Authentic. It’s thrown around a lot along with its sibling Authenticity. These are things every business and surely every brand aspire to become. Today let’s explore these terms and why they matter if you’re branding your business.
According to our good friend the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, authentic means something that is real, genuine, or accurate. It is not fake.
Of course, we all want to be these things. The question really is, why is being authentic good for your business.
One of the top reasons businesses want to be authentic is to connect with their clients. To show off the human element to their business. People buy from people more than they buy from brands. If you can make your customer or potential customer feel understood and that they’re working with or buying from real people, they’re more likely to buy from you.
They want to see you walk your talk. If you say you love being a community partner, then showcase it. Share how your business is growing others, supporting their businesses, or a favored local charity. If you say you’re a fun business, show it off and share that silly side! The key thing is that authenticity isn’t something you can fake. You need to be unapologetically you and your business needs to reflect its values at every turn. This means on video, in person, written, drawn and it needs to be done by every person attached to your business including owners and team members.
Being authentic grows people’s trust in you and that’s one of the key factors in growing your business. Authenticity shows that your business is honest because the messaging and content it chooses to share don’t waver.
Lastly, it helps you stand apart from your competition. Even if you and your competitor sell the exact same thing, your authenticity attracts customers to you that would not be attracted to the competition. It’s why when people ask me at networking events if I’m threatened when another graphic designer or branding specialist shows up, I say no. I understand who I am and I know some of the people will come to me and others will go to them. You won’t truly feel that sense of competition if you’re authentic because your ideal customers will always be drawn to you.
Today, I encourage you to showcase something that showcases your brand’s values and highlights your authentic self!
If you’re ready to take your business to the next level through clear and unified branding book a 15-minute no pitch consultation call today by clicking here