Authenticity: What It Is and Why It’s Important

Over the last couple of decades, and especially now with COVID-19, consumer behavior has evolved.

Traditional marketing strategies are no longer successful and brands are being forced to transform the ways they communicate and connect with their audiences. 

Today, in order to grow your business and improve your brand it is essential for you to be authentic in the stories you tell and the messages you share with your audience. Your personal brand is the image you put out into the world that sets you apart from your competitors, because it gives you an opportunity to connect with your audience on a deeper level. To gain an audience that trusts you and stays loyal to your brand, your image must display your authentic truth. 

So, how does one enhance their personal brand and build authenticity? Well, you’re about to find out. 

Stay true to who you are

Have you ever been to a dinner party where you were forced to make painful small talk with someone you were not too fond of? Do you remember how exhausting it was to have to pretend to be interested in the story they were telling you? Or how much you wished you could be honest about your feelings towards them so you didn’t have to endure a tedious conversation with them ever again? That’s exactly what it feels like when your personal brand does not align with who you truly are as a person. 

Curating a personal brand around a fake persona is exhausting and definitely not worth it because your audience will figure you out eventually. That’s why, when creating your brand, make sure it is a reflection of your true self and everything you have to offer. 

Vulnerability is the key to human connection; therefore, posting content that makes you feel vulnerable will allow your audience to better connect with your brand. They will appreciate your courage and understand you on a deeper level which will likely lead to brand loyalty. 

Being honest with your audience is essential when attempting to build trust, even when you have made a mistake. We’re all human and we definitely all make mistakes. Showing that side of yourself through your brand image will make you more relatable to your audience. No one likes people, or brands, who pretend to be perfect. 

In fact, being dishonest leads to inauthenticity which can be detrimental to your brand. Once you have broken the trust between you and your audience it is extremely difficult to gain it back. It is likely that your audience will feel disconnected from your brand and will no longer support you and your brand. 

Establish your values and follow through

Values guide our beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors. Every successful brand has a set of core values that they align with in everything that they do. In order to be seen as authentic, you must make your values known and stay true to them. 

Having values and a purpose that your audience can relate to and appreciate will make them emotionally invested in your success. They will want to support you because they know that when you make claims with what you have to offer them, you always follow through. 

Brand authenticity is all about staying true to yourself and knowing what you have to offer your audience. In today’s technological world, it is easier than ever for a customer to find out when a brand is putting on a facade. 

Creating a personal brand that is a reflection of your true self will lead your audience to become emotionally invested and choose you, even if there are alternatives. 

So now’s the time to take off the mask (the imaginary one) and establish an authentic brand that cares about its audience and aligns with its values.