The rise in social media advertising has left many users immune to the ads that show up on their feeds through algorithms. Back when social media was first born—and for many years during its evolution—marketers could rely on the robots that live within the machines to do their advertising for them. Back then, consumers were unaccustomed to this brave new world, and advertising fueled by algorithms still hit the mark with many people who were venturing into this channel of communication for the first time.
Times have changed, though, and robotic messaging is not only tired and unattractive—it can actually be a total turnoff to the very people with whom you're trying to do business.
Any great digital public relations firm will tell you that you need to employ social media marketing into your strategies to reach your audience members where they are. With that said, it's time to go back to basics and stop relying on the algorithms to get your brand in front of the people you want to engage with. It's no longer about throwing money at paid ads and bombarding consumers with messages; it's about creating content that adds value for the audience and actually creates lasting connections with the consumers it's targeting.
Why Authenticity Matters
Here's the thing—today's consumers are smart. They've been exposed to ads and web pages that are unhelpful for a very long time, and their expectations are dramatically different from what they were, say five or 10 years ago. Today, authenticity matters because it fundamentally speaks to what your brand is about and why people should care about the products and services you offer.
What you need to remember is that anyone can make a web page or post an online ad. That doesn't set you apart from the competition. What does set you apart is telling a story about your brand in a way that resonates with the people you're trying to connect to. Authenticity (as opposed to algorithms) enables you to:
- Showcase your core values
- Generate genuine credibility with your customers
- Motivate people to buy because you're exhibiting responsibility and integrity within your brand
- Attract consumers who want to stay true to themselves during their buying journeys
How You Can Generate Authenticity Throughout Your Marketing Campaigns
Now that you know the importance of authenticity, how exactly can you incorporate it into your overall messaging strategies? Here are a few tips:
- Find Your Voice
What does your brand sound like? This is a tricky question (and one that's often not easily answered), but is vital to your overall strategy nonetheless. Is your brand humorous, serious, dignified, or a bit off-the-wall? Knowing the tone in which your content should be written will help create consistency in messaging and ensure that people know it's your brand that's speaking when they come across your online content.
- Be Consistent
Okay, consistency of voice is important, as we already mentioned, but consistency across all other things is important, too. Be sure that your logo, design, the colors you use, and the way you talk to your audience is consistent across all platforms, web pages, and interactions you have with followers.
- Know Your Niche and Your Audience
You want to be seen as an authority figure in your industry, so stay with what you know and share tips and tricks of your own trade; don't stray out to unknown territories that don't match the vision, mission, and brand of your business.
This same idea applies to the audience you're trying to speak to. If your audience is mostly tweens who need their parents' approval to make purchases, political satire in your posts probably doesn't make a lot of sense. Match your messaging to the people who are receiving it to make the most of your efforts.
- Write from Your Own Perspective
Robots and algorithms don't have the insight you do as a human. Use your knowledge to share insights about your company, products, services, and the people who power your business
Check out this infographic below….
Infographic created by Beantown Media Ventures
