To be authentic is to be real, unfiltered, as you are naturally because you simply know no other way. When you tell a story, its charm coming through in your well-told jokes, the you is what your friends love the most. It’s you they like, and the story you’re telling is one more reason on the list of why.

As a parent, my quest for authenticity has taken on an expanded meaning. I want for each of my three children to be freely, unabashedly themselves. To figure out what makes their heart sing and provide them with opportunities to soar within their own individuality. In an environment where social media has created undue pressures to conform, I encourage them to have the courage to stay true to themselves. And I hold them accountable to aligning their actions and words with their beliefs and values.

We apply these same principles to our work. FiComm Partners didn’t invent the idea of authentic marketing, but we do heartily believe that authenticity in your words and actions are the only way to achieve success in your marketing efforts. It takes the spirit of you telling that great story to your friends and expands on it exponentially for your business. Functionally, it means distilling your brand down into a human persona and letting it tell a great story to its millions of friends. Authenticity should be at the core of everything you do.

It’s the best kind of marketing: the kind that doesn’t feel like marketing at all.

Authenticity is delivered when you consider not just what you’re saying but how you’re saying it. That intention has the power to foster deep connection. Marketing your brand in ways that feel relatable and real to your audience will win more clients and earn loyal patrons who are proud to align themselves with your company.

Building connection through intention starts with a strong belief in exactly who you are and what you stand for as a company. When getting to know a new FiComm client, we’ll often look back to the early stages of their business, when a problem to solve was identified. In the months, years or decades that have followed, the business has delivered solutions to the people who needed it most – their ideal customer. How a company delivers that solution to their ideal customer is their mission.

You have built a successful business because you care about what your customers care about. Knowing yourself and your mission, and knowing your audience and their interests, results in storytelling that is either useful, informative, entertaining, inspiring, or all of the above. But it most certainly has to be authentic.

We believe that the ‘sell, sell, sell’ mindset just isn’t an option in the modern landscape. In the modern era of marketing we demonstrate care rather than push product by optimizing user experience and prioritizing satisfaction. Everything you do has to be focused on the customer with a friendly pull approach.

Genuine connection made through honest, open, authentic communication with your customers and clients is the best way to showcase your brand’s mission and values.