Being Authentic is Much Better Than Trying to Be Perfect
By: Jim Katzaman - Get Out Of Debt
Tags: Marketing, Social Media, Branding, Authenticity, Twitter

“Come as you are” could well be the mantra of social media, particularly Twitter. The clinical term is authenticity.

Being real applies not only to people but also to businesses that need to build bridges to know, like and trust so customer dollars flow through their doors.

The key lies with how well everyone gets along, which NOW Marketing Group relationship manager Julia Jornsay-Silverberg’s wheelhouse. She talked with digital marketing expert Madalyn Sklar about bringing authenticity to brands.

“Show up as you really are and be yourself. Let your personality shine and have fun,” Jornsay-Silverberg said, summing up one of the easiest and best ways to get noticed online.

Specifically on Twitter, Sklar has a host of suggestions for getting noticed:

Post Consistently

Add a Hashtag to Each Tweet

Share Content From Others

Jump in on Trending Topics

Engage With Your Community

Join Twitter Chats

“Join a Twitter chat that includes your target audience,” said social media consultant Dhariana Lozano on Sklar’s Twitter Smarter podcast. “It’s a great way to start and be a part of conversations. That’s what social media is all about.”

Sklar also has an article, “8 Simple Tips for Getting Noticed on Twitter,” that focuses on how to boost audience growth and engagement.”

Telltale Voice for the People

Another important element for authenticity is knowing how to cultivate your voice to win fans. Speak up and often with information they need. Above all, write like you speak.

“Cultivating your voice on Twitter is just making sure you have a consistent voice that fits the brand you present to others,” said Nick Martin, head of global social engagement at Hootsuite.

These are his recommendations to create a voice:

Show personality.

Be human with no corporate speak, please.

Be original.

Be sincere.

“When it comes to creating tweets that perform well, take inspiration from trends you see,” Martin said. “There will be formats that pop up from time to time. Test those format types and see how they fit your voice.”

Authenticity on social media means having the credibility to back up what you’re saying and then following through, keying on your audience’s needs rather than your own.

“Being authentic means being yourself,” Jornsay-Silverberg said. “It means showing up on social media as you are. That means not just posting the highlights, but really sharing. It’s why I like to take an anti-highlight reel approach to social media.”

Putting on airs will come through as being insincere.

“If you’re on social media pretending to be something you’re not, it won’t be genuine,” Sklar said. “That’ll make it harder for you to build a trustworthy brand and establish connections with people.”

Aim for Know, Like and Trust

It can be tough to come across on social media as authentically as you do in person. That means you need to take extra effort to put personality into everything you do and say online.

“Authenticity on social media is key to building a brand that people know, like and trust,” Sklar said. “Establishing that kind of relationship with your target audience is essential in finding success with your brand.

“Once you’ve built that know, like and trust factor by being your authentic self, it’ll be easier to grow your community and generate sales within your business,” she said.

There has to be a realistic entity to latch onto.

“Nobody can relate to a highlight reel,” Jornsay-Silverberg said. “We can’t connect to perfection. If you want to create connections on social media, be authentic.”

The more brands stay in touch and interact with consumers, the better they’ll be seen as someone people easily relate to and want to buy from.

“Brands can empower their team to start speaking more like a human and less like a brand,” Jornsay-Silverberg said. “Maybe even sign off on your engagement to show the human behind the interaction. Also, brands can showcase their team, just like we do at NOW Marketing Group.”

This is not the time for false modesty.

“Don’t be afraid to share your thoughts and opinions on different topics,” Sklar said. “That’s what helps people get to know you better and it gets the conversation started.

“Far too often we get caught up in what everyone else is doing and allow it to influence our content,” she said. “That’s when we need to take a break from consuming content and focus on creating.”

Humanize With Personality

Being seen as a real person on social media will help you stand out from all the cardboard cutouts that only a robot could love.

“Showcasing your personality helps humanize your brand,” Sklar said. “It makes you more relatable and easier to connect with, which goes a long way in building an audience of people who love what you do.

“One way I do this is by adding one of my many custom GIFs to my tweets,” she said. “It allows me to show off my personality and have fun. It’s also a great way to encourage engagement.”

Rather than a broad stroke, keep a narrow focus.

“It’s the best way to really create a connection with someone,” Jornsay-Silverberg said. “For instance, I’m super high energy. Some people are exhausted by my energy, and some people are energized by it. By showing my personality, I attract the right people.”

Brands could have a voice different from the business owner, but you run the risk of an authenticity disconnect. You don’t want to put a question into consumers’ minds of who to trust more.

“It’s difficult for you and your brand to have different voices because you are your brand,” Sklar said. “You have the same mission, the same values and so on. That’s what you want to communicate with the content you share.”

Defer to Special Skills

For best results, tap into talented people to amplify the owner’s voice.

“It just comes down to giving the right team member the role of creating content for the brand that fits what the brand is all about at its core,” Jornsay-Silverberg said.

Showcasing your personality on social media is not a guaranteed win. If you have a lousy personality, you might not want to show it off.

“You might find out that some people don’t like you,” Jornsay-Silverberg said. “That can be hard at first for some people. What’s important to realize is that you’re not a fit for everyone, and that’s a good thing.”

Those with expertise can play up the good points.

“You’re not online to be liked by everyone,” Sklar said. “Those who love who you are and what you do are your people. They’ll be there to support you.”

Brands that want to be authentic shouldn’t overthink it. Authenticity should be natural.

“Don’t allow yourself to be too influenced by what others are sharing,” Sklar said. “Post content that you’re proud of and that you know your audience will enjoy.

“Find ways of sharing content on Twitter that feel good to you,” she said. “Try experimenting with sharing videos to your Twitter feed or hosting live conversations on Spaces.”

Whenever possible, be a leader and delegate authority.

“Empower your employees to have fun and share their voice in a way that’s appropriate for your brand, given your industry,” Jornsay-Silverberg said. “Embrace your humanity.”

She and Sklar endorse several brands that have a great and authentic voice on Twitter:

About The Author

Jim Katzaman is a manager at Largo Financial Services and worked in public affairs for the Air Force and federal government. You can connect with him on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.