Building brand authenticity: how you can connect with your audience

Been producing lots of content but struggling to build a connection with your audience? It’s not about what you say, but how you say it. 

Audiences are looking for authenticity and are more likely to take an interest in your company if you establish a genuine connection. 

Here’s our breakdown of the channels you can use to connect with your audience, and how. 

Social media: 

It’s no secret that social media holds the power of audience connection, but it’s all about how you use it. If you’re looking to start direct conversations with your audience, consider opening a conversation about your industry or services via a LinkedIn post or use Instagram stories’ Q&A feature. Showing direct interest in what your audience think and actively welcoming their feedback shows authenticity and will build a strong connection. 

The best way to connect with your audience is to show who you are. With the screen dominance of social media, audiences are looking for people!  

They will find it easier to form a connection with a business when they can see a friendly face. To cement your brand’s authenticity, consider fortnightly or monthly ‘Meet the Team’ posts to introduce your team to the world, or invite members of staff to host an Instagram story takeover, and give a play-by-play rundown of a day-in-the-life at your company to showcase your brand in a more casual and honest way. The direct posting of social media will give a stronger sense of authenticity as it is a platform that your audience can relate to, and therefore see themselves in your business’ shoes. 

Press releases: 

Press releases are a great way to control your narrative in the media, and let the world know who you are and what you are doing. An effective press release covers the who, what, where and why and should always have a quote from your organisation to increase that personal connection. 

We now know audiences love people, so include a relevant image with a member of your team and have a recognisable figure to establish that connection. 

Design: 

Social media and website users are skilled in scrolling, so make your content worth stopping for. Establish genuine brand guidelines, and stick to them to make your content memorable and consistent. This shows that you are secure in who you are as a business, and adds to your brand’s authenticity and identity. 

One of the most important factors when establishing a connection is consistency. There’s no point making the effort to put yourself out there if you’re not going to continue the hard work. Create design templates using your brand guidelines for all social media posts, so audiences can instantly recognise your business, and create a social media calendar to hold yourselves accountable to regular posts. 

But remember, it’s not just about the look, have a bank of keywords that you want your business to be associated with, and use this language, phrasing and tone of voice in all press releases and public facing content so that they are the first words that spring to mind when your business is mentioned. 

With 20 years in the business of effective communication, our experts can assist you in creating a secure and authentic brand presence, and can tailor our digital media, PR and creative know how to help you achieve your goals.