2020 Marketing Trends: Authenticity

One of the biggest marketing trends we are seeing in 2020 is authenticity. Authenticity is taking a life of its own. While a lot of companies and personal brands are trying to show engaging behind-the-scenes content, they’re doing it in a way that may be too contrived.

With all the tech tools, tips and tricks out there, we're finding more and more overly perfect content. From photoshop, to hundreds of filters and apps, to posing for hours to get the right shot, we’re going to see audiences craving authentic content in 2020.

Here are some tips to making your content as authentic as possible. Are you telling your story and diving deep into your company's "why?" Don’t force it too much. Here are some tips:

Tip 1

Speak from the heart and tell a story. A brand and how you market your brand, is one big story. Tell the story from the heart and think about all of the elements in your story. Stories can be developed for just about anything - even products and services. Ask yourself, what is the "why" behind your brand? Find an engaging way to tell your audiences your “why” authentically.

Tip 2

Photos of people, teams, customers often get more engagement than graphics. We're not saying to ditch your visual identity because it is important to have a consistent and ownable look. However, humans want to see humans and they want to know what their stories are. Think about Journalism 101, human interest stories and why they are so intriguing. Consider mixing up your content strategy with real people and stories and balancing it with your stellar brand graphics.

Tip 3

Use video. You've likely already heard this already, but it's true. Statistics are showing that consumers are watching more video online than they do anything else. YouTube is used more than Gmail by consumers, according to 2019 social media trends. Video is a top trend in marketing right now, so if you have not joined in on using video to promote your products, services or even yourself -- you should. And guess what...it does not have to be perfect, it just has to be authentic.

Whether you are promoting yourself, a product or service - authenticity is key and will continue to be in 2020. A great recent quote that drove this belief system home.

“What is most personal, is the most creative” – Boon Joon Ho / Martin Scorsese

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Becca Cooper Leebove is a Brand Strategist and the Founder of ShuBu—Ideas to Life, a full-service marketing and branding agency in Denver, creating captivating brands and compelling marketing strategies by diving deep into people’s motivations, data and trends.