Why Authenticity Matters
Last week I had the privilege of attending PTTOW! Sessions in New York where one of the topics discussed was how brands must focus on generating authentic content to succeed in our attention economy.
What does it mean to produce truly authentic content in a sea of mediocre and keyword-stuffed brand content? Authentic content varies by the type of company, but it stems from generating engaging ways to communicate your brand’s unique value proposition. If you’re a B2B brand, that will likely come in some form of educating your audience in your field. B2C brands often use entertainment value to convey their message.
As we discussed last week, authentic content can provide value in three ways:
Educate
Your company surely employs people who hold niche expertise in your field. Use your employees and contacts as industry experts to educate your customers and followers. Establish your trustworthiness by providing real information that actually helps consumers live better lives. Develop a real voice — tell it like it is when you need to. Readers will respond better to content that has a foot in reality instead of soulless marketing speak.
Hubspot was one of the original content marketing pioneers (they were one of the first brands to use the term “inbound marketing”). They’ve used their platform to generate hundreds of guides to help small businesses improve their marketing. Their posts help marketers learn best practices and new skills in their field. Most marketers have used trusted tips from Hubspot at some point, even if they aren’t Hubspot customers. Hubspot shows how B2B brands can harness the power of education to build a well-known, well-respected brand.
Solve a Problem
If you can use your resources to genuinely help someone (either with useful, value-add content or time & services), you’ll be viewed as a legitimate and dependable source for good — and be trusted when it’s time for a purchase decision down the line.
During the U.S. economic downturn, J.P. Morgan Chase executives didn’t retreat to their corner offices — they got on a bus and traveled the country, meeting with employees and customers at events throughout the nation to hear their feedback and show that they care. They continue this practice to this day, demonstrating their effort to prove that banks can do good in a meaningful way.
“Banks haven’t traditionally established the kind of bond with their customers that other retailers have. Right now, Chase has the strongest customer satisfaction scores of large banks across most products.”- Kristin Lemkau, Chief Marketing Officer, JPMorgan Chase
Chase also recently announced a partnership with the University of Akron and LeBron James to help hundreds of children go to college. The bank is utilizing their technology resources to create a tracking system for the student mentoring program, a key component to the college scholarship offer made by LeBron & the University.
Tell a Genuine Story
Storytelling is the key to successful content marketing. It helps answer the questions of “why should I care?” and “why should I keep reading?” When you tell a real story (about your company, your leadership, or even a problem you yourself faced), your brand suddenly becomes far more relatable. Show why you’re in this and others will follow. And remember that your story must be real to be believed.
Content marketing is worth the time and money — but only if it helps tell your unique story and help others in an authentic, meaningful way. The marketing sphere is already filled with self-serving content. Do your brand and your customers a favor; invest in content that can create a direct connection between yourself and your readers. They’ll thank you for it.
