Rand Fishkin
WHO? Founder of Twitter SEO Company Moz:@RandFishFollowers:381,000+
Why is authenticity such an important part of any successful social media account?
I think there is a natural human tendency towards people with whom we can identify. People whose words and actions match. Consistent people and consistent brands.
Related: 8 tips for being authentic
Where do you think companies or people go wrong when it comes to conveying authenticity on social media?
I think there are trends cultures that prevent authenticity. Some of them focus on the desire to carefully arrange an artificially designed image. People don't take pictures and share updates of their daily lives; they share incredible one-minute photos and updates on an otherwise dreary day. So you get a very different sense of what your friends and family are like, and I think that can lead us into a world where we think that designed curation is inherently opposed to authenticity, and I don't think that this is the case. You can be both. You can share the remarkable parts of your life while being authentic, but there is definitely a tension there.
Another cultural aspect surrounds fear of vulnerability and looking perfect. I think that's a very frustrating cultural norm, but one that's hard for people to overcome.
These are forces that make it very difficult to embrace authenticity – you're afraid you're not putting your best foot forward forward, you are afraid to show what you really love and to have people reject you or judge you or criticize you. And as a result, we get these fake images.
How do people or brands manage to be authentic on social media?
I think when authenticity is at its best, it shows things that are vulnerable, things that people can empathize with, and also things that people feel connected to. But it should still be worthy of attention. It must be something people care about. You can't share the daily chore unless the way you share the daily chore is powerfully useful, interesting, speaks to your audience in a unique way, or creates a strong emotional connection.
A social media platform particular lend itself more to authenticity?
I think the short form makes it harder than the long form. Twitter and Instagram, and Facebook, to some extent, make it difficult. I think the place where I see the most impressive authenticity is often blogs. They are longer and have flexible content requirements. You can tailor them to the message you want to convey.
Related: 10 Marketing Rules The Best Entrepreneurs Live and Die
Photo by Kristina Keyser
This article originally appeared in the September 2017 issue of SUCCESS magazine.
