Consumers do want to get quality products and services for their money, but in today’s world, they are looking for more than this from brands. They care about what these companies stand for, whether that is their impact on the environment, their working culture, and what they are doing for their local communities. They also want to see brands that have a genuine passion for what they do and are about more than just making a profit. This is why brand authenticity is so important, and if you are starting a new business or want to develop your brand, here are some tips on how you can ensure that this is coming across to your customers.
What Do You Care About?
It can be easy to get lost in all the noise out there, with differing opinions on various topics being shouted out across social media and other channels. This can be intimidating for those who are starting a new brand, particularly when you’re trying to appeal to a wide audience. However, the reality is that not everyone is going to love your brand or what it stands for. That’s OK because there will also be a lot of people who do. If you want your brand to be authentic, you must first ask yourself what you’re passionate about and how that has made its way into your business decisions. This is the first place to start when you’re trying to build brand authenticity and incorporate what you care about into it.
Create Brand Guidelines for Consistency
When you have decided what you want your brand to look like, you should take the time to curate brand guidelines for your business so that this can be referred to for any marketing strategies and campaigns you want to develop. This will help to ensure brand consistency, which is key if you want to be authentic and professional. It shows that you have confidence in what your brand stands for and will make it more easily recognizable for your customers moving forward.
Use Personal Touches
If you want your brand to be seen as authentic to your customers, adding some personal touches could help. This could include sharing some personal anecdotes on your blogs, such as your experiences setting up your business or other useful information your followers and customers might find interesting. Other options include sending out personalized notes to customers, thanking them for their loyalty, or sharing updates with them that they might want to know. Digitally printed cards are one way to do this, but handwritten notes might be better. You can find services that provide handwritten cards for business to help you with this.
The People Behind the Business
You may also want to consider sharing stories about yourself and your team, too. Of course, nothing should be shared on social media or other channels without permission from those in photos or videos, but having some bios for your team on your website alongside their photo, or a behind-the-scenes video you can share on what you do in the office can help customers get to know you better and make your brand feel more authentic.
If you want to increase your brand’s authenticity and attract more followers, these tips are all good places to start.
