Brands in Glass Houses : How to Embrace Transparency and Grow Your Business Through Content Marketing by Dechay, Williams, Debbie Watts

From mom-and-pop shops to mega brands, from B2B to B2C, one common theme exists: consumers are leading the course of marketing. Today, successful companies do not talk “at” the customer; they talk “with” them, honestly and humanly. This expectation of honest communication and brand transparency has started a revolution. People are savvier and less apt to fall for a manufactured backstory - and they lose interest quickly in marketing jargon. For the first time in history, the truth sells. Brands in Glass Houses shines light on businesses that are revealing themselves authentically, not just as a marketing tactic, but also as a way of doing business. It shows you how to provide interesting content so that customers can connect with your brand on an emotional level, thus making them more eager to buy from you, talk about you, share their experiences with you, and ultimately, listen to what you have to say. Brands in Glass Houses takes you through the complete marketing lifecycle, from uncovering your brand story, to using content marketing services to give away knowledge and build trust, to being consistent through an editorial calendar. With this book, you will lose the fear of being too transparent and recognize opportunities to educate and engage with your target audience through content marketing tactics such as blogs, social media, newsletters, and more. Discovering your brand stories, and telling them in the right places, at the right times, to the right people, will help you connect through actionable content that has a purpose. Through step-by-step guides, checklists, examples, and true stories from a content marketing agency, marketers will learn how to look at their own messaging and find ways to talk about products and services authentically and humanly. Those who are just getting started in this new age of communication will be inspired by dozens of examples of how companies are telling their stories through purposeful content and living in glass houses for the world to see. Those who have a solid foundation with content will be inspired by examples of others who are using transparent marketing as a tool to create brand stories that people believe in and want to be a part of. Even experienced marketers who already believe in the power of content will find value in Brands in Glass Houses, as the book shows ways to empower brand evangelists and employee evangelists to authentically engage. Of course, when you lift the veil, both the good and bad appear for all to see. Negative reviews and comments can happen even to the best of companies. It’s how you handle them - authentically and professionally - that can actually put you back on top. Brands in Glass Houses gives play-by-play examples of what not to do when a crisis arises, based on real responses from companies that have felt the heat. As demand for the truth continues, the ability to be transparent and use authentic content to connect to the people buying your products and services is in your hands. Once the “sell” is removed from your messaging, your authority and trustworthiness will increase … and so will the growth to your bottom line.