Everyone understands that the ultimate goal for any business is to make a profit. However, consumers need to know that you care about their needs as much as you care about your profits. Brand Authenticity is the intent of a business to sell its products to its consumers in an open and transparent manner. It involves providing the quality services and products you advertise to your customers. As a business, it is paramount that you build a strong bond of trust between you and your consumers. It is not about tricking or fooling them into buying your products. Consumers are smart and they will not tolerate any attempt to dupe them. So how do you build brand trust and authenticity with your consumers?
Introduce Core Members of Your team.
Human connection is a very strong driving force. You need to remind your consumers that your business is run by real people with personalities. Leverage social media to share snippets of what happens behind the scenes in the workplace. Share interesting facts about your employees. You can also highlight major moments such as award nominations. Hold forums where your consumers can interact with your staff. Introduce your customers to your business culture by allowing them to mingle with people who share your vision and mission.
Use Influencers
Influencer marketing is a great way to reach your consumers at a personal level. Select influencers that align with your brand values. Micro-influencing is an even greater tool to reach a more intimate audience. This involves using influencers but on a smaller scale. These people often have a relatively smaller following than major influencers. However since they specialize in one area or field, they have a stronger bond with their small community. Work with them to create authentic content by reviewing your product or service. People will be more inclined to trust your business more if they get great feedback from an influencer they trust.
Use the art of storytelling
Storytelling is a powerful tool used to captivate, educate and entertain an audience. Create a compelling brand story that will resonate with your consumers. Do ample research and find out what modes of communication is popular in your market. With so many upcoming marketing tools, it is always important to ensure you are in the know of new industry trends. You can use written, visual or audio content. You can even share your journey as a business owner. Share the story of why you decided to
start the business and the challenges you faced.
Communicate with your consumers
Real-time communication with your consumers is the best way to stay in the know of your customer changing needs. Reply swiftly to messages on all social media platforms or emails. It makes consumers feel appreciated and valued. They feel that their opinion matters. In the event, you let your consumers down, apologize and work towards earning their trust. Do not attack them for calling you out. It is within their right as consumers to share their feedback. The best you can do is take the criticism in stride and
improve where you can.
Be reliable
If you want people to trust your word as a business, you have to be reliable. The authenticity deficit in most brands stems from brands who willingly dupe their consumers. They make promises they never keep, sell subpar products and use dubious means to get consumers to buy their products. By doing so, the business is communicating that they place its own needs above the consumer’s needs. Brand authenticity and trust is a fickle thing. Once lost it is not easy to get back. If your brand strategies benefit you, and your customers, they will eventually be for your own benefit.
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