How to be authentic

By Gareth Henry   |   Last Updated 2 December 2021

When crafting a message for your brand, it’s essential to maintain authenticity. So your message should stay true to your company’s tone of voice. Not only does this help you attract new customers, but it also helps you build trust and loyalty with your existing customers.

Why is it important to be authentic?

Your ability to appear honest and authentic is always a factor when a customer decides whether or not to purchase from you. But remember, your honesty and authenticity is not always as apparent to them as it is to you. You know you can trust you; the customer may need some convincing. They might prefer to see a certain goofiness, but the chances are that is not the case.

A large part of your messaging will be determined by your ideal customer avatar at first, as you must use words that appeal to them. So whilst your words might sound great to your ears, put yourself into the shoes of your ideal customer and ask how they will hear it.

Altering your messaging to appeal to a broader audience can be risky as it may come across as inauthentic and burn a sale. So instead, focus on creating content that resonates with your target customer…and only your target customer.

How to be authentic online

When it comes to social media, always post authentically and with guidelines. You are you, but you must know where you lose audience resonance. Your posts should reflect your company’s values and what you stand for but needn’t stray into uncomfortable territory for the sake of your ego.

Warning: Faking a persona can be easily seen through and can damage your brand’s reputation. Speaking from the heart, as opposed to the head, means you can produce posts at a moment’s notice and videos and phone calls that aren’t scripted.

How to define your brand’s tone of voice

To maintain authenticity on your website, make sure all content is original and edited by your staff. Authentic content will bring in customers who are serious about buying instead of low conversion traffic.

Don’t be afraid of the occasional mistake or failure. You can learn from both and grow into a well-rounded businessperson.

Authenticity is not all-or-nothing. It’s a refinement of your service. Analytics on what articles and posts bring engagement and sales will lead you to refine your tone of voice over time. Your tone of voice a year from now will probably have a few changes with careful observation.

What you should consider when determining your brand voice

• Try not to be too mellow. Being a little punchy with your words can increase engagement.
• Don’t be too pushy. You might see this decreases your engagement.
• Could using cuss/curse words liven up your content depending on your target customer?
• Does your humour resonate? A certain ironic or dad joke humour may better suit your brand.

An overview and continual development of your brand tone of voice after a significant change is like a car service. Your car will not run with old oil. Likewise, your business engine needs fresh oil.