It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day operations of running a company. From making sure your inventory is stocked to addressing customer complaints to simply making payroll this month, business owners and executives have a lot on their plates. Many struggle, simply due to overwhelming circumstances, with stepping back in order to look forward.
On the other hand, there are countless companies that, although they know that it's necessary to market themselves, do so only half-heartedly because someone told him they needed to. While it’s true that every company has to market themselves in some way in order to grow (but for most, it’s a survival mechanism), it’s important to frame your efforts in the right way.
In many cases, bad marketing can be worse than no marketing at all. While I tend to have a bias toward action, that comes with a caveat: don’t lose your audience because your show was lame. Sure, creating content, sharing stories and engaging with your audience is the right move, but be careful that you’re promoting a brand that best represents your company’s products/services, values and personality.
When a person interacts with your brand - whether that’s in the form of an outdoor ad, sponsored post or podcast spot - the first impression is critical. Of course you want them to remember your message, or at least your brand, but let’s take it a step further and consider the level of credibility you’re projecting.
Does your audience think of you as a luxury brand? Do you come off as lighthearted or sentimental or sassy? Are you selling yourself short with quick-fix tactics and sloppy strategy?
Advertising isn’t just about how memorable you are as a brand. It’s about the taste you leave in people’s mouths. You want your consumers to not only remember you, but add your name to their mental shortlist for consideration in that market over time. Each piece of content should be adding a layer of credibility until you have the highest score out of your competitors.
So how do we build credibility?
Credibility is built on two things: authenticity and consistency. If you read this blog regularly, you know how much we preach this: your efforts are in vein if you cannot deliver regularly. The perfect piece of content does not exist. Real artists ship. Real brands publish content regularly. But in each published piece, you must let your brand story shine through in a way that nurtures your believability.
Here are some tips for how to build credibility over time:
There are, of course, many ways to build credibility. These are just a few basic practices that many business owners and executives are missing out on because they’re either too busy to care or too lazy to try. Do you fall into either of these camps? Maybe it’s time to make a change.
If you’d like to learn more about how you can grow your brand’s credibility through marketing, give us a holler at hello@toucanadvertising.co.
Toucan is a New Orleans-based advertising firm.
