authentic content marketing Archives

Why Brand Honesty & Authenticity in Content Marketing is Key to Building Customer Trust

by Adam Oakley | Mar 9, 2017 | Content Marketing

How much do you agree with this thought:
“Honesty is something you can’t wear out.” – Waylon Jennings
Here’s another question.
Is it possible to be too honest? Over-transparent?
Everyone has at least one person they know who says too much. It can be irritating.
But in content marketing, brand honesty and authenticity are the opposite of off-putting.
In fact, these virtues are necessary to build trust for your efforts.
Maybe Waylon Jennings was onto something.
Let’s explore my data-driven research on this important, perhaps critical, marketing topic of today: brand authenticity and honesty. (You’ll also see why I believe in it so much. I put it all out there when it came to an issue I faced in 2016.)

Consumer Reviews in an Age of Content Marketing

Did you know that 90% of consumers read less than 10 reviews before already forming an opinion about a business?
In an age of ever-advancing technology and communication, online reviews remain an important part of consumer research and decision-making.
Why is this?
Because online reviews are honest. And we need to know that the product we are purchasing, the realtor we are working with, and the pizza place we’re thinking about for dinner are both trustworthy and worth our time.
The same is true for our content. If our brand’s integrity and honesty shine through, we are setting up an environment where our audience will trust us and keep coming back for more. But while consumers want honesty, not all feel like it’s present.
According to Chon & Wolfe, 75% of consumers surveyed across 14 markets believe that companies are not open and transparent. While this may seem like a negative statistic, it actually opens up the door for us to engage in the type of practices that will close this gap.
Ready to jump in with us?

How Brand Honesty and Authenticity Build Serious Trust for Your Content Marketing

There is tremendous power behind authentic and honest messaging. When the story resonates, the audience listens, and when we hear what they are saying and respond with thought, the conversation continues and we all benefit.
Brand honesty and authenticity build trust for your content marketing efforts not because you are saying what they want to hear, but because you’re saying what’s real.
Did you catch that? It’s not about throwing out a catchy sales pitch or trying to be something you aren’t. When we are real, all of a sudden, we feel less alone. We find that someone else “gets” us, makes mistakes like we do, and finds it in themselves to move on in spite of it.
Here are three ways brand honesty and authenticity build trust in your content marketing efforts.

1. Honesty adds value

Presenting an honest front adds value because it sets you up as an authority. Would you take parenting advice from someone who’s never had kids? Would you take your car to someone who’s never popped a hood and trust him with your engine?
Probably not.
But maybe you notice your neighbor working on cars every weekend and then you talk to him, and he mentions that he’s been a mechanic on the side for 20 years. In this case, maybe you would consider asking him why your car is making that funny noise.
Why is that?
Because you have seen him act as an expert. You can now take a step forward in trusting him with your own vehicle.
When our content marketing is backed by personal stories and experiences because we’ve been there, it adds value to what we’re saying. We are moving ourselves from an advice-giver to a credible source of information and real solutions.
We are adding value to our brand.

2. Honesty shows you care.

Genuine interest in the midst of a busy life isn’t as difficult as it seems. At the same time, failing to communicate authentically leaves an empty space that leaves your audience wondering where everything went wrong.
It is true that customers want to hear the good, the bad, and the ugly, no matter what. Silence begets distrust and suspicion, openness builds trust. (Forbes)
Honesty in your brand’s message communicates to your audience that you care enough to tell the truth, even if it isn’t pretty. As an authority in your field, you are looking beyond your own reputation and moving into an attitude of transparency with your readers.

3. Honesty clarifies who shouldn’t invest in your brand.

HubSpot recommends that in our attempts at insane honesty, we tell the world who should probably not buy our products.
Really.
Why is this? Because it clearly identifies those who should purchase and alienates less likely customers, those mismatches and time-wasters. And contrary to what we may think, people won’t walk away mad or turn against us. They’ll just keep looking until they find a good fit.
It’s less about wasting their time and more about attracting the right audience for your message.

What Makes a Brand Authentic? 2 Factors

The Cohn & Wolfe survey cited earlier found that among consumers, authenticity from brands would earn them more loyalty. Consumers would also be more likely to:

Refer to friends and family
Invest in the company
Consider working as an employee for the company

What makes a brand authentic?

1. Reliability

Your audience expects you to be reliable. Social Media Examiner reminds us that instead of just talking about our products or services, the key to drawing in an audience is to create reliable content that they can easily relate to.
Each time we provide authoritative content in an honest way, we are building a foundation for our current readers and potential future connections.
One example of a reliable brand is John Deere. From building the first polished plow back in the 1800s to the publication of The Furrow, which attempted to educate farmers on new technology and how to be more successful business owners, Deere & Company has proven itself to be a reliable brand for its customers.

Graphic from Contently

The current art director for the publication credits the magazine’s focus on the audience, rather than the equipment they sell.
Can your readers count on you to deliver consistent, high-quality content that meets their needs?

2. Respectfulness

Respecting someone, even if we don’t agree, is not always an easy thing to do. And what about your competition? Yes, even that brand or company is headed up by a real person who deserves respect.
One example of a respectable brand is Nike.

Scroll through their separate customer support account (@NikeSupport), and you’ll find phrases like “we’re here to help,” and, “if you need anything else, we’ve got your back.” This makes a big difference, not only for those who need to approach the company for assistance, but also for future interactions.
The audience will know that they will be treated with kindness and respect.
In your interactions with your audience, do you put their needs first?
Realness: When content marketing is too salesy or comes across as promotional, it drives an audience away. Rather than trying to tout a product, focus on providing real value to your readers and see where it takes the relationship.
It’s our responsibility to deliver authentic content every time. This extends to social media, visual content, and email content. When Southwest Airlines made the move to “Transfarency,” they showed the heart of the brand and the foundation of how the company does business.

How does your message express the heart of your brand?

Case Study: Our Move to Go Completely Authentic

In May of 2016, Express Writers made the move to be totally transparent with some things that happened in the company around that time. In response to previous staff members failing to deliver quality content and embezzling funds, we determined to be honest and upfront about the entire issue. Rather than hiding behind a façade of we’ve-got-it-all-together, we chose to come clean and make changes in the process.
After talking to a ton of people about it, I decided to write an “immediate-response” blog about what we were going to do to improve our entire workforce and company, and later on, tell the story in a podcast.
Read about what happened and what our response was here on the blog, and here in the podcast episode.
Although it was a difficult choice for me to make – being that transparent to our entire client and subscriber base, I heard positive responses from the majority of readers. (Of course, there was that 2% that said “TMI.” But I’m glad I went with my gut on this one.)
Strangers on Facebook even shared my podcast about it:

Ready to Build Trust for Your Brand?

Authenticity cannot be faked.
It requires commitment to delivering through on promises and engaging on an honest level.
It’s work, and it isn’t always easy, but it’s worth the time and resources you invest.
Your brand will be better, and your audience will stick around because they know they are only getting what’s real and reliable.
If Waylon Jennings was right about honesty being something we can’t wear out, our content marketing should be as honest and authentic as possible. This approach not only connects us with our audience, but sets us apart as an authority.
One more time: real connection happens not because you say what they want to hear, but because you’re saying what’s real.

The Importance of Being Authentic in Your Online Copywriting (From an SEO Copywriter)

by Ashley | Oct 6, 2016 | SEO

As an SEO copywriter, I see what goes on behind the scenes in the world of online content.

By that, I mean I see the assignment and request sheets. I even have the long phone conversations with clients who aren’t exactly sure what they want, but who know they want something.

I get the jumble of keywords and the word count and the instruction to make it into something useable.

It’s often creation ex nhilo, in its finest form. And the other copywriters out there know what I’m talking about.

Despite the fact that it’s often difficult, though, it’s entirely worthwhile.

And here’s why. Online copywriting challenges us to be one thing that we often aren’t in our daily lives: authentic.

Today, more people are turning to online content than have ever done so before, and their B.S. detectors are better than they’ve ever been.

Because of this, it’s critical to take all of the raw components of online copy and make them into something coherent, compelling, and, yes, authentic.

If this is something that you, like so many SEO copywriters struggle with, this piece contains some tips to help you be more authentic in all of your online content, starting now.

Enjoy!

Authenticity: The Cornerstone of Great Online Content

The best creations from any good SEO copywriter are like a puzzle meticulously assembled.

It’s a little bit of SEO, a little bit of research, a little bit of skill, a lot of dedication, and some humor or insight, all rolled into one cohesive package.

If any of these components are lacking, the content just does not work. And don’t get me wrong, there’s plenty of this out there, but it’s not what people want to interact with.

Today, brands in all industries and specialties are striving for authentic content, and readers around the globe are working harder than ever before to find it.

This represents something extraordinary.

While content has long since been the vehicle for various forms of marketing, it’s a recent thing that the demand for authentic content has reached such a fever pitch. Today, customers don’t want to interact with pushy, stiff content that reeks of used-car-salesman vibes. Instead, they want legitimately valuable content that helps them solve problems and, get this, develop relationships.

According to an article published in the Harvard Business Review, the importance of a massive, powerful brand (think Wal-Mart) is falling, while the importance of company-customer relationships is rising.

In fact, the value of customer relationships has doubled over the last decade, leaping from 9% to 18%.

In addition to driving things like engagement and sales, stronger company-customer relationships also help promote brand recognition and loyalty.

And what’s the best way to create these relationships? You guessed it: authentic content.

3 Brands Currently Killing It with Authentic Content

To get an idea of what authentic content looks like in the world of online copywriting, it’s smart to look around at a few brands that do it well. Here are three of my favorites:

1. Dollar Shave Club

I reference Dollar Shave Club often in what I write because I truly believe they’re one of the best brands out there regarding online content. I’ll confess that I became a member of their service based purely on the genius of their launch video, and the goodness just continues.

For an example, consider this email I received from them just today:

While this headline might not immediately strike you as “authentic” (slapstick, maybe?), it does a few things well.

First of all, it’s funny.

I saw it in my inbox and knew that the email would contain a pitch for some hand cream. I also knew I wouldn’t buy any, but I opened it because I wanted to see what was inside.

And guess what? As a consumer, I’ll continue opening their emails until another one of their products does appeal to me, and then I’ll purchase it. Because they’re consistently funny, upfront, and authentic, I’m a devotee of the brand – even though there are similar ones out there.

2. Patagonia

Patagonia is one of my favorite clothing companies, and it’s also one of my favorite brands for content. Dedicated to sustainability, recycled materials, and super high-quality outdoor clothing backed by an “ironclad guarantee,” Patagonia takes its vision into its content, and practices what it preaches every step of the way.

The company’s blog, The Cleanest Line, features articles on everything from preserving the Yellowstone Grizzly Bear to profiles on great outdoorsmen (and women).

While Patagonia isn’t funny like Dollar Shave Club (and, where it exists in Patagonia’s marketing, humor takes a different form), the company manages to speak directly and authentically to their clients, which is probably why they have one of the single strongest followings I know of.

3. Neil Patel

Neil Patel is the co-founder of Crazy Egg, KISSmetrics, and Hello Bar, and I believe he’s one of the best marketers out there. While he does many amazing things in the way of content, one of my favorite things about his approach is his willingness to admit that he hasn’t always been awesome at this.

While an influencer like Neil could feel completely inaccessible, he takes steps to break that perception down by openly sharing what he calls his “oh sh*t” moments. It’s vulnerable, honest, and authentic, and it makes people want to engage with his brand even more than they would if they knew he was one of the most successful marketers out there.

5 Steps to More Authentic Content (By Yours Truly, An SEO Copywriter)

Unless you know how to approach it, striving for authentic content can have the opposite effect: it can make your content feel stiffer.

Luckily, these five tips will help you get off on the right foot:

1. Write for your audience, whoever they are

Obviously, the audience Dollar Shave Club is targeting is somewhat different than the audience Patagonia is targeting, so it stands to reason that the voice is different. That said, though, both brands do an excellent job of speaking to their unique audiences.

To make your content more authentic, learning to speak to your target audience is key. It doesn’t matter who your audience is, only that you write to them and only them.

With that in mind, take the time to research your audience (or your client’s audience). Who are they? What are their concerns? What makes them laugh? Is there a niche-specific joke you can play on to earn their trust? By viewing the audience as actual people, rather than an anonymous body of “readers,” it’s easier to tease out authentic content.

2. Forget the sales pitch

This suggestion can strike fear in the heart of copywriters.

“But, doesn’t it need a sales pitch?” everyone wonders.

The answer is yes…and no.

Good content should sell without trying to. This means that it should be so informative, so valuable, and so compelling that the people who read it want to interact with the brand producing it.

Valuable copy is much more moving than a stuffy CTA, and it’s safe to say that content everywhere improves as soon as the writers behind it stop making sales their number one priority.

3. Be yourself – whoever that is!

Patagonia, Neil Patel, and Dollar Shave Club are all genuinely themselves in their content, and while the brands aren’t comparable in their voices or approaches, they all manage to feel welcoming and real.

In many ways, this is the gold standard of content. With so many pieces of information floating around on the web, and so many “experts” telling you how to transform your content marketing, it can be tough to hear your own voice through all the static.

At the end of the day, though, this is what sets the lasting brands apart from the flash-and-fade ones. An enduring brand knows what it is, and it knows how to express that in its copy, and this is more valuable than virtually anything else.

4. Write with a purpose

Depending on what you’re writing, your purpose may be to make your customers laugh or to move them to sign a petition. Whatever that purpose is, though, it’s important to keep it in mind throughout the writing process.

In addition to giving your content a direction, writing with a purpose also imbues online copywriting with emotion and relevance, all of which helps it feel more compelling and authentic.

5. Hone your niche and stick to it

One of the best ways to keep your content authentic is to find a niche you love and work there as much as possible. Whether you enjoy helping young brands tell their stories or writing copy for lifestyle and travel companies, writing about what you love is a good way to come off as excited and passionate in your online copywriting.

The Case for Authentic Content: It Benefits Both the Brand and the SEO Copywriter

Just like brands don’t want boring, stuffy content, SEO copywriters don’t want to struggle with writing content they can’t connect with.

Because of this, it’s essential for copywriters to learn the power and importance of authentic content.

Seek to create it every time you sit down to write. Demand it from your writer.

Let’s make the web an authentic place.

Need great copy that resonates with your readers authentically? Request your content today in our Content Shop and ask for Ashley (the author of the piece you just read) to write yours!