Authenticity seems to be the new buzzword lately, and in a world where people crave human connection over big faceless cooperations, how do you build an authentic brand? How do you make sure you stand out while being true to yourself?

Nowadays, consumers are getting smarter and better at spotting fake brands, blocking ADs and ignoring pushy sales pitches. To be honest, it just doesn’t cut it to share your work or products anymore, you need substance. You need a brand personality that people can connect to.

Why Build an Authentic Brand

If you’re an entrepreneur, you need to be vulnerable. You need to be authentic if you want to create a brand that consumers connect to. Think about it in your own life, would you rather follow an Instagram account that makes you feel like you’re not enough? Where they only post perfection? Or one where you truly see yourself? The struggle, the wins and everything in between? I choose the latter.

If you really want to take people from simply followers to true fans that are rooting for you and supporting you, it’s time to focus on creating an authentic brand that shares more than what you are selling. 

Know Who You Are

The first step in finding that authentic voice is knowing who you are. You need to know yourself and I’m not talking about what you look like. I’m talking about your values, your fears, your strengths and struggles. You need to know your purpose. Why are you serving? Who are you serving?

When you hone in on who you are as a person and an entrepreneur, you’ll find it much easier to market yourself because you’re coming from a place of authenticity and purpose. People will see right through sales pitches, but they will connect with your real story of WHY you’re selling.

Real > Perfect

Let’s face it, you know you get anxiety and FOMO when you scroll through Instagram and all you see is perfection. You’re probably wondering how you can ever achieve that “social aesthetic” in your messy house and unorganized wardrobe. Let me tell you right now, that perfection is fake. Most of the time, people don’t show the behind the scenes, how much of a struggle it was to clean up that corner of their house for that perfect Insta. In fact, being real online trumps perfection every time. People will not buy from you because you’re perfect, but they will become your fan AND buy from you because you’re not.

Getting a little vulnerable makes you relatable, and being relatable is the foundation of an authentic brand. It gives people the opportunity to potentially say “hey, I also have the messiest of houses!”. Connection is more important than a bottom line, because when you make real connections, you can bet that you’ll have loyal customers for years to come.

Find & Use Your Voice

Part of being able to build an authentic brand stems from your voice. Think about it, you need your voice for everything. It sets the tone for your brand! It’s the second most important part of your business branding (after graphics!). You need your voice to tell your brand story, to describe what you’re selling, all those Instagram captions… It’s all your voice. So make sure it’s YOUR voice, not some false robot one.

Most of the time when talking about your products or services, people tend to adopt this sleazy salesy fake voice. The way to find your true voice is to simply listen to yourself when you talk to your best friend. If we were having coffee right now, sitting face to face, how would you talk to me? You would probably be relaxed, having fun, like we’ve known each other for years. THAT is how you want to talk to your customers, followers and fans.

Walk Into the Spotlight

An authentic brand is all about you. The truth is, I believe that in order for people to truly connect with your products, services and the work you’re creating, they first have to know, like, and trust you. The more you let people into your life, the more vulnerable and authentic you seem, the more they feel like you are a real human, not just another sales pitch. 

People want to see your face. They want to know who they’re potentially buying from, following or working with. Most of us are over big faceless brands, so when you build an authentic brand, it stems from your true self. I personally never thought people would care about my life, and yet every post I ever did that showed a glimpse of me got the most likes, follows and comments. This is because people want to invest in people, and this creates loyalty and at the end of everything, isn’t it better to have loyal fans than one-time buyers?

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If you build an authentic brand, you have the opportunity to tell a meaningful story. You have the opportunity to create human connections and truly be of service. Whether you share a raw Instagram caption or post behind the scenes magic of your process, you’ll be able to create lasting impressions that will make people feel seen.

How are you adding authenticity to your brand? Share it with me in the comments 🙂