Authentic Marketing - Building Culture for Slightly Worse Metrics
Much of content marketing success relies on us dancing to the tunes of algorithms. To reach more people, increase metrics, and turn those % into $.
It’s a numbers game, sure. But you are here because you know it takes more than volume to build community and culture.
Here’s a Rundown in a Minute or Less
Authentic marketing the game plan to help you win the long game. More than a strategy, it’s a commitment to value people over algorithms, and to be unapologetic for your brand and what it stands for.
Define who you are, along with the values that cement your culture. Speak in a voice that reflects your brand and respects your people. Get to know them beyond surface-level demographics and prove it with quality content.
All of this takes time, and there are no hacks or shortcuts to building an authentic brand — even when you pay someone else to do it for you!
LET’S GET TO IT!
The Trouble with Authenticity
The problem is an obvious one: Too much content of too little substance.
As marketers, we fight an uphill battle against algorithms that make organic growth difficult, and pay-to-win evens out the playing field. Every six months or so (or whenever a major update is released), that hill becomes just a tad steeper. As a result, too much marketing is tailored to please the algorithm instead of serving the people.
It’s easy to see why. Clients want numbers, and ranking high means gaming the system. Many create lengthy, keyword heavy webpages to rank higher on Google and post daily on social media to get just a bit ahead. After a certain volume, quality becomes optional.
The solution: Create a sustainable plan that doesn’t compromise on said quality. There’s no hack that I know of to get it done fast, but I know plenty of ways on how to get it done right. They all require time and money.
A lot of the guides out there will tell you to post frequently and create compelling content that your prospects will absolutely love and share with their network. They are absolutely right! What they fail to mention is that it might be easier to spontaneously burst into flames.
Ultimately, those of us who prioritize quality over quantity will continue to do our own thing. Loyalty over likes.
Let’s set the groundwork to become undeniable.
The people choose.
Brand authenticity changes the criteria by which their choices are made.
Compete with everyone for attention, but play in your own league for retention.
Know Who You Are
If you’re lucky and have worked with a dope Brand Strategist, you have a great understanding of who you are, who you’re meant to help, and how you should go about it. If not, I suggest you invest in brand strategy as it is an essential part of your business.
Clear mission and vision statements are a good place to start. An experienced brand strategist can translate your work and purpose into compelling messaging.
Have defined and specific values. And don’t go with the generic “At Generic Inc. we value transparency and teamwork to create a great space for one another”. It’s not bad, but in today’s age it goes without saying.
Dare to lean into your brand archetype and be specific with something along the lines of “Our standard of quality is to work like our mom is the client.” It’s not much but it’s all you need to know.
Hell, go a step further with something like “At <<Company Name>> we bond over our ardent hatred for fascism and avocado slicers.” If a value that you truly believe in deters people from working with you, then you weren’t supposed to work with them anyway.
Language
I cannot stress enough the importance of language to the authenticity of your marketing. Communicating in a natural way builds trust and credibility. It reflects your brand personality in a way that people can relate to, and helps you stand out against others who use the business speak. Even more importantly, it shows respect for their intelligence.
Here’s a generic example so you get the jist:
At <<Company>>, we're passionate about leveraging cutting-edge technologies
to deliver scalable solutions that drive transformative outcomes.
Our strategic framework enables businesses to unlock their full potential
through seamless integration of next-generation capabilities,
empowering stakeholders to achieve unprecedented value creation
in today's dynamic marketplace.
Is it clear what they do for a living? No. This is the type of copy that executives love and literally everyone else hates.
On the other side of the spectrum you have Dr. Jason Fox (most fantastic), with whom I’ve had the pleasure to work with on his copywriting. His brand is a perfect example of an authentic voice that goes against the norms.
I offer wit, wisdom and wiles to help you be a more
effective imposter within the mythical “future of leadership”.
I also train fellow spellcasters and rogues.
You might be one of us, too. <glinted look>
It works because:
His writing style is elaborate, painting detailed settings of his speaking events and valiant quests amidst the emergent.
He uses bold words and ambiguous anecdotes to convey his wizardly wisdom.
His newsletter insights read more like a D&D Taskmaster’s wit than a thought leader’s expertise.
All of this and more go against basic principles of marketing. Despite all, Dr. Fox (most fantastic) is a Speaker of the Year awardee, best-selling author, and introverted wizard-philosopher of global renown.
Other popular examples would be Columbia Sportswear, Oatly, or DuoLingo.
Speak freely. If you run a tattoo studio and you use explicit language with your clients, use it here. Stop being afraid you’re going to turn away the people that don’t even care about your business.
There are plenty of guides and services out there to help you find your voice and I highly recommend starting one. They generally include frequently used words and phrases, vocabulary & style preferences, target audience details, and a whole lot more. Having such a resource at the ready will make your job a whole lot easier and someone else’s when you begin outsourcing this work.
Worst case, hit me up and I’ll do it for you.
It really is about those shared values
Get to Know Your People
Now would be a good time to whip out those Buyer Personas that the marketing agency built for you a while back. It’s a great practice to lean into your true /FORM and speak directly to those who care.
Getting to know your people’s values, motivations, and of course problems is key to success. Ask yourself:
Why do they like you?
What content do they resonate with best?
What data do you have on hand to support your work?
How can you learn more about your target audience?
That’s a whole other project so I’m going to outline the most common and tell you what you can use to get started TODAY.
Use all the data at your disposal. Website analytics reveal where they spend most of their time so you understand what’s important to them. Social media insights point out what topics perform well or even rock the boat. Customer reviews & surveys are pretty self explanatory and can give you more context into how you are perceived by them.
Here’s an idea that you can use right now: In your next email to your community, ask the question “Are you a morning person or a night owl?” with two calls to action. Based on their selection, you can segment them into two different groups and schedule future emails to go out early in the morning or later in the afternoon. Depending on your open rates, you might even make this part of your footer.
Knowing who they are is one thing. Knowing why they stick around is the jackpot that will help you create the most relevant content.
Show Up
Everything we’ve talked about (and will be talking about) will only matter if you walk the walk. No half-assing, no AI trash, no good enoughs.
Consistency is your greatest advantage. Now many guides out there will tell you to post every day, twice a day, or at least twice a week. They’re not wrong, but all of that implies that you have the necessary time and resources to support a certain level of quality.
Instead figure out — or work with a specialist – a schedule that works for you.
Post once a week on LinkedIn & Instagram, a newsletter a month, and an article / resource a quarter, if that’s all you can manage. More would be better, but we want to find the sweet spot of manageable content at its highest quality. Engage and act as a contributor, not just a leader in the communities that you build. Head on over to other communities and nerd out over there too.
However, once you feel that the quality of your work starts to go downhill, it won’t matter how often you show up. As humans and consumers, we’ve developed a keen sense for genuine interactions online.
AI can be of great help speeding the entire process, but you still have to put in most of the work.
Speaking of AI
AI is a tool, not an employee.
It does an outstanding job helping you brainstorm, check for inconsistencies or gaps in your work, and give some decent advice on readability. It can help you process data and help you make more informed decisions, and improve your SEO strategy on existing content.
When it comes to doing the work for you, it’s trash. As soon as you rely on it to create content, you can see your entire brand personality dissolve into mediocrity.
So think of AI as a resource to amplify authenticity, not create it. We’ll cover this topic in a different article, but AI does an excellent job in the supporting role. If you’re not using it in some aspect of your business, it’s time you start.
The Elephants in the Room
There’s one variable that you’ve had in the back of your mind this whole time reading this:
🐘 All of this takes time, and lots of it.
It does; so much time. It’s important to acknowledge your brand’s worth and the importance of this work for long-term growth and retention. What’s more, authentic marketing is not something you can manufacture or cut corners on.
As consumers today, we are so receptive to the slightest fluctuations in brand bullshit that we catch on right away. So I want you to believe that your genuine self is worth paying attention to, and your words hold value for someone.
Shift your perspective from:
“What can I share that people would like?”
to
“What kind of people would like what I share?”
🐘 This is way too idealistic to stay competitive in an algorithm-led market.
It is; way too idealistic. All the principles in this article stand, but application relies heavily on your industry, the type of content you share and the crowd who likes it, and many other factors. You still have to play by the rules in many aspects, and it’s up to you and the professionals you work with to find the balance between ideals and practicality.
🐘 Authentcity is subjective.
Sooo subjective! This is probably the biggest elephant in the room, and a pretty clear point. The best thing you can do is to follow your gut and use the data and metrics at your disposal to make the necessary adjustments.
What to Do
My biggest advice is to work with a Marketing Studio that matches your vibe and aligns with your values. Marketing is a collaborative practice and that personality fit will make working together a whole lot easier and productive.
While we’re at it, invest in Marketing when times are good. Invest while you’re ahead and you’re ensuring long-term stability. Wait until business is declining and it might be too late to course correct.
Outsourcing aside:
Every business owner, executive, professional is also a marketer.
Surface-level content, pretty visuals or commitments to sustainability won’t cut it anymore. The bar is raised pretty high and we expect you to make it.
Culture matters.
It makes all the difference between people who find you and those who choose to stick around.
Ideas from Me
Stay true to who you are, and be unapologetic about it.
Done is better than perfect, but good enough is the bane of our existence.
Outline your values and don’t compromise. There’s too much ‘flakyness’ in this world and we need you to stand tall as an example of realness.
Trust builds long-term relationships, and this is one way to do it. Just like in relationships amongst ourselves, we build a reputation, become known for a distinctive trait, and build a perception.