Estimates indicate that 84-percent of millennials don’t like advertising. It doesn’t take much to guess that their dislike is a result of their experiences in a hyper-consumer culture. As such, millennials are not an easy sell. They aren’t naive and appeals to emotion do not result in big sales. What does? Authenticity and quality are two characteristics of a successful 21st Century digital marketing campaign.
Builds trust
When you know that someone wants you to spend your money, then you are less likely to trust them. However, if you are an honest entrepreneur who believes that your product, service, or expertise can truly add to a person’s life, then provide them with something of value even if they may never use your offerings.
For instance, if you are an accountant, then a blog post on the language of mortgages can provide value and assure the reader of your expertise. Will they ever use your service? Maybe, but will they share valuable content with their peers? Yes, they will. As a result, your business will earn the trust of potential customers in a direct and honest way.
Promises honesty
Authentic digital marketing practices build a loyal base of followers and customers. For example, a business that asks for likes, or offers discounts to individuals who share their content is far from honest and authentic. If the accountant mentioned above sends push notifications to anyone who has opened a link to their post, then they have lost a potential loyal base, because no one wants to be the friend who spams another friend. However, if the accountant offers value and steps back, they show that they trust their own product and that they respect their potential customers’ boundaries. A loyal base grows from a digital marketing strategy based on authentic trust and respect.
In case you have any confusion about authenticity, remember this: authenticity is honesty. An entrepreneur who believes in their product will carry an air of authenticity in interviews, videos and photos. Their authenticity will easily transfer to their digital marketing strategy. Highlight that authenticity and carry it across all marketing channels to create a digital marketing campaign that appeals to even the most jaded consumers.