
Methodology
Ipsos collected a sample of 1,500 participants using a strategic blend of 70% expert network sample and 30% B2B panel providers. Participants completed a 20-minute device-agnostic survey, accessible on both mobile and desktop platforms. The primary focus of the study was to explore and analyze the challenges faced by senior-level B2B marketers.
The sample was distributed across countries as follows: United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Brazil, India and Australia (n=250 each)
Respondent Profile:
Job title: CMOs (n=344), Other Marketing C-Suite—President, SVP, VP (n=400), Director/Manager (n=756)
Industries: Financial services (n=274), Tech (n=310), Agency (n=315), Professional Services (n=288), Health (n=60), Manufacturing (n=73) & Other (n=180)
Company Size: Small (10-49 employees) n=202, Medium (50-499 employees) n=719, and Large (500+ employees) Enterprises n=579
Topics: LinkedIn Marketing Collective
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