The first question we ask on our website’s homepage is, “How can we help you tell your story?” We ask this not only because of our genuine interest in our client’s background, but because we also understand how important it is for consumers to understand what a brand represents. The online landscape is crowded, and to stand out from the masses, businesses need to be able to connect with their customers on a deeper level. This deeper connection can be accomplished through authenticity.

Brands that try to grow with cheesy, overused slogans or recycled messaging that competitors have used in their space for generations are destined to fail. Instead, the modern consumer looks to do business with companies that stand for something and aren’t afraid to share their values. Today, we will examine what it takes for an authentic brand to attract and breed loyalty from a consumer base.

A brand that practices authenticity maintains a consistent voice across all marketing channels. The voice always reflects the genuine beliefs or mission statement of the brand. Typically, when a brand can pinpoint what they stand for, it can quickly pinpoint who its target market is and should be. This allows a company to disregard marketing tactics that cast a wide net and wait to see what comes back its way. Conversely, authentic brands know that their mission aligns with a particular group of people who will not only utilize their product or service, but also want to actively follow them across different channels.

An authentic brand is very similar to an authentic person. They possess essential traits like welcomeness, honesty, and consideration for the thoughts and opinions of others. In addition, authentic brands will establish trust with their audience by delivering what they promise via their marketing materials. Establishing trust with your audience creates loyal followers and customers who will return to your content or products over and over. As a result, you’ll grow a community around your brand that makes it stand out from the crowd.

The difficulty of establishing trust in the digital age is that it can easily be tarnished in an instant. With online review platforms more accessible than ever, a brand is always just a few negative reviews away from losing the trust they worked so hard to establish. This is why marketing materials must never overpromise. When a company does fail to deliver on its word, the best course of action is to take ownership of the mistake and remedy the issue as quickly and efficiently as possible. Again, reverting to authenticity and showing unhappy customers that the business cares about them can help make the best of an otherwise unfortunate situation.

Neff on Keeping a Brand Voice Authentic

Whenever an opportunity arises to personalize messaging, brands should take advantage. The most successful authentic brands will utilize conversational marketing tactics. Showing an understanding of the fact that people are busy, it can simply be more effective to get directly to the point rather than hit people over the head with technical jargon and supporting arguments. The key is to quickly establish who or what the brand represents, then support that in every piece of marketing material and every product or service provided.

It is especially great for brands to share information regarding any causes or initiatives they support openly. Local businesses can do themselves a huge service by establishing a presence in their community, as having pictures supporting a brand show up to support a cause is much more powerful than a press release that states a monetary figure donated.

Finally, while we have established that keeping a brand’s voice consistent across platforms is vital, it is important for those in need of a marketing update to consider specific platforms first. For starters, the copy on a website should reflect who a brand is and what they care about. Again, this is why we start by asking about your story, we care! And we show it with our actions for every client we partner with. The next place is across all relevant social channels. Social media platforms provide the perfect place to give consumers more background on a company’s personality and values. Finally, the team members themselves are the last piece of the puzzle. Many stagnant companies have sales reps that contradict what their website or social profiles represent. Neff partners with clients to ensure that all facets of a business are rowing the boat in the same direction. Contact our team today to learn more about the importance of authenticity in marketing.