Why Authenticity Is Your Greatest Superpower And How To Leverage It As A Brand

When it comes to creating content, being authentic is your greatest superpower.

When you're genuine, you draw the right people to you, develop their trust and give them a reason to stick around.

So how can you make sure your content is authentically you? How can you step into your power to be your authentic self online?

We invited the amazing energetic, #SMWL22 speaker, Crystal Tosh onto Magnet Marketers with Jessika Phillips and Mike Gingerich to dive into the topic of why authenticity is your greatest superpower.

Crystal is the founder of Rockstar Social Media, a human-focused marketing agency that helps brands connect by harnessing the power of empathy. A self-proclaimed marketing rebel, she believes there is no such thing as a template or cookie-cutter approach to marketing. Every business and brand is unique; Crystal’s goal is to “unbox” brands giving them permission to be who they are, online and with confidence. Authenticity is every brand’s superpower.

Why Authenticity Matters:

There are few things more brave and beautiful than being authentic and allowing others to see your true colors.

So, what is authenticity?

Being authentic means being genuine and honest in everything you do- from the way you dress to the way you speak. It's about being unapologetically yourself, no matter what anyone else thinks. 

And Crystal is truly a rockstar at that; she was the only speaker who did her #SMWL22 talk without slides, and she captivated the audience with her authenticity. 

“We’re so programmed to look at all of the gurus and think that we need to be more like them because they are more successful, but the magic really lies in becoming confident in who you are.” @crystal_tosh (click to tweet)

When we take the time to embrace our strengths and own what makes us unique, we can feel confident portraying that online. That is how we start to stand out and become known for the value that we contribute to the world.

“Create a mini marketing army because even if they don’t do business with you, they will love you enough to talk about you to others.” @crystal_tosh (click to tweet) 

That mini marketing army is created when people show up consistently to provide value, be authentic and create content that inspires, entertains, or educates. That’s how you capture attention. 

How To Get Started:

While it might feel scary or just sound like a buzzword, being authentic as an individual or a brand is invaluable. And the best part is that it doesn’t have to be overly complicated. 

Being authentic is about embracing imperfection because that sense of personal connection is exactly what sets you apart and ends up being why someone wants to do business with you. 

“It’s not about what you do, it’s about how you do it and that’s the difference that people will notice and connect with - because nobody can do what you do in the way you do it.” @jessikaphillips (click to tweet) 

The individuals and brands willing to take risks and let their quirky personalities shine through are the ones being recognized and remembered.

“Accept that you’re going to be uncomfortable in being authentic, but you can get started with Stories because they disappear!” @crystal_tosh (click to tweet) 

Crystal reminded us that getting started with authenticity can truly be as simple as doing talk-to-camera stories. Because they expire within 24 hours, stories are a great, low-cost way to dip your toes into the short-form, authentic content creation world as a brand

Pro tip: Encourage your team members to each record a short video sharing their name, title, and a fun fact about themselves as a way of introducing your team in a short-form content series.

Bonus points if you have any team members that want to share some tips or actionable advice in their area of expertise with your audience. 

Here is a list of ideas that your brand can use to get started with Stories: 

1. Team: Encourage your team members to introduce themselves, share something they know, or bring the audience along through their day; this empowers them and makes them feel appreciated. Plus, these types of stories could end up being your brand’s most popular content, as they show what it’s like to work for your brand. 
2. Behind-the-scenes: Nothing is more authentic than bringing people into your work day or process. Let your team show what they are working on during the day without violating any client’s privacy, of course. Those little glimpses make people feel like they are getting exclusive access to information. 
3. Community involvement: Have an internship program or do a lot of volunteering as a team? Show it on Stories! This is a great way to visually represent your brand’s values and put the spotlight on someone other than yourselves! 

Authentic content creation is not about showing up to sell your product; it’s about pulling the curtain back to show the people on your team.

Remember: being quirky doesn’t come across as unprofessional. You don’t have to create perfect-looking, sterile, broadcast-style content as a brand.

You can and should let your quirky personality shine through your content and embrace imperfection. That is what will make you memorable. 

“Own who you are, the quirks and all because that is what people love and resonate with.” @jessikaphillips (click to tweet) 

In today’s world where so much is polished and unrelatable, and it seems like many people put up a front, being real and relatable is how you truly create lasting connections on social media. 

“Being perfect isn’t relatable.” @crystal_tosh (click to tweet) 

People can’t relate to perfect; they can relate to real. They can relate to someone honest.

“Empathy is less about you and more about what your audience needs and meeting them where they are.” @crystal_tosh (click to tweet) 

Putting It All Together:

While it’s scary to get started with authentic content creation, it’s exactly what will set your brand apart. 

“The more you dial into who you are, you will get rid of the people who aren’t for you and attract the people who are all about what you have to offer.” @crystal_tosh (click to tweet) 

Being authentic is the best way to operate as a magnet to draw the right people in. 

“You don’t have to be a bullhorn marketer to get your message out there.” @jessikaphillips (click to tweet) 

By being authentic, you’re able to build meaningful relationships with others in a truly sustainable way, because you’re simply being yourself. 

Want to get inspired to be more vulnerable and authentic in your content creation?

We highly recommend following Crystal Tosh on Facebook! Also, go peep her TikTok because it’s full of so much wholesome content from her life on the farm. 

What is your brand doing right now to lean into authenticity and show your personality more in your content?

We'd love to hear from you!