You know that selling empty promises doesn’t work. Building an authentic brand is key to generating loyal customers that are happy to buy from you and recommend your products and services. However, it is important to understand what being authentic really means for your brand.
What does authenticity mean?
Authenticity means honesty. Consumers are going through a crisis of faith. According to the Edelman Trust Barometer, only 52% of global respondents trust businesses. In an environment like this, it becomes vital to stand out by keeping loyal to key values that define your brand.
Being authentic does not only mean honesty but also integrity. Your audience now has the tools to spot false advertising or a desperate attempt to cash money in. Your brand should be able to maintain good levels of integrity with total honesty and transparency.
You might think that being authentic is directly related to being liked. This, however, is not entirely true. The two are related, but if you are always going to be genuine you won’t necessarily be pleasing everyone, and this is fine as long as you understand your audience and your goals.
Why is it important?
Put simply, authenticity is the key to customer engagement. If your content is honest and transparent it generates conversation and improves the relationship with customers and prospects.
A big percentage of consumers, (86%), states that authenticity is an important factor when deciding what brands to support (Stackla Report). You can see now why being genuine is so important for your brand.
People want to find brands they can trust to make their lives easier. If they are happy with the products or services they get from that brand they will proudly share their experiences with friends and family members. In other words – they want to buy a good experience, not just a product or a service.
How your brand can be authentic?
So, the big question becomes: how can my brand be authentic?. Ask yourself these few questions to chart a plan for your brand authenticity:
Who exactly is my audience?
Appealing to everyone should not be your goal. Having clearly in mind who your customers are will help you keep faithful to your values. A message that appeals to everyone is unrealistic and lacks authenticity.
Is my sincerity meeting my business goals?
You may have already started implementing ‘sincere marketing’ but is your sincerity paying up? If the answer is no, you will need to reconsider whether this is the route that you need to take to appeal to your customers.
Is being authentic the same as being creative?
Not really. To be authentic you will need to remove all the excess and keep to the essentials. You don’t need to be extremely creative if that doesn’t represent your brand.
Authenticity will need to be reflected in everything you do: emails, phone calls, blogs, speeches, website, landing pages, advertising… It’s about saying what you really mean and backing this up with your actions.
Looking to put your brand on a crash course to authenticity! Start focusing on your customers and offer them solutions that really solve their problems. Make sure this is consistent on all platforms and you're halfway there.
If you feel you need further guidance, reach out today and discuss your brand and offering with one of our highly experienced marketing consultants. Call today on +44 (0) 1273 68 68 98.
