Walk Your Talk in Marketing

Ever had that jolt when someone seems warm and grounded over coffee, but their social feed feels pushy or plastic?

Our lives are all so full and layered - we may be a leader, parent, creator, not to mention business-owner or service provider - and keeping your marketing going through the ups and downs of life, while staying true to your values can feel like juggling. 

If you are the brand, congruence is not a nice-to-have. It is the whole game. People decide whether to trust you long before they buy from you, and they feel it when your online vibe and your in-person energy don’t match.  

Be the same person everywhere 

When who you are online mirrors who you are in real life, your credibility compounds. Humans are finely tuned to micro-mismatches. If there’s a gap, people may not be able to name it, but they’ll feel it. And felt dissonance makes them hesitate. 

What I’ve seen play out in practice is now being backed by research. A 2023 study* by Shukla, Bhati, and Jain looked at what they call brand self-congruence essentially, the degree to which people feel a brand is in alignment with their own values and identity. 

The findings were striking. When people experienced this sense of congruence, it didn’t just build surface-level trust. It sparked brand love (a genuine emotional connection) and brand attachment (a deeper, longer-term bond). And together, these elements dramatically increased the likelihood that someone would go beyond being a customer and become an advocate, someone who actively shares, recommends, and champions the brand in their own circles. 

In other words, authenticity isn’t a nice-to-have, it’s the precursor to trust. Trust fuels emotional resonance, which in turn builds loyalty and advocacy. That sequence mirrors exactly what we see when someone’s in-person energy and their online presence feel aligned: credibility compounds, momentum builds, and people want to spread the word. 

So when I say “be the same person everywhere”, I’m not just making a values-based argument. The evidence is clear: alignment and authenticity are the foundation of meaningful, long-term brand relationships. 

I often say to clients, if I meet you at an event and you’re warm, curious and generous, I want to meet that same person on your LinkedIn, your podcast, your emails. No theatrics required.

Consistency builds trust. Trust builds momentum.
 

Let your values do the talking 

Your online presence is an extension of your values, not just a grid of carefully curated graphics and quote cards. (thought there's nothing inherently wrong with either of those, when the alignment piece is in place!)

When I post from my real rhythm, like jotting a thought after school drop-off with a flat white in hand, or sharing a small win from a messy midweek, the engagement isn’t just higher, it is deeper. The DMs turn into conversations that matter. 

Mainstream idea: curate a persona.   
What I believe: reveal the person. 

Tell stories that show your values in motion. Not just the “ta-da” moment, the small decisions where you chose courage over comfort, people over pace, quality over quantity.  

Show us the day you pressed pause on something because it didn’t feel right. The client conversation that changed your mind. The moment you backed your instinct and it paid off later. That is how people learn who you are and whether they can trust you.
 

Integration doesn't mean sharing everything

Integration is where your marketing becomes magnetic. Separate boxes for “work” and “life” look tidy on paper, but your audience wants the whole picture.

That doesn't mean you need to share everything -  and if you're ever feeling this pressure go back to the Power Combo® - which I talk about in my book Marketing Me® and that I help you unpack and apply in your own brand, in Authenticity Amplified™ .

Discretion and wisdom is paramount. You need to protect your mental health as well as your day ot day wellbeing. 

A few behind-the-scenes shifts that help me: 

- One calendar, one nervous system.
I plan my marketing around energy, not just time. If my nervous system is fried, I don’t publish. I reset, then show up clean.
   
- White space is strategic.
I keep pockets in my week for thinking walks and creative sprints. That is where the fresh ideas land that later turn into high-performing posts and offers. 

- Blend, don’t bolt-on.
If I am on a client site visit and a lesson lands, I’ll capture a voice memo in the car and share the insight that day. Real-time reflection beats manufactured “content days”. 

Think of it like cooking a family dinner. Same pot, different ingredients, one meal that actually nourishes. When your marketing draws from the same values you live by, people feel the through-line, and that steadiness builds trust faster than any hack. 

In the end, authenticity and congruence aren’t about crafting a persona, they are about revealing the real you. Your values anchor this personal and professional link - and keep your voice consistent across every touchpoint, as they integrate the parts of your life that make you, you.  

When your presence is true and aligned, people don’t just like your brand, they believe you. And that belief is the best strategy you have. 

*(Reference: Shukla, P., Bhati, S.S., & Jain, S. (2023). The Role of Brand Self-Congruence, Brand Love, and Brand Attachment on Brand Advocacy: A Serial Mediation Model. SSRN Working Paper.)