88% of consumers say that authenticity is a key factor when deciding what brands they like and support. Brands may not actually be human, but their audiences are, and want to spend their time and money on authentic companies that share their values. Humanizing your brand means establishing a more relatable and personable way of communicating with your audience and potential customers. This brand personality should be weaved within any and every communication your brand makes, from social media posts to your website. Simply put, no one wants to buy from a cold and robotic brand they feel no connection to, so giving yours a human touch will lead to better customer relationships, experiences, and conversions. Keep reading to learn our 5 easy steps for humanizing your brand.
1. Establish an engaging tone
Your brand's tone is the style used in your communications. Brand tones can be joyful, inspirational, or even sarcastic. The tone of voice you choose impacts the words you'll use and writing style and conveys your brand's persona and core values. Whether your content is extremely professional, or just plain silly, you can incorporate elements of a personal and engaging tone. This helps your customers feel as if you're talking to them, not at them.
2. Be grateful
Whenever you're communicating as your brand, you should think about how it benefits your audience, and show your gratitude for them whenever possible. For example, if you're celebrating a company achievement, thanking the people who supported it should be included. Showing your appreciation for your audience will then make them feel like they're a part of your success and in turn, they'll want to help you become even more successful.
3. Be visual
Humans are visual creatures. You can tell your audience over and over why they should trust and engage with you, but there's nothing more powerful than showing them. Specifically, show them with video. Video content is extremely attention grabbing and helps your audience feel connected to you, especially if you talk directly to the camera.
4. Go behind the scenes
In addition to being visual, people are naturally curious! They want to know what goes on behind closed doors, so give them a peek. Any opportunity you have, whether it's snapshots of employees hard at work or goofing around, bloopers from a recent video promotion, or even office pets, will make your audience feel like they know your brand better than ever.
5. Focus on value, not sales
Sure, at the end of the day conversions are what you're looking for, but the point of humanizing your brand is for it to be known as more of a person than a company. Providing value to your customers creates trust, and lets them know that you actually care about them outside of making a sale, which will lead to a longer relationship together. Sales will come, but marketing and sales operate as a funnel for a reason.
Humanizing your brand boils down to showing your audience who you are, what you believe in, and why they should join you on your journey. Breaking free from the robotic jargon of most corporations will set you apart and allow you to build long-term and meaningful relationships with your customers.