A lot of work is required to gain the trust of the customers on the market, and the question is what you can do to make your brand even stronger. Based on the studies, customers significantly lost trust in 2020, but the situation was a bit better in 2021. if you’ve been asked how the stats improved, the answer is – authenticity. Brand authenticity and trust in the brand are connected and make a strong and unbreakable bond. To learn more about how to make your brand stronger and more authentic, read the rest of this blog post.
Importance of authenticity
Before we start elaborating on 4 ways to build an authentic brand, let’s take a look at the importance of authenticity. It is the main factor a customer will make a decision on the purchase of a product or service. When customers decide which brand to support, i.e., buy, in 90% of cases, they do it because they consider the brand authentic. In other words, by authenticity, we mean the brand has something special, and simultaneously it shows its human side the customers can identify with. Before we work on authenticity, it is essential to build a strong and consistent brand. Let’s check the strategies that can help in strengthening the brand authenticity.
1.Add social proof
This is one of the best ways for customers to build strong trust in your brand. But what is social proof and why is it important to us? It’s proof that people like your product or service.
It is also a phenomenon in which customers choose a brand based on how many people follow or like it on social networks. And finally, there are people who follow influencers or celebrities, so based on where they go, they choose restaurants, cafes, and hotels. All this is an explanation of a complex phenomenon, which is very important when it comes to the brand-building process.
The best examples of this are the Booking or Tripadvisor sites, which have user ratings and their impressions in writing. Based on these testimonials, many of us decide where to spend our vacation, eat and stay. These are very important decisions, which bring a considerable profit to the service provider, so it is very important that they are authentic and do not embellish the facts.
In addition to testimonials, case studies and social media posts are also a great way to put a virtual ’approved’ stamp on a brand. Approval, sharing, enthusiasm for a brand – all these are emotions that every brand should wish to receive from its customers.
They should be added everywhere (on the site, landing pages, and social networks) because they are a way for people to connect with the brand, which they still do not know about. Based on the opinions of other people, similar to them, they will form a positive attitude about your brand.
2.Tell your story
Your story is what distinguishes your brand from your business, but also from the competition. Strong brands have a mission behind them. Whether we’re talking about something as simple as wanting to make our customers happy or something more complex like preserving the environment. It is important that customers know why you started producing a product, how you decided to start your business, what idea is behind it all, and so on.
The best way to show this is on your website in the About Us section or on social networks, where through a series of stories (which you will later switch to highlights) tell what you want to achieve by starting your brand. Let the storytelling be authentic, told in your words, and colored by your emotions, which you felt at the time of starting the business.
3.Use real photos
Of course, sometimes it is necessary to use stock photos, but we only do that when there is no other solution. Better use stock photos than have a site without any photos, right? However, they do not show what the product really looks like, they cannot evoke the atmosphere of your restaurant or the richness of the taste of the cakes you produce.
Professional photography can do all this and much more. This is because photographers know exactly how to present a product and which frame to choose. Photos can play a very important role in the overall marketing strategy of a brand. One of the obligatory ways to connect customers with the brand through photos is to show employees who work for the company every day.
In this way, customers will create a connection with the brand, identifying with it and connecting with the people who make their favorite products every day. When a brand has a face (authentic representative), then it is much easier to connect with it and accept it as something ours.
4.As important as it is to speak, it is equally important to listen
When we present a brand, it seems to us that the most natural thing is to constantly talk or write about it. But it is much more important and certainly much harder to listen to what customers have to say.
Sometimes you should stop and allow customers to speak, i.e., to hear their voice and their opinion. You can use many different research methods for this purpose, such as surveys e.g. (for small brands, those on social networks are ideal). That way, you will not only get great feedback from customers, but they will also understand that their opinion is important to you.
Pay attention to their questions and answer their doubts. This will bring you a lot of positive points with customers, which will result in a greater connection between the brand and customers.
Let all your available resources be in the function of building an authentic brand
Building an authentic brand is not a job that can ever be completed. It is necessary to constantly work on it and be open to communication with customers. Once the site, social networks, and other communication channels are launched, it is only the beginning of the road to open, transparent, and constant communication.
Authenticity, a strong and consistent brand assumes a lot of time invested. It is quite logical that one person cannot be engaged in the production, distribution and construction, and empowerment of a brand. That is why it is much better to leave the team of professionals dealing with the brand and all daily activities, which can take a lot of time and are important for connecting with customers.
If you contact us and decide to cooperate with us, our team will create a brand strategy tailored to your needs and guide your company in the direction of success and conquering new markets.
