by Mya Tsu - Dec. 13, 2023
Creating marketing content that feels authentic is becoming increasingly more valuable to your audience and therefore, to your business. Marketing is more than a tool to reach customers and grow your brand; it's also a way to build relationships with your audience. A recent study found that on average, media consumers living in metropolitan areas are exposed to over 500 advertisements a day. Ensure that your advertisement stands out by keeping it real with the following three tips.
1. Tell stories.
People love stories because they give an insider's perspective on the storyteller’s life. By sharing your story, the audience feels they know something personal and can create a connection with you and your brand. A good way to incorporate storytelling into your brand is through “behind the scenes” social media posts or personal blogs relating to your company. Storytelling is a way to show authenticity and transparency in a fun and engaging way.
2. Be consistent.
No one likes a hypocrite, and that goes for people and brands. Sticking to your messaging and aligning every action with company values is an important step in building trust with your audience. Consistency applies to how you present your messaging as well. To enhance brand awareness and authenticity be sure to maintain the same colors, tone of voice, and ethical undertones. Consistency can be reflected through anything and everything your company shares with the public. In many minds, consistency equals dependability and people trust brands and companies they can rely on.
3. Be real.
Perhaps the most important tip of all is to be real. The way to avoid sounding too “salesy” in your content is to prioritize something other than the bottom line. By putting the relationship you have with your audience first and thinking of them as humans rather than numbers, you will build a stronger connection, and in turn, a loyal customer base to reach your goals. One way to do this is to be transparent. Being transparent can mean owning up to a mistake, sharing bumps in the road that you’ve overcome, or goals and milestones for the company. Another great way to show authenticity is to share personal and company values or ideals you live by and base company choices on.
To thwart the surplus of scams and sales pitches seen in today’s media environment, the average media consumer has become justifiably critical and impressively skilled at detecting deception. By creating authentic content you’ll impress readers and turn your audience into your greatest allies.