Authenticity on social media encompasses the art of being genuine when interacting with your audience on social media platforms. It’s about showing up on channels such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn, in a way that is transparent, honest and consistent.
To put it simply, it involves fostering a sincere connection with your followers that reflects:
Embracing an authentic voice on social media can offer multiple benefits for your business. We unpack some of these in more detail below.
Being your authentic self on social media can help you stand out in the crowd. By embracing your uniqueness and differences, you can help form a distinct brand identity and voice.
Being authentic can help you build up brand credibility. If people perceive you as authentic and ‘real’, they’re probably going to be more likely to trust you. When followers trust you, they may be more likely to engage with your content or purchase from your business.
Authentic content creation on social media platforms can help you form a deeper connection with your audience. This is because when you’re being authentic, you’re probably more likely to spark up genuine conversations or generate meaningful engagements. This in turn, can help boost conversion rate.
When you show up as your true self, it can help attract other like-minded individuals. They may share similar values, interests or passions. If they resonate with the authentic content you create, this can help you build a more engaged and loyal following on social media channels. This can open up opportunities to connect with like-minded business owners and potentially find partners, collaborators or influencers who align with your brand.
As you begin to build up meaningful connections online, you’ll likely see an increase in brand loyalty, follower growth and ultimately, business success.
Now that we’ve explored some of the reasons why being authentic on social media is so important, let’s delve into some tips to help you create content that can resonate with your online audience.
Don’t be afraid to express yourself through your social media content. You can share your feelings, emotions, thoughts and opinions while still being professional and respectful. This can help you establish deeper connections online.
A great way to show authenticity online, is by sharing some of your personal experiences. This can include triumphs, challenges, anecdotes and your business journey. Sharing these things can help humanise your business and allow people to get to know your brand.
Develop a tone of voice and brand identity that accurately reflects your business and stay true to this when engaging online. Being consistent over time can help emphasise your authenticity. Doing this, can also help boost customer experience as people know what to expect, whether it’s witty, informative, empathetic, professional, formal or optimistic.
Get to know who your audience is, what they care about and what resonates with them. You can then tailor specific content that directly addresses their interests, goals and pain points. This can help demonstrate that you care about your audience and their needs. And helps make your content feel more personalised.
Don’t shy away from being open, even when it means sharing things that didn’t go exactly to plan. Every business can experience minor setbacks or mishaps. By owning and acknowledging these times and showing potential customers that you care, you can build trust and help strengthen customer relationships.
Avoid sharing images or videos that aren’t real. For example, if you post a short form video of your product doing something it can’t actually do, this can be misleading. Similarly, if you heavily photoshop an image to alter the appearance of your product, this can be perceived as deceptive. Especially when it arrives at the door and doesn’t meet expectations. You’re better off posting high-quality images and videos that accurately depict your business.
Engage with your online audience promptly and authentically. This can include responding to reviews, comments, feedback, messages and inquiries through social media channels.
You can use customer feedback, both good and bad to finetune your social media strategy.
Always be strategic when sharing your content and engaging on social media channels. Take a moment to stop, think and consider. Ask yourself the following questions:
If you outsource your social media management or delegate it to an employee, consider developing out social media guidelines.
Learn more about the content creation process
In a world that’s saturated with digital content, customers value authenticity and realness from businesses online. By staying true to who you are, what you stand for and what your business represents on social media platforms, you can build meaningful connections with your audience online.
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