When people see advertising every day, they quickly recognize it is all smoke and mirrors. They are smart, and they can recognize when someone is trying to sell something, and they hate that. You’ll find that the next frontier for marketing is about authenticity. Potential customers love honesty and your goal with authentic marketing. It may sound easy, but there are some details that people miss. Here’s how to make your brand a trusted one.
No Goals
The usual way that marketing works have your team focusing on a particular goal. This can be selling a particular product or reaching a specific audience. This is not how authentic marketing works. The approach is different, and you don’t have a purpose but a message. You have to show your potential customers that your company follows certain ideals and rules. For example, if you’re an auto dealer, instead of telling customers of the best and newest model, you focus on showing that you are an operation that can be trusted. You can do this by telling stories about satisfied customers and initiatives that benefit those who buy from you.
This approach doesn’t match with the usual method of hyping products and services. But it can be very effective in proving to your audience that you are honest.
Have An Idea Of Who You Are
As part of this marketing strategy, you need to determine the brand identity you want to present to your customers. It may not be evident at first, but it is essentially about what you do as a business and what you care about. For example, if your business is a restaurant, your business’s main purpose is to sell food. That should be the main part of your messaging. But besides that, you should also focus on what you care about.
As a restaurant, you want your brand to project that you care about the quality and taste of the food you sell. Instead of making exaggerations about taste, you emphasize the care you put into creating food for your customers. More people should be able to appreciate that than bombastic statements.
Storytelling Is Key
To convey your message, you need to show it to your customers. When you are going for authenticity marketing, you need to give solid examples of your message. Instead of advertisements that showcase product features or something similar, your approach is to tell a story. For example, instead of showing the product itself, a good way to present it is by making the product. This is perfect for short viral videos for the food industry. It showcases your craftsmanship and your professionalism.
You must hire marketers who know how to tell the story of your business. Work with them to shape the sort of image that you want to present to everyone.
Reach As Many People As Possible
For authenticity marketing to work, you need to have a wide audience. The best way to do this is by seeking exposure through media and public speaking venues. When you’re the business owner, it can be more authentic when you talk about your aims. There are multiple channels where you can highlight this.
For example, you might launch your own YouTube channel or your podcast. Both of these allow you a platform to tell the story of your company. Attending industry events is a great way to showcase your company. You can also record these speaking engagements so that you can share them later.
Listen To Your Customers
When you ask your customers to listen to your story, you should return the favor. This can potentially give you more material. People like it when someone listens to them, so giving happy customers the attention they deserve can be very good. Remember that the core of authenticity marketing is storytelling. Using the stories of your customers to highlight your message allows people to better connect with your company. Your other customers will be able to see themselves as part of your story, which can help reinforce your marketing message.
Honesty is a lot more difficult than it seems. Presenting an authentic face to the customers can be tiring. Your messaging also needs to be perfect so that you can show your values and beliefs positively. But the benefits can be worth the effort, and the increase in your reputation will ensure that your potential customers will come looking for your company.
