Brand authenticity can be the deciding factor in a business’s success. Your brand’s identity is nothing short of essential, and it’s how potential and loyal customers alike view your business. By having an authentic brand image, you can make your business stand out among the endless competition today’s market offers.
1. It Promotes Customer Loyalty
An authentic brand is much more likely to keep customers loyal. With honesty and consistency, you’re providing an experience that is respectful of the customer, building invaluable trust with your customer base that will last forever if you maintain the standard.
Customer loyalty will bring in higher sales numbers, as your customers will choose your brand over the competition, sometimes even when your prices are a bit higher. Higher prices don’t necessarily mean customers will turn away. A brand’s authenticity is usually what helps a customer decide on which direction to go.
A loyal customer base can also help in marketing your brand. Word of mouth is still an effective marketing technique, and with loyal customers, you can pretty much guarantee they’ll suggest your brand to someone.
Just a few customers suggesting your brand to a few of their brands can increase your business drastically, and by adhering to your brand’s standards of authenticity, you’ll likely make loyal customers out of your new customers as well.
2. It Generates New Customers
Reputation is everything in the business world. A brand with an authentic reputation will have a much easier time generating new customers than one without authenticity. If you have a reputation for quality products and service, you’re placing your brand at the top of the food chain.
When your current customers talk about your brand, you don’t want them to say things like “they didn’t deliver what they promised” or “their products just don’t hold up like they used to”. These aren’t exactly persuasive statements to encourage new customers.
Keep your brand honest and consistent to attract new customers. Curiosity will drive them to your brand, but the authenticity of your brand is what decides whether they become a loyal customer or just a passerby.
3. It Sets You Apart From The Competition
Now more than ever, standing out from your competition is one of the most important factors of running a business. Your competition is essentially taking paying customers right out from under you, and so you need a strong factor to set your business apart from everyone else.
Customers appreciate an honest, honorable business. If your competition isn’t delivering in a certain area, make it your specialty to deliver in that area. Filling that niche will drive those customers away from the competitor and show them why you’re the better choice.
Building an authentic brand means you’ll be the go-to choice for anything in your field. When customers think of the products you sell, your business’s name should be first on their mind for honesty, integrity, and honor.
4. It Doesn’t Take Much To Ruin A Reputation
When you’re consistent in something, whether good or bad, the results speak for themselves. If your business is consistent in its authenticity, its reputation will speak for the quality of that authenticity. However, if you’re consistent in not meeting expectations, the results will show that as well.
A bad reputation can be earned in a number of ways, but once it’s there, it’s extremely difficult to undo. Avoid garnering a bad reputation by adhering to a strict policy of honesty with your customers. It doesn’t take much to ruin a business’s reputation. People can tell when a brand is authentic, and the internet has provided a limitless cache of information for consumers to work with.
Be careful what you say, especially on social media. Anything uploaded to the internet is never truly lost, and sometimes even old Tweets or Facebook posts can be recovered and brought back to light. If you make a promise on your social media pages, be sure to deliver on it, and if you can’t deliver on it, the customers deserve a valid explanation of why.
5. Advertising Is Oversaturated
The last few generations have been bombarded with ads since birth from companies promising all kinds of things; from healthier skin and bodies to longer life, to just about everything in between. After so long, it becomes difficult to pick out the brands that are authentic in their promises.
In the age of ever furthering skepticism, you want your brand to stand out. Advertising is a science in and of itself, but the one thing that remains true is that you cannot advertise something you either can’t or don’t intend to deliver on.
Not only is this false advertising and open to legal action, but it portrays a poor message about your brand. Lying to the customer is the best way to turn them into a competitor’s customer and chase away potential leads.
Remember that customers share their experiences with friends and family either via word of mouth or social media. Each interaction should be respectful and reflective of what you’ve advertised.
Conclusion
Having an authentic brand is important because customer expectations are higher than ever, and skepticism is at an all-time high. Remember to be honest and consistent and put the customers first, and you’ll gain a reputation for authenticity in your market. New customers will be curious about your brand, and your loyal customers will talk it up to friends and family, generating new leads and increasing sales and reputation.