Authenticity In Marketing: What Does It Mean And How Do You Build It?

In marketing, there are some things that are worth more than views, engagements, and shares alone. There are qualities that, once attained, can help you develop whole new levels of trust and audience affinity that can help support your business for years to come. Authenticity is one of such qualities. The belief that your brand represents something real and on the level of your audience can be highly rewarding, but how do you earn it?

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The Benefits Of Authenticity

Authenticity is all about being genuine, transparent, and, most importantly, consistent in every part of your messaging. Giving your customers an idea of who you truly are, rather than an overly polished, professional image. It often means keeping your marketing messages simple and speaking directly to the needs of your audience. And with it can come a whole new level of audience engagement. They might be more willing not only to come back as repeat customers, but to spread word of mouth and identify so closely with the business that they become your ambassadors.

Get Down To Street Level

Don’t focus so much on going digital and getting your message out across media that you forget about the impact that the real world can have, as well. Stress-level marketing techniques, whether it’s putting up engaging posters, hosting pop-up experiences, or even commissioning murals, can create a raw and personal feeling to your marketing that connects your brand to people in real spaces. Street marketing has a community energy to it that can build some grassroots support and make your brand feel more real.

Involve Your Community

If you’re able to build a customer base that’s engaged, active, and genuinely likes your products, then be willing to make use of that. For instance, you can set up campaigns promoting them to create user-generated content like photos, reviews, or videos, which they share through social media. It takes the perspective of brand storytelling, taking it away from marketing professionals and putting it in the hands of real people sharing what they love about your products. You should be amplifying that message, showing the diversity of voices to reflect a community that’s inclusive and inviting.

Use Your Staff’s Voices, Too

One of the big problems with brands and their marketing strategies is how impersonal they can often feel. A disembodied brand voice can sometimes carry a sense of legitimacy, but your employees are most often your most authentic brand ambassadors. Encourage team members to share their experiences, insights, and to pen content for social media or blogs. Have them talk about customer interaction, company culture, and more, revealing your brand’s values with a more human voice that means readers are a lot more likely to believe it.

Of course, authenticity has to come out through your works, too. Messaging that you’re on the side of your audience, only to provide very little support when they need it, can make your whole brand come across as hollow. So be sure only to promise what you’re going to follow through on.