Follow These Simple Rules To Create Brand Authenticity On Social Media
As the internet continues to fill up on content, brands need to work harder than ever to break through the content clutter and connect with people online. We’re sure you know how to get your brand seen in news feeds through methods like targeting, paid campaigns, boosted posts, or even working with influencers which is great! Now, once you get in front of people, is your message actually having an impact, and creating connections with your audience like you hope?
Influencers and brands alike are getting caught simply trying too hard. Influencers are crying in posts and then getting called out for “like-fishing”. Celebrities are posting that they’ve never had cereal before or that they are bloated not pregnant. Brands are posting incredibly badly photoshopped bodies… Check out Instagram Reality on Reddit, it’s brutal but eye opening.
Your followers can seriously spot inauthenticity from a mile away. Everyone connects most with content that’s real, and people are catching on to content that isn’t authentic.
So, how can brands keep things authentic on social and connect with their audience in real ways? Here are a few tips.
Stop overusing calls to action
Essentially, the entire point of marketing is to create an opportunity for sales, leads and brand awareness. Making it easy to get caught up trying to turn every online interaction into a quick sale by adding a call to action on everything.
We get it, you want sales. When it comes down to it, try playing the long game with social media here and there. Strike an important balance between posts that are meant to convert or sell quickly, and posts that are meant to simply connect with your audience. Remember, people don’t sign on to Instagram in hopes of seeing a sales post.
Creating positive brand moments using interesting and engaging content creates connection, and makes people feel like they’re part of your brand. Where’s the first place they’d going to go when they need whatever you have on offer if they already feel connected to your brand?
Be transparent and honest
This should go without saying, especially with our brand name… But let’s be honest… (See what I did there? Sorry, I’ll let myself out.) We’ve all come across some pretty fake and terrible stuff online. Being fake news, photoshopped images, stories that just seem too good to be true…
Inauthentic content is everywhere and people catch on to it quickly. As brands, it’s crucial to stay as far away from fake content, but this isn’t exactly groundbreaking advice. So take the honesty and transparency a step further… Get honest about your product or service whenever you can whether this means going behind the scenes and showing your offices/photoshoots/meetings.. Humanise your brand with your social media content.
Do you sell a products, have you shared how the products are made? Tell people where all the materials come from, how you manufacture, or how your design process works.
If you’re a service, show and explain the work that goes into creating your customer experience and what makes you different to competitors.
If you’re an influencer, we dare you to post an unedited photo from your actual phone once in a while, you'll earn a great deal of respect.