A practical guide to improving brand authenticity in digital content creation
We are living in a digital age where the widespread availability of content provides both opportunities and challenges for brands striving to make their mark.
The ease with which an entrepreneur can launch a brand across multiple digital platforms has allowed local businesses of all sizes to aspire for the attention of global audiences.
Yet this accessibility also ushers in the necessity to be distinct. To achieve steady growth and a positive long-term relationship with your consumers, it’s important to establish an authentic and compelling brand narrative.
In an industry survey by @Stackla, 90% of consumers cite brand authenticity as a key factor when deciding what brands they would like to support. Yet developing brand authenticity takes time, effort, and a deep dive into your marketing & communications. The survey goes on to highlight the importance of this because while 80% of brands think they’re delivering authentic content, only 37% of their consumers agree.
At Rubi Group, we leverage our expertise in content creation, social media management, and content marketing, to develop a holistic approach to developing an authentic brand narrative.
Our strategy starts by first asking foundational questions to ignite your brand storytelling and follows with our “Rubi Gems”- tips and services that can help facilitate and sustain creative brand development.
1. Why did you start your brand?
Start by identifying the heart of your brand: its mission, values, and the unique founder’s journey that led to its creation. Engage your team in brainstorming sessions to uncover compelling stories from within your organization—whether it’s the inspiration behind your latest project, the impact of your services on the community, or a behind-the-scenes look at your team’s passion and dedication.
Rubi Gems:
– Try mind-mapping as part of your brainstorming sessions to visualize different segments of your brand narrative together.
– Conduct interviews with your founders, team members, and partners to gather unique insights and anecdotes. Consider using narrative interview techniques to foster free association and authentic responses among participants.
2. Who is your target audience?
Understanding your audience is the key to developing content creation that resonates. Collect information on your audience demographics, interests, and behaviors to tailor your content effectively. Then, learn the right tone, language, and platforms where your audience is most active.
Rubi Gems:
– Use analytics tools, such as Google Analytics, Survey Monkey, and BuzzSumo to study your audience’s online behavior and preferences.
– Gain proficiency in your audience’s tone and language through “social listening tools”, such as Hootsuite or Sprout Socia. These tools help monitor and analyze online conversations about specific topics, brands, products, and industries.
3. What are your success stories?
Use your success stories and testimonials to demonstrate the impact of your work! Nothing humanizes a brand and builds trust more than real-life examples of how your products or services have made a difference.
Rubi Gems:
– If applicable, create a before-after template to showcase how your services have benefited specific individuals or communities.
– Use high-resolution visuals like photos and videos to add authenticity and emotional appeal to these stories. Collect B-roll footage at events, client meetings, and behind-the-scenes that can later be repurposed into content.
4. On which platforms are you active?
Each digital platform offers a certain advantage for brand storytelling. An ideal social strategy will include a mix of blogs, social media posts, and video content across 2+ chosen platforms to extend your reach and deepen engagement with your audience.
Rubi Gems:
– Define your end goals to choose which platform you will prioritize. For example, LinkedIn is ideal for B2B networking, while Instagram is excellent for brand awareness and visual storytelling
– Don’t forget the humble newsletter! A newsletter campaign that delivers brand updates to your customers can help to maintain long-term engagement with your followers. If you are just starting out, try MailChimp. Their services include a free plan for businesses of all sizes to experiment with designing subscriber lists and analyzing campaign performances.
5. How are the metrics performing?
Finally, the key to successful digital storytelling is ongoing measurement and refinement. By regularly using analytics to track engagement, reach, and the overall impact of your storytelling efforts, you will be able to tailor each month’s content strategies and maintain your audience’s interests.
Rubi Gems:
– Prepare end-of-month reports to share with your team that include insight-driven conclusions based on the data.
– Learn how to effectively use tools such as SocialBakers to analyze several different campaigns at once.
These questions are only the beginning of your improved brand authenticity across digital platforms.
If you are still curious about how to further optimize your content creation for next month, reach out to us at hello@rubigroup.me and we can work together on developing your new content strategy!