How to Cultivate an Authentic Social Media Presence

It’s impossible these days to run a business without a social media presence; it’s a key way to advertise and connect with your customers. However, a lot of businesses get it wrong when it comes to the way they post and act online.

The most crucial piece of your social media strategy is authenticity. “Authentic social media is the modern day testimonial: It allows users to interact with businesses in real time, but also creates an open space for conversation and feedback,” Forbes says.

Millennials in particular crave honesty on social media, and, as the biggest consumer base in the United States, you need to get them on your side.

Answer 1 reports that “Millennials and Generation Z have been marketed to their entire lives. As a result, they have a sharp eye for artificiality. If your social media presence comes across as insincere, they will be much less inclined to engage with your company.”

Your customers need to see that you have their best interest in mind, or they will take their business elsewhere.

So, how do you do it? Here are 3 ways to cultivate an authentic social media presence.

Develop a Strong Voice

You need a strong voice when posting online. Your brand voice “is both conceptual and concrete,” according to YFS Magazine. “It’s the overall tone you want your social media presence to have as well as the style in your copy and advertising.”

There are lots of different ways to develop a voice. By using consistent phrasing and developing a vocabulary for your brand, your customers will associate your tone with your product.

For example, using humor can give you a big advantage on social media, but only if you’re actually funny. A great example of this is the Twitter account for Denny’s. The restaurant uses absurd humor popular with Millenials, and it works. They’ve been featured on Buzzfeed multiple times, Ranker, and even Forbes.

Now, this obviously won’t work for every company. You need to make sure your tone matches up with your chosen audience and your goals as a company. But by developing a consistent tone on social media, your customers will be able to identify with your brand that much better.

Highlight Your Team

A great way to stay authentic on social media is to highlight your team. Customers love a peek behind the scenes, and showing the daily process of your business does just that. It also cultivates an air of exclusivity that is alluring for clients.

A great way to do this is on Instagram. You can share brief interviews with team members, use Instagram stories to show what the average day in your office looks like, and even feature fan testimonials or pictures with your product. Your clients want to feel included in your brand, and by allowing them to contribute, your business gives them an authentic impression.

Post with Intention

Another key part of your social media strategy is posting with intention.

Now that you have developed a tone and want to show off your team, you need to know when to post!

This differs from platform to platform, so do your research. You can also experiment with different posting times and styles to find out what works best for your intended audience.

Another key to posting with intention is making sure your content is high quality. Having an online presence is key, but throwing everything to the wall to see what sticks is a horrible content strategy.

You want to make sure each post portrays the right idea about your company. If this means posting less frequently, so be it. It’s more effective to share two high quality posts a month, rather than

“You cannot break through the noise without a plan,” says Envivo Creative. “All of your marketing efforts need to work in tandem.”

Moving Forward With an Authentic Social Media Presence

By developing a strong voice, highlighting your team, and posting with intention, your business will develop an authentic presence online.

Earn your customers’ trust on social media, and you will be one step closer to making a sale. Developing authenticity in your posts can be done; get started today and watch your business thrive.