Authenticity in Social Media – The Secret Key to Longevity, Loyalty, and Success

Social media will always be a place where we present a carefully curated view of ourselves, whether as individuals or businesses. Despite this, it’s essential to avoid having a presence that feels conspicuously airbrushed and transparently doctored. We’re not just talking about images you publish to your social feeds. So what are the secrets to seeming authentic, generating user engagement, and building brand loyalty? Here are some tips to take on board if you’re struggling for authenticity on social platforms.

Don’t Shy Away from Showcasing Struggles

Rather than hiding the challenges you’ve faced and obstacles you’ve overcome to get where you are today, social media allows you to talk about your struggles and highlight missteps. So long as you positively frame these, it will show customers that you’re honest, which is what they really want.

Avoid Sharing Heavily Edited Content

If you publish images and videos featuring the products you sell, ensure that these accurately represent the items customers will receive if they place an order. Overuse of editing software can create a false impression of the finished article and lead to disappointment or even a breach of regulations.

Double-check Prospective Posts Before Sending Them out into the World

There are many examples of brands making mistakes when creating social posts or working with influencers. The simple act of double-checking content before you publish it, and going through several stages of approval, will weed out imperfections.

Authenticity in Social Media – Keep Clickbait to a Minimum

It’s fine to make images that stand out or choose copy that hits home with your target audience. But if you’re chasing engagement at all costs with clickbait tactics, this will erase any authenticity you’ve built up.

Build Trust Through Consistency

Being authentic on social media means customers will trust your brand, no matter the industry it occupies. Whether you need SEO for higher education, or you’re looking to build a business in any other sector, without this trust, you won’t be able to keep driving people through to your site.

Consistency is vital here and applies to the tone of the posts you publish and the types of content you share. Also, remember to make sure there’s no jarring juxtaposition to any elements of your social presence. Having a professional manner about the words you use but only sharing memes involving cut animals will not feel very authentic, for example.

Don’t Just Follow the Herd

Social media users are exposed to all sorts of content from many different avenues day in and day out. So there’s a good chance your followers will already be very familiar with it if there’s a trend you’re thinking about following. Your efforts will feel derivative and inauthentic rather than fresh and genuine. The advice to think outside the box is frustratingly vague, but that doesn’t make it any less accurate. Doing something different is better than jumping on the same bandwagon as everyone else.

Authenticity in Social Media – Add Some Humanity

Plenty of brands post content that doesn’t actually feature the real people behind the business, and doing so tends to make it harder for people to connect on a deeper level. As such, it’s better to add faces and names to your feeds from time to time so that you’re not only giving people something to relate to but also recognizing your employees’ achievements and contributions simultaneously.