Let’s face it, the days of perfectly curated content are over. Instead, it’s now all about capturing and embracing authentic, everyday moments in the form of photos and videos that your followers can quickly engage with and react to, such as Instagram stories and TikTok shorts.
The shift towards authentic marketing is representative of an emerging trend in which consumers are choosing to buy from companies that stay true to their values and brand voice, most often in the form of employee influencers and customers who are loyal to the brand.
According to a 2022 Tint study, 62% of consumers said they are more likely to click on content (e.g., ads and social posts) that feature customer photos rather than an image created by the brand. This is because real marketing success boils down to one thing: your audience’s trust. When you humanize your brand with real content, such as humorous videos, honest Q&As, or a behind-the-scenes look at a company event, you showcase an authentic voice that stays with consumers when they’re making final buying decisions.
And it’s not just consumers who prefer authentic content. 60% of marketers have reported that their audiences engage more with user-generated content (UGC) in marketing and communications channels than branded content.
Since influencer marketing has been around for years, audiences are becoming sensitive to campaigns that appear to be tailored only for a specific moment, emotion, or desired appearance, rather than a message that’s aligned with key brand values.
In fact, the more real the content, the higher chance it has for targeting specific people more likely to engage and connect with your brand, resulting in more brand loyalists and wider outreach to consumers.
Once you’ve gained that trust and consistent engagement, you’ll have a higher ROI to show for it.
Consider cutting down on creative costs with employee content creators
While all the research, writing, and video production that goes into high-value commercials may produce a product that looks and sounds great, it costs a pretty penny and doesn’t always capture the genuine voice consumers are looking for.
Giving your employees their own space to share their views and opinions, however, can provide your brand with the credibility your audience desires, and gives your organization a competitive edge. Employee-generated content can also be created directly from their devices, helping to cut down on those high creative costs typically associated with marketing projects.
Tools like Brand Advocate are another great option to add to your social media toolkit, offering your employee creators a seamless way to create and manage authentic content that engages with key prospects and customers.
Within the app, employees can log in to see projects that their administrators have created for them, view their posts and metrics, earn badges, and more all from their smartphones, making creating authentic content as easy as one, two, three.
For more information on Brand Advocate, and how to get started with adding employee voices to your content strategy, start the conversation with us here.
