True and Authentic
“Overloaded by sales pitches, consumers are gravitating toward brands that they sense are true and genuine.” Fast Company
One thing I love about working with True Body Products is that they strive daily to live up to the “true promise” they made when starting the company. That promise, which touches on sustainable business practices and product integrity, means that in addition the fact that they have a really, really good and timely product, they can also successfully launch themselves into the media world just by being themselves. There is nothing to spin or gloss. There is no veneer, and in today’s world, authenticity earns solid brand loyalty.
The Altimeter Group release a report in July titled The 8 Success Criteria for Facebook Page Marketing, and guess what? ”Live Authenticity” was near the top. For Facbook, this means providing your real name and posting a picture that wasn’t taken in a studio or brushed up in photoshop. It means writing in the first person in a conversational tone, and engaging in conversation with fans.
Pam Moore backs this up with her 17 Tips to be a Good Friend and Advocate in Social Media. ”Be real, she says. Those of us who have been around the block in social media can spot a fake a mile away. You are fooling nobody and doing nothing for yourself, your personal brand nor your business if you do it in a non-authentic way.”
It can be intimidating to “put yourself out there,” as an individual (it was for me!) or a business, but with authenticity behind you, there’s really nothing to be afraid of. Be who you are. Add your voice or opinion to your retweet, like, or comment. Engage in dialogue with the people. Create relationships. Align yourself with companies and brands you believe in. Don’t worry about how many fans and followers you have, worry about whether or not you’re connecting with them in a real and meaningful way.
(And, btw, being “true” to themselves also just earned True soap a place on Debra’s List– THE resource for non-toxic products).
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[...] of the things I love about today’s social media world is that there is no room for fakes. A company can spend millions of dollars spinning an image that can be debunked in a matter of [...]