Demonstrating authenticity on social media is pretty simple in theory - it’s all about showing the real side of your brand or business to your followers.
Your followers want to see the real side of your business with original content. Its always a put off and a main reason why businesses loose followers on their social media profiles when content is not authentic.
Being genuine and selling your brand on social media goes hand in hand and is vital for every brand to do so. However, keeping your social media presence real while also still positively representing your brand in an interesting and engaging way and can feel like walking a tight rope.
Being real and showing the brands authentic side while creating original and engaging posts can be a daunting task. But on the plus side, this is just what helps all brands grow organically, helps in connecting with the audience on a much deeper level and also encourage brand loyalty.
How do you characterize an brand's authentic personality on social media page?
⭐ Thoughtful posts
⭐ A non-hostile sense of humor
⭐ Accept their mistakes
⭐ Talk about real issues and support them as well
⭐ Express emotions
So now coming to the real question, how can brands be more authentic on social media?
1. Be Honest and Transparent
No one wants to follow a brand who sounds phony. Fake news, photoshopped images and stories that just make no sense. Cushioned content is everywhere and your audience is smart. They can easily differentiate between fake and real content and being fake is never an option.
So if you are a brand or an individual trying to sell your product and/or service but don't know what to show your audience, here is what you can do:
If you are someone who is selling a product, go behind the scenes. Share the process on how the product is made, where the material is sourced from, the design process, maybe even some fun office banter with your team.
If you are a service, share how you create the entire experience. Also include customer testimonials.
And if you are an influencer, post a raw, unedited picture of yourself once in a while.
2. Cultivate a Happy Attitude
It is general human nature to portray actions as per what the mind's state is. Actions influence your thoughts and feelings. Express genuine feelings when creating posts or even when commenting on posts. It creates a happy space for your audience. Some place they will scroll back to from time to time.
3. Own Your Actions!
If you mess up, own it. An accidental typo, a reply that wasn't composed well or a post that was never meant to go up. It's all right. We all make mistakes. We should understand where we went wrong, apologize for the mistake and clean up the mess.
If you have ever made a blunder, first things first, delete your post or comment. And second, publish a quick, meaningful yet short apology on the incident. And third forget about it. It will never be erased permanently, but you have taken your step and that is good enough.
4. Don't Copy the Competition
It’s hard not to look at what others are doing, see their engagement and be inspired to create similar posts. After all, we all want to be heard and appreciated. However, copying the style, content or attitude of your competitors is not the way to do it. Make sure your content is unique to you. You’ll find your base, and they’ll appreciate you for being yourself.
5. Keep A Balance
Social media was created to connect with family and friends but it has grown so much more that just that. It is ideal for all brands, companies and even influencers to keep a good balance with sharing the real side as well as sharing their work. This point is very important if you are an influencer. Showing your Instagram perfect life can be a sore spot for many who are struggling with their life.
Even though the above advice may be applicable to all or to none, it is never a bad idea to incorporate them even if you are a regular person with a regular Instagram handle.
If there are more points on how you feel brands can be more real, then do share it with us in the comments section below.
WRITTEN BY
Farheen S. Sayed
Farheen is the Managing Director at Social Donut 101 based in Kuwait and India. She is an aficionado of all things social media along with all the best food joints.
You can connect with her on Instagram @farheen_f1s
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