How to Build Authentic Brands Beyond Vanity Metrics

Hospitality brands are addicted to vanity metrics. Likes, follower counts, and viral moments look good in a boardroom slide deck, but they don’t move revenue, don’t build loyalty, and don’t feed the soul of your brand. They feed the ego. And when your marketing is built on ego, you’ll always be chasing the next shiny thing instead of creating a foundation that lasts. Social media is psychological. People don’t follow hotels or cruise lines because of how many followers they already have. They follow because of the value, the story, the feeling you give them. They engage because you trigger emotion, memory, or aspiration. They buy because you’ve built trust and culture around your content. The brands that get this are already winning, the ones who don’t are still sitting in weekly meetings debating fonts and hashtags. Here’s the truth: social media marketing in hospitality is not about perfection. It’s about connection. Stop worrying about the one negative comment and start worrying about the fact that your content has no personality. Stop running ads with generic stock footage and start putting your employees, your chef, your GM, your community in the spotlight. Starve your ego, feed your soul. Ego says “let’s protect the brand at all costs.” Soul says “let’s be human, let’s be real, let’s show the world who we are.” Practical advice: 1. Flip your priorities. Instead of obsessing over follower count, measure how many DMs you’re getting, how many people are sharing your posts, how many save your content because it’s useful. That’s impact. 2. Create content for humans, not executives. Show up raw, behind the scenes, unpolished if necessary, because that’s how trust is built. The polish is already assumed in your property. Your content should give people access to what they can’t find on Google. 3. Build a strategy that mirrors a startup, not a bureaucracy. Speed matters. Relevance matters. You don’t need ten people to approve a reel. You need one person who understands the brand’s voice and has the freedom to hit publish. 4. Teach your staff to be storytellers. Your front desk agent has more influence on your brand perception than your marketing director. Empower them, train them, and include them in your digital presence. 5. Stop copying your competitors. By the time you notice what they posted, the psychology of attention has already shifted. If you’re not setting the tone, you’re following someone else’s playbook. Feeding your soul as a brand means leaning into purpose. Why do you exist beyond selling rooms or cabins? What do you believe about hospitality, community, culture? That is what will separate you in a noisy feed. Consumers are smarter than ever, and they see right through ego-driven marketing. Hospitality is about creating memories that live forever. Your social media should do the same. Ego builds numbers. Soul builds empires. --- If you like the way I look at the world of hospitality, let's chat: scott@mrscotteddy.com

The metrics-obsessed, MQL-chasing playbook that I helped create at Marketo is steering us away from marketing's fundamental truth: "do right by the customer." But the funny thing about doing right by customers – building brand through genuine value exchange, truly understanding their needs, letting them control the process – these aren't revolutionary ideas. They're timeless principles we've buried under automation workflows and pipeline metrics. That's why I wasn't surprised to find clues to the new B2B playbook in Dale Carnegie's 1936 classic "How to Win Friends and Influence People." Before marketing automation, before we turned relationships into MQLs, Carnegie understood something we need to rediscover. 🤔 Here's what his ideas tell us about fixing today's broken B2B playbook: 1. "Become genuinely interested in other people" Stop viewing buyers as MQLs to be harvested. Start seeing them as humans seeking solutions. This isn't just feel-good advice – it's the foundation of sustainable pipeline generation in an AI world where generic outreach is increasingly ignored. 2. "Give before you expect to get"  Create content so valuable people would pay for it – then give it away ungated. Trust builds pipeline better than form-fills. When everybody else is building walls, build bridges. 3. "Let the other person feel the idea is theirs"  Today’s buyers don’t want to be sold. They want to do research on their own and begin the buying process on their own terms. In fact, by the time B2B buyers first contact sales, 80% of the time they already have a preferred vendor, and that vendor is the winner 80% of the time! 4. "Remember that a person's name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language" Personalization isn't just a buzzword. It's about making every interaction feel tailored and relevant. This goes beyond just using {{FirstName}} or even having AI attempt something that sounds personalized but is ultimately soulless – it's about understanding and addressing individual needs with the right offer at the right time. 5. "Let the other person do a great deal of the talking" Active listening is crucial in B2B. Use voice of customer data, social listening, and direct feedback to shape your strategies. Your customers often have the answers – you just need to listen. 6. "Make the other person feel important – and do it sincerely" In a world of commoditized tech, emotional connections matter. Build a community around your brand. Celebrate customer wins. Make your champions feel like the heroes they are. The old marketing playbook is broken. Buyers are burned out on aggressive tactics and shallow automation. It's time to stop treating marketing like a gumball machine and start doing right by the customer experience — exactly as Dale Carnegie advised almost 90 years ago. Who knows? You might just win some deals – and influence some customers – along the way. #B2BMarketing #CustomerExperience #GoToMarket

With 61% of consumers saying that businesses actually make their lives harder, consumer skepticism directly hits your bottom line. To weather the storm, companies like Patagonia and Southwest use authenticity checkpoints to screen growth initiatives against core values. Rather than check-the-box exercises, these filters preserve the reasons that your customers choose you. The payoff? Organizations maintaining trust during growth can turn a 5% increase in retention into a 25-95% revenue boost. I recently worked with a client facing the classic warning signs: rising CAC, slipping conversion rates, and increasing pricing pressure. Despite this, they were hitting growth targets. So what was wrong? Their customers were losing faith in them. My client was not alone. Qualtrics research shows only 50% of consumers have confidence in the brands they do business with—a metric that hasn't improved since 2020 despite massive CX investments. My client realized it was a P&L emergency. Trust erosion is a vicious cycle that directly impacts unit economics through higher acquisition costs, shorter customer lifecycles, and vanishing price premiums. A small number of aggressive tactics had tarnished the credibility that made my client's growth trajectory possible. So they decided to create authenticity checkpoints—systematic filters that evaluate growth initiatives against core values. With hard work, their ACVs are rising, their clients advocate for them, and their CAC has stabilized. What makes effective authenticity checkpoints? Five critical elements: - Decision filters to evaluate initiatives against founding principles - Product validation processes that preserve core differentiation - Regular operational reviews to ensure a consistent customer experience - Values reinforcement for team members, beyond onboard - Structured forums to identify and address emerging vulnerabilities Implementing these checkpoints starts with three simple steps: audit your recent growth initiatives for authenticity impact, map your specific vulnerability points, and create accountability with dedicated resources and metrics. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/eJbTcVMa __________ For more on growth and building trust, check out my previous posts. Join me on my journey, and let's build a more trustworthy world together. Christine Alemany #Fintech #Strategy #Growth

Your product tells a story. It's not just about what it does, but what it represents. I once worked with a brand that made outdoor gear. They could have focused solely on technical specs and durability. Instead, they chose to highlight how their products enabled people to connect with nature and find peace away from modern stresses. This approach transformed their entire customer experience. Product descriptions went beyond features to paint a picture of serene campsites and soul-nourishing hikes. Imagery showcased real people using the gear in breathtaking natural settings, not just studio shots. Even their packaging told a story, using recycled materials and including notes about environmental conservation. Every touchpoint reinforced their mission of fostering a deeper connection with the outdoors. The key is authenticity. Your product should be a physical manifestation of your brand's values and purpose. When done right, it becomes more than just an item - it's a vehicle for the change you want to see in the world. Look closely at your offerings. How can they better embody your mission? What story are they telling your customers? Make your products a tangible expression of your brand's ethos, and watch as customers connect on a deeper level.

More CEOs are becoming influencers. Not for vanity but for visibility, credibility, and brand traction. The U.S. Chamber recently profiled a group of founders and CEOs who are using social platforms to grow their companies, and the results speak for themselves. Jake Karls of Mid-Day Squares built an audience by sharing the reality of startup life. Not just wins, but conflict, pressure, and behind-the-scenes decisions. The result: over 30 million views, a surge in product demand, and investor interest triggered by a single LinkedIn video. That visibility helped his team land on shelves at Costco and scale production to over 130,000 bars per day. That's real business results. Another is Mike Mandell of LawByMike, who turned short-form legal content into a full-funnel engine. He now has 30 million followers, ongoing brand deals, and a projected $2 million in legal revenue this year. All built through consistent, engaging storytelling. Ray Salti of Pepperoni’s took a different route. He partnered with chef influencers, launched community events, and made his personal platform an extension of the brand’s purpose. His audience doesn’t just buy, they also stay loyal. What connects these examples isn’t just content. It’s intention with a blend of consitency. They share what’s real and relevant. They collaborate with trusted voices in their respective niches. They meet the audience where they already are (is that LinkedIn for you and your brand?). They measure value in business outcomes, not vanity metrics. This is something I’ve encouraged the CEOs I work with to do for years ... publish regularly on LinkedIn and the company blog. Not with a focus on promotion, but with a focus on perspective. Share the thought process behind the product and the challenges that drove its growth. The values behind the decisions are what people relate to. In B2B, especially, buyers want to know the people behind the brand. They want a reason to trust what you build and how you operate. Influence isn’t borrowed. It’s earned through clarity, consistency, and showing up. The CEOs who do this well aren’t chasing attention. They’re building equity for their brands. Article link in comments 👇

The way I think about it: brand is your reputation. 
 Brand is not your logo. Not your website colors. Not the font that agency carefully selected. "Doing brand marketing" is not billboards. 
 "Doing brand marketing" does not mean just doing a bunch of stuff you can't measure. 
 Brand is about building your reputation. 
 And when you have a good one: 
 • Products sell faster • Partners want to work with you • Top candidates reach out first 
 I think "investing in brand” means actively shaping how people perceive and talk about you when you're not in the room. Here's how you can build brand: 
 1) Thought Leadership and Content 
 • Consistent, high-quality content: Articles, LinkedIn posts, podcasts, and videos that educate, challenge, and provide real insights. 
 • Founder-driven storytelling: People trust people, not faceless brands. Get your CEO and execs creating content that shares vision, expertise, and conviction. 
 • Deep, original research: Publish unique reports, data insights, or case studies that establish you as a category leader. 
 2) Customer Experience & Advocacy 
 • Deliver on promises: The best brand strategy is a great product and great support. Nothing destroys brand faster than failing customers. 
 • Turn customers into advocates: Case studies, testimonials, referrals. Make it easy (and rewarding) for customers to talk about you. 
 • Build community: Real engagement happens in communities, not just social media. Create a space where your customers connect, share, and get value. Or here on social, that can be community too. Doesn't have to be a walled community. 
 3) Brand Awareness & PR 
 • Earned media: Get written about in industry publications. Appear on podcasts. Get featured in newsletters. Or focus on social if (like most industries today) that is where the discussions are happening. 
 • Strategic partnerships: Partner with known, trusted brands and influencers to borrow their credibility. 
 • Memorable experiences: Events, webinars, and live activations that make an impression beyond just digital content. 
 *** 
 Take this definition and then think about what does it really mean when you say "We're investing in our brand this year" ?? 
 It doesn't mean just go do a bunch of marketing you can't measure...

Just had my mind blown 🤯 Watched 210 posts scroll by in 30 seconds on X. Quick math: that's 25,200 posts per hour. And that’s just from our own profile. No wonder building a brand feels impossible sometimes! But here's what I've learned after years in digital marketing and online B2B networking: The busier it gets, the MORE your authenticity matters. When everyone's shouting, whisper something worth hearing. When everyone's posting more, post better. When everyone's chasing followers, chase genuine connections. You can never out-volume the social media noise. Start out-valuing it! My personal strategy in this chaos:  → Share real insights from actual experience (like this post) → Engage meaningfully (not just like and run) → Post when my audience is actually online (why I love LinkedIn and X) → Focus on helping, not selling (why I love #USAMfgHour with Kirsten Austin and #BldgREChat with Bethany Bigelow + Steve Chin) X may be moving at 25K posts per hour, but real relationships still happen one conversation at a time. What helps YOU cut through the digital noise? #LeanMarketing #AuthenticLeadership #GrowthMindset

A client recently told me, “We’ve always done things this way, but now nothing’s clicking. What changed?” The answer is simple: The market evolved. Customer behaviors shifted. But their strategy didn’t adapt. Once we reevaluated their strategy, we made some key adjustments, and the impact was immediate: engagement spiked by 35%, inbound leads doubled, and they secured their largest deal to date. B2B doesn’t have to be cold or formulaic. Sales and marketing should never feel like a one-sided pitch. They’re about building authentic, human connections. I like to call this the “Connection-Driven Growth Approach.” Here’s how you can apply it: 🔸Listen First, Talk Later • Instead of pushing your message right away, start by listening to what your audience needs and struggles with. • Understand their challenges to craft a solution that resonates. How this helps: Builds trust and helps you tailor your messaging to what actually matters to them. 🔸Be Transparent and Authentic • Show your true values by sharing behind-the-scenes content, and admit when things go wrong. • Let your audience see the human side of your brand—people connect with authenticity. How this helps: Builds rapport and makes your brand more relatable and trustworthy. 🔸Share Stories, Not Just Stats • Use stories that showcase how your product or service makes a real difference in people’s lives. • Focus on the emotional connection your product creates, not just features. How this helps: Makes your brand more memorable and emotionally engaging, fostering a deeper connection. 🔸Engage in Meaningful Conversations • Don’t just broadcast—respond to comments, ask questions, and participate in discussions. • Show genuine interest in your audience’s opinions and experiences. How this helps: Encourages more engagement, builds relationships, and helps turn followers into loyal customers. 🔸Focus on Value, Not Sales • Share helpful tips, educational content, or useful resources before ever trying to sell. • Provide real solutions to your audience’s problems, not just your product. How this helps: Builds trust, adds value to your audience’s lives, and leads to long-term relationships that convert into sales. The truth? Growth doesn’t come from pushing products. It comes from fostering relationships and delivering real value. What’s one way you’re building connections in your marketing right now? Drop a comment! ⸻ ♻️ REPOST if this resonated with you! ➡️ FOLLOW Rheanne Razo for more B2B growth strategies, client success, and real-world business insights.

Normal brands die quietly. In a crowded feed, safe ≠ silent. Most founders fall into the same trap: → They post daily but are seeing ZERO growth. → They burn out creating more content. → They watch their friends steal the attention while their own work sits invisible. → They’re stuck on the hamster wheel - busy, exhausted, broke. That’s what “normal” looks like. And here’s the harsh truth: normal doesn’t get remembered. When I started, I thought consistency alone was the answer. I worked harder than everyone else. But nothing worked. The problem wasn’t my effort. The problem was blending in. I had to make a choice: Keep being normal or build a brand that was impossible to ignore. Here’s what changed everything: 1. Stop Chasing Virality Normal brands chase likes. Different brands chase leverage. Focus on building subscribers, DMs, and revenue not vanity metrics. 2. Systemize Creativity Normal brands post reactively. Different brands build pillar content that feeds everything else (posts, carousels, newsletters, videos). One idea becomes an ecosystem. 3. Build Founder-Led Normal brands hide behind products. Different brands put the founder at the front. People buy stories, not features. They want to follow you. 4. Subtract to Scale Normal brands try to be everywhere. Different brands are intentional. Cut distractions, double down on what actually builds your brand. 5. Make It Emotional Normal brands talk business. Different brands talk transformation. ---- When I started coaching founders, I thought the goal was helping them grow revenue. The real win? Watching one quit their job and become emotionally available for their kids. That’s impact. The brands that win aren’t the ones playing safe. They’re the ones bold enough to be different. You don’t need to do more. You need to stop being normal. If you want to level up your business faster, then join my unconventional Substack newsletter with 122K fans: https://lnkd.in/gfyweeTM

Starting with the end in mind is standard advice in business. The end often gets fuzzy when connecting your brand strategy to your BHAG and goals. In financials, brand value even lives in "intangible assets."  It's often pushed downstream as a marketing activity. But a brand is your company's DNA. It can't be confined to downstream management alone. The entire company must improve its brand and marketing literacy to make better strategic decisions. While marketing may own branding, it requires unified leadership to direct the cultural compasses, ensuring the brand promise resonates across all aspects of the brand experience: product, employee, customer, and community. Great experiences create the connection you need to compel people to share, which drives demand and growth. Although most organizations acknowledge the importance of a strong brand for securing a competitive edge, few effectively integrate the brand into cross-functional strategic priorities. Recently, I visited the World Of Coca-Cola Museum. Touring exhibits, I started thinking about how the experience was like reverse engineering a brand from the end. Coke has built one of the most valuable global brands. Their museum immerses visitors in experiences and reminds consumers of their emotional connections worth sharing, driving generations of demand.    Visitors taste beverages from around the world, feel the fizz on their tongues, smell the ingredients, and watch heartwarming movies of people enjoying Coke products, tapping nostalgia and triggering emotional connections. This symbolizes the pinnacle brands aspire toward. I thought about how effective it would be as a leadership exercise in enhancing brand literacy within an organization. Leaders across the company could reverse engineer the brand as a brand museum. What would make the brand museum-worthy? What would make people want to pay to attend and stand in long lines? How would you showcase how customers interact with your products or services? How would you tell the story?  How would you draw back the curtain into how the sausage is made?  What senses or behavior connections could you use to trigger connections to the brand? The answers can create a valuable shared consensus that avoids downstream siloed brand efforts. This also begins to outline a roadmap for organizational improvements. My intuition tells me that getting groups to visualize their brand museums will make creating a great brand more tangible. Teams would start to see and feel the brand objectives that can defend against disruption.  Give it a try. Does envisioning your brand museum reveal gaps between the ideal and current state of your overall brand experience, including customer, employee, and community experiences? Take an assessment of where your brand needs to improve for key stakeholders. You may find improvement opportunities to get you closer to that end goal. #brand #strategy #marketing #culture