Just this morning, I opened my inbox to find 15 new marketing emails from brands hoping to catch my eye and earn my business. Each headline tries to capture my attention by announcing improved product lines, new podcast launches or faster shipping options…but when I shop for a product or choose a provider for an important service, I look for brands that know exactly what values they stand for and can deliver on these values in an authentic way. 

Authenticity connects consumers to your brand and results in higher consumer loyalty. In fact, 86% of consumers value authenticity as a key factor in deciding which brands they like and support. But it’s not enough just to put your brand out there or include a mission page on your website — after you decide what you stand for and who you are as a brand, you must continue to build trust through consistent brand expression. 

Consider your own consumer history: the last time you searched for a great restaurant, did you scan through online reviews about service, food and overall experience before making a reservation? When you needed to find a trustworthy doctor in your area, did you jump online to see what past patients had to say about their competency, bedside manner and availability? Before committing to subscriptions or purchases, consumers often look for evidence of a brand’s performance…and what they’re really searching for is consistency. 

Proving to clients and customers that your brand provides consistent service, voice, and message can build trust and encourage consumers to return to your brand time and again. Consistency generates a solid brand reputation that allows consumers to know exactly what to expect from your brand. The most successful brands are rooted in authenticity. Their message, purpose, and voice are all built around real emotions, strengths, and achievements that live within the organization. 

To win and keep customers, many brands are shifting from cost-focused strategies to consumer experience strategies. Rather than targeting potential customers by undercutting competitor pricing, brands are choosing to optimize UX across their digital ecosystems and provide reliable experiences at every point in their marketing funnels. Modern shoppers are much more likely to pay for good products wrapped in great experiences, and if your brand can consistently deliver in both departments, you’re on target to meet your consumers’ needs and expectations for 2022. 

If leveraged correctly, your brand has the opportunity to create genuine consumer connections and trust through consistent external and internal messaging. This means that not only should all of your external marketing—social media posts, LinkedIn shared articles, website content, logo design, and overall brand aesthetic—correlate and revolve around the same values and mission, but your internal team should also be aligned. 

From marketing to shareholders to daily employees, each team member plays a role in upholding your brand’s values and mission statement to produce consistent brand messaging. When everyone understands the pain points your brand solves and the tone your brand uses to communicate those solutions, it creates a sense of unity of purpose and allows the team to work together toward common goals. 

When your internal team mindset matches your external messaging, brand consistency and consumer trust is the result—and that’s your golden ticket for building a loyal client base in 2022.