Authentic content includes personal narratives and user-generated contributions that resonate deeply with viewers.
Many brands attempt to create “authentic content”, but not all of them hit the mark. Unlike content that appears manufactured or overly promotional, it’s meant to forge a real connection with its audience.
With authentic content, brands can achieve deeper connections, loyalty, and advocacy for long-term success and growth.
The Benefits of Sharing Authentic Content
Builds Trust with Your Audience: Authentic content acts as a foundation for building trust between a brand and its audience. By presenting genuine stories, transparent practices, and real insights, brands demonstrate their honesty and integrity. Openness fosters trust. When consumers trust a brand, they’re more likely to support that brand.
Enhances Brand Loyalty: Sharing authentic content contributes to stronger brand loyalty. Authenticity resonates with audiences on a personal level, making them feel connected to your brand. This emotional connection encourages repeated interactions and purchases, as customers tend to stick with brands that align with their values and offer genuine experiences.
Improves Audience Engagement: Authentic content is more engaging because it speaks directly to the interests, needs, and desires of the target audience. By focusing on real stories, challenges, and achievements, brands can create content that is more relatable and compelling. Engaging content prompts more interactions, shares, and discussions among your audience, increasing your brand’s visibility and reach.
Supports a Unique Brand Identity: In a crowded market, authentic content helps a brand stand out by showcasing its unique voice, values, and stories. This attracts attention and can differentiate a brand from its competitors. A strong, distinctive brand identity makes it easier for audiences to remember and choose your brand over others.
Facilitates User-Generated Content and Advocacy: Authentic content encourages users to share their own stories and experiences with the brand, leading to valuable user-generated content (UGC). UGC not only provides social proof but also amplifies the brand’s message through real-life endorsements. Satisfied customers become brand advocates, willingly promoting the brand to their networks, which expands the brand’s reach and credibility.
How Brands Create an Authentic Content Marketing Strategy
Creating authentic content is crucial for brands aiming to connect genuinely with their audience. With a strategic approach, brands can foster trust, engagement, and loyalty.
Understand Your Brand’s Core Values: The first step in creating authentic content is to deeply understand your brand’s mission, vision, and values. This foundation ensures that all content aligns with what the brand stands for, maintaining consistency and integrity. The content must reflect the brand’s true identity and communicate its unique perspective.
Engage with Your Community: Authenticity comes from not just speaking but also listening and engaging with your community. Understanding their interests, needs, and pain points allows brands to create content that resonates on a personal level. Engagement also involves responding to feedback and participating in conversations, further solidifying the brand’s presence as an active member of its community.
Leverage Real Stories and Experiences: Authentic content often includes real-life stories, testimonials, and user-generated content (UGC). These elements add a human touch, making the brand more relatable and trustworthy. Encouraging customers to share their experiences can provide a wealth of authentic content that speaks louder than traditional marketing messages.
Utilize Local Insights and Creators: Drawing from local insights and partnering with local content creators can greatly enhance authenticity.
A prime example is Visit Bend’s Local Content Creator Program. By leveraging local photographers to capture the essence of Bend, Visit Bend shares content that genuinely represents the community’s spirit.
This strategy, supported by PhotoShelter, allows for real-time sharing of authentic content, showcasing what Bend has to offer and significantly boosting the brand’s digital presence.
Measure and Adapt: Authentic content strategies should be dynamic, adapting based on audience feedback and engagement metrics. Monitoring the performance of content helps identify what truly resonates with your audience.
Visit Bend’s approach yielded impressive results, with an organic reach of over 2 million and an ROI of 227%, proving the effectiveness of authentic content in engaging the audience and enhancing brand loyalty.
Ready to create and scale an authentic content program? Get started today with PhotoShelter.