Starting a company. Building a brand… In this economy?
Yeah, it is only going to get harder from now on. When content can be mass-generated, automated, and scheduled weeks or even months in advance, it is nearly impossible for new startups to keep pace with competitors. We used to think consistency is the key to building reach and customer trust, but when everyone is to be trusted, who do you actually trust?
Trust is the shortcut to getting considered in the first place, since customers look to credible voices and reviews long before they talk to sales, it is important for startups to position themselves in a trustworthy position first.
Why Trust?
We are at the point where buyers are increasingly harder to convince. They are cautious, and they expect receipts. This requires a more creative approach, meaning the old ways with slogans, consistent social posts, and how-to articles are no longer relevant since the content and online marketing market are getting more and more saturated.
So, how do startups tackle this problem? The answer is simple — earn attention by being helpful and transparent. Customers do most of their homework without vendors present, so trustworthy content is how a young brand gets onto the shortlist and stays there. You need to present your value to the public, and beyond what solely the product can offer. This means startups need to find a way to connect, stay genuine, and stay relevant.
What Content Actually Works
Strong content opens doors by making readers more receptive to outreach and more likely to research a solution they weren’t considering before. Therefore, consider providing content that delivers new knowledge or solves a real problem. Here are some possible suggestions:
Interviews and genuine stories
Run short interviews with customers and domain experts, then publish the highlights in their words with clear problems, decisions, and outcomes to let the audience “hear” peers they trust. Authenticity beats polish, so include what didn’t work and what changed after feedback, because candid follow‑through builds more confidence than perfect marketing.
Check out this guide from the HackerNoon Editors on how to be the best interviewer out there!
https://hackernoon.com/3-tips-to-become-a-sean-evans-level-interviewer?embedable=true
Data beats claims
Remember, your article will only benefit from having examples and further analysis. Borrow credibility by pairing opinions with data from usage metrics or respected third‑party studies, and link those facts directly to the advice in the piece.
When in doubt, show a chart, a measurable result, or a quote from a buyer who got the outcome. Stay grounded in the specifics because they can demonstrate the level of authenticity that no claims can. It shows that your startup is real and is doing everything with intention.
Check out how HackerNoon editors structure their articles and provide examples to back up the claims here!
https://hackernoon.com/bloggers-heres-a-trick-on-how-to-bypass-any-ai-detectors?embedable=true
Make your community
Your community is your free marketing army. Building one is hard, but all the efforts will be worth it. In order to find and build a community around your product or startups, you need to meet people where they already are — LinkedIn threads, review platforms, and practitioner groups — because that’s where research and recommendations actually happen. Show up consistently with AMAs, helpful replies, and quick demos, then close the loop in public when feedback ships as a fix or feature.
It is crucial to stay consistent because people don’t like to wait, and it is pivotal for your brand to stay present for your customers.
Avoid these pitfalls
- Salesy content that hides the “how” under buzzwords drives readers away and erodes credibility fast. It is important to position your company and brand as “a helpful colleague” – answer to the point, be short and sweet! Keep your customer engaged through a series of relevant content.
- Inconsistent posting breaks momentum; a light, steady cadence beats sporadic bursts that vanish for months. This is why having a schedule is important. Not only will you be able to keep your company up to the paces of corporate marketing, but it also helps with
:::tip
Check out this guide on how to build a consistent content schedule!
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Why this works now
Buyers trust useful ideas that travel through their networks, not ads, and they reward brands that show up with clarity and substance long before the pitch. The shortlist is shrinking and risk is up, so consistent, evidence‑backed content and visible community presence are how emerging vendors earn a shot.
Where HackerNoon Helps
Meet HackerNoon Business Blogging!
It’ll help you tackle all these struggles—fast, and all in one place:
- Visibility: Put your story in front of 4M+ monthly tech readers.
- Trust: Build instant credibility by publishing on a respected platform with a domain authority of 88 (check Ahrefs 😉).
- Efficiency: Startup-friendly packages with a credit system—you only pay when your content gets accepted. Plus, your story gets extra exposure across social media, newsletters, and more—not just on our homepage.
Plus, with Business Blogging, you get:
- Full editorial support to make your story shine
- Multiple permanent placements on HackerNoon and social media promotions
- Stories converted into audio format and distributed via audio RSS feeds
- Automatic translation into 12 languages for global reach
- Your brand also gains domain authority and SEO
Instead of juggling three separate struggles—visibility, trust, and limited resources—you can solve them all with one move.
:::tip
👉 Share your startup’s story today with HackerNoon Business Blogging!
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Speaking of which… Meet some of the most trusted Startups YOU should know about!
Meet Shellhub, Didit, and YOBE Ventures – Winners of HackerNoon Startups of The Year 2024!
Shellhub
ShellHub is a powerful and easy-to-use tool that allows you to remotely manage and access any Linux device securely. The company has won HackerNoon Startup of The Year 2024 in Porto Alegre, Brazil.
Didit
Didit is the advanced identity verification platform for the AI era: launch in minutes via no‑code or APIs, build custom KYC/AML/biometrics/age/PoA workflows, and stay compliant worldwide. Fully self‑service and developer‑first with complete APIs and webhooks. Modular, open, and up to 70% cheaper than legacy providers — the identity layer of the internet for fintechs, telcos, and global platforms.
Based in Barcelona, Spain, Didit was the runner-up in its region for HackerNoon’s Startup of The Year 2024
YOBE Ventures
Founded in 2020, YOBE Ventures backs standout tech startups from Seed to Series A and advises founders on transparent, effective fundraising, bridging ambitious teams with aligned investors and LPs to drive values‑led, profitable deals while delivering high‑quality capital‑raising results.
Based in Miami, Florida, YOBE Ventures has won HackerNoon Startups of The Year 2024 in the Venture Capital category
That’s all for this week. Until next time, hackers!
About HackerNoon’s Startups of The Year
Startups of The Year 2024 is HackerNoon’s flagship community-driven event celebrating startups, technology, and the spirit of innovation. Currently in its third iteration, the prestigious Internet award recognizes and celebrates tech startups of all shapes and sizes. This year, over 150,000 entities across 4200+ cities, 6 continents, and 100+ industries will participate in a bid to be crowned the best startup of the year! Millions of votes have been cast over the past few years, and many stories have been written about these daring and rising startups.
The winners will get a free interview on HackerNoon and an Evergreen Tech Company News page.
Visit our FAQ page to learn more.
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