Authenticity in marketing, why is this something you need to be checking for, why should our marketing efforts need to be viewed as authentic?  Well, according to Social Media Today ‘ 90% of consumers said that authenticity is important when deciding which brands they like and support.’ and you don’t ignore the majority of your customers!

Authentic

‘Based on facts; accurate or reliable.’  Oxford English Dictionary

‘The quality of being real or true’ Cambridge English Dictionary

So the real need is for truth in your marketing.  We posted a blog article a few weeks ago which discussed transparency in your business and why this was a beneficial thing to adapt.  This is a huge theme in marketing and business in general at the moment and there’s a very logical reason why.   This reason was touched upon in the blog we just mentioned; customers relate to positive and transparent brands, willing to share where their profits go, salaries in terms of the gender pay gap and who show their moral conscious and charitable acts. For businesses to successfully capitalise on pitching themselves as a well-received positive company through their marketing, they need to show authenticity too.  

The bottom line is that you can not really promote the positives of your business if they are not ‘real or true’, if your brand is sustainable then including this in your marketing is so much easier than attempting to convey that you are a sustainable brand without saying it or going into details.  If your company only uses the finest ingredients which are ethically sourced, that’s great – the work is half done for you. Even if your brand is not a particularly charitable company or one of the best employers to work for, focus on your positives and the truths of your brand. Consumers are smart and they know when they’re being lied to, and once they figure that out, that’s a customer lost forever – the real question is, is it even worth it to not be authentic in today’s marketing world?

The marketing landscape is vastly different to only 5 years ago, influencer marketing is now a mainstream form of marketing and a well-established profession in its own right. Engaging influencers to work with your brand can work one of two ways, it can be incredibly successful because the match with the brand and influencer has been well thought out and the relationship is an excellent fit, or it can be ill-fitting and clear that the influencer is being paid to say these things which they do not believe and are not invested in.  Again, consumers can see this, they are aware that all influencers are being paid to promote brands, but the level of authenticity which comes through reflects on your brand.

If you’re not sure how you can ensure you’re being authentic in your marketing efforts, there are a few places you can start:

Genuine (and only genuine) partnerships are a great place to tap into a new audience and show genuine love for your brand, this might be other brands or influencers.

On a side note – the authenticity of your brand will attract other respected and authentic brands and influencers to pair up with which will, in turn, build your perceived authenticity which will attract more brands and influencers to work with … you get the idea!

Similarly, resharing UGC (user-generated content), which has been shared on social media or reviews that have been given, is a brilliant way to show that your users and customers are satisfied and willing to openly share their successful interactions with your brand. And don’t forget that customers are willing to do this often with no encouragement. You could always offer a 10% discount if their product or experience is shared!

Open up the office; what’s going on in the company?  Staff takeovers on Instagram Stories are a great insight into happy employees as are team shots on social media, sharing your employees’ favourite thing about working with the company or a recent client’s take on working with the company are also great ideas.

If you can use these kinds of approaches in your marketing then you’ll be setting yourself on the right path to building and true and authentic brand, well received by clients, customers, other businesses and individuals alike.