Cost-effective ways to create a more authentic brand

By Chamber Staff / PRESENTED BY Business University / Member News / January 25, 2023

You can't do the bare minimum and expect your brand to succeed. It's a crowded marketplace, and your business needs to stand out. Authenticity matters, and if you want to be seen as a real person, not a faceless corporation, then being authentic is an important part of that. Let's look at ways to make your brand more authentic so it doesn't get lost in the crowd.

Don't Be Afraid to Stand Out

Authenticity is about being yourself rather than playing a role that someone else has set out for you. If you try too hard to fit in with your competitors, your business will become indistinguishable from your competitors, and people will have a hard time differentiating your company from others and understanding what makes you different.

Be brave and focus on what makes your business unique. Show your customers the real you, and don't be afraid to go against the grain if it feels right. Let your marketing and branding reflect your values and strengths, and create a cohesive and meaningful message that will resonate with your customers. When you stand out from the crowd, it will be easier to make an impact and build a loyal customer base.

Give Your Brand a Personality

Let Your Emotions Show in Your Content

What comes to mind when you think about the content you create for your brand? Do you write with a certain formula in mind? It's no secret that emotional content is more engaging than boring, technical, or dry information. Emotions are contagious and can help people connect. You want your audience to feel something when they read your blog posts, so why not make it positive emotions?

When you feel happy and connected with others, you're more likely to share your experiences with them to communicate that feeling of happiness. When your brain processes positive emotions like love and joy (or even smiley emojis), it releases dopamine (a reward hormone), making you want more good feelings. This means people will be more likely to pay attention/read/share what makes them feel good than things that don't interest them.

Be Consistent With Your Messaging

Many brands are built around authenticity -- and some brands aren't authentic at all. An example:

Coca-Cola advertises itself as a "real thing," but they use artificial ingredients like high-fructose corn syrup and sodium benzoate. This doesn't make them authentic; it makes them seem fake and corporate when they market themselves as an independent soda maker using healthy ingredients.

This breaks the trust of the consumers and is a major contributing factor to why they lack authenticity. You want to avoid this and keep your branding and messaging consistent.

Connect with Customers

Customer support is an integral part of customer service. You can't offer real customer service without providing your customers with a way to contact you if they have questions or concerns. An example is having a live-chat feature on your website that allows customers to contact someone immediately when they're having trouble finding something or placing an order.

Another way to show that you care about your customers is by offering a guarantee on products sold through your store, such as Amazon's A-to-Z Guarantee. If anything goes wrong with the product within two days of purchase, simply return it for a full refund (or replace it if it was defective). This gives people peace of mind about ordering from Amazon instead of another online retailer because they know there won't be any surprises if something goes wrong with their purchase later.

There are many ways to make your brand more authentic. Start by being clear about your values and what you stand for. You can also focus on creating quality content relevant to your target audience. Additionally, you can build relationships with influencers and thought leaders in your industry. By taking these steps, you can create a more authentic and credible brand.