What is the Key to Authentic Marketing?
When you break it down to the most basic of terms, business is simply an exchange between two parties. Most often, it's an exchange of goods or services for money.
So then why is it that when it comes to the exchange itself, the sell, it can be so difficult and feel so slimy?
You can blame it on the used car salesman, infomercials, or pop-up ads, but as consumers, we are tired of being sold to. Maybe it's because our generation is being inundated with more information than ever before, and we're deftly aware of when that pitch is coming. As a business owner, you have to walk the fine line of talking about your goods and services enough so that it turns into actual sales in order to sustain your livelihood, but also to do it in a way that doesn't repel customers. And that's where the idea of authentic marketing comes into play.
Authentic marketing is built through consistency.
Authentic marketing is built through always following through with what you say your going to do and truly walking your talk. Authentic marketing aims to create value by showing up as yourself 100% of the time. Authentic marketing stands up for and stays true to the company's WHY through every decision, social media post, and customer service email. Authentic marketing is ultimately about knowing and embracing who you are and simply telling your story.
Because people buy from people, so it's OK (and I would argue imperative!) that you show your human-ness through every business interaction.
There is nothing sleazy about sharing your core values, telling the story of why you do what you do, sharing your process, and knowing that all the while you are working to serve a select group of customers who value all of those same things.
For giggles, let's look at an example of one of my favorite brands - Elizabeth Suzann. They hit the ball out of the park with absolutely every. single. interaction. Every part of their business is wholeheartedly customer-focused, and although I only have two of her pieces, one of my goals is to be in a place where I can regularly afford to buy and wear her items. I eagerly await when she posts a new Instagram story, and I will watch that entire 20-part story in 10-second increments multiple times through. Why do I love her so much? Because I feel like she's speaking directly to me with every Instagram story, post, email, etc. I know she has her marketing department involved, and I'm sure multiple people see all of these things through, but the Elizabeth Suzann brand is personified in my mind. She's someone that I feel I could be besties with.
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