The best thing a brand can be, whether on social media channels or in actual real-life business scenarios (remember those?) is authentic.
This is no hot take, it is widely believed to be one of the fundamental rules for success on social media, and indeed, across all marketing communications.
Brands who know who they are, who know their products or services, and who believe in what they are promoting, are usually able to create content to fill social feeds and reach the audiences they wish to attract.
Be yourself. Sounds simple, right? Yet often organisations get tied up in knots trying to achieve this, especially on social media. Businesses find themselves jumping on trend bandwagons and shoehorning their brand into zeitgeist topics, even if these trending topics have nothing to do with their brand, or importantly, their customers.
But followers (read customers) always see through it and can spot a fake faster than you can say ‘hashtag not all brands’.
My own feeds are unashamedly a mix of interiors, fashion, fitness, beauty accounts, food and recipes, comedians, authors, journalists, and ‘good news’ clickbait about animals being mega happy to see their owners returning from civic duties. If I find myself bored of my feed, I love nothing more than a good cull – yet the people I stick with are always the people I believe.
The same applies to businesses creating content on LinkedIn geared towards commercial audiences. Follow the golden rule and remember who you are. Think about what interests you, how you feel about your products and services, and how you can show your brand’s personality – your followers will thank you for it.
~ Amy Miller, Account Director
