In order for someone to “buy into” your brand, they have to trust what’s being sold to them. What you say matters, but how you say it matters even more. To build this necessary trust, you can’t come off sounding like a robot, humans don’t trust robots. Look what happened with the whole Skynet fiasco! By humanizing your content, you transform from a faceless company to a friend. Read on for pointers on how to make your content have a life of its own.
What Does It Mean?
By humanizing your brand, you give it lifelike qualities that allow your users to connect with it on a human level. This means, your voice needs to be consistent on every platform, from your website to your social channels.
To turn your brand into a familiar face, you need to:
- Show personality: Decide if you want to be funny, raw, silly, intelligent. Have a catchphrase.
- Write like you speak: Your brand image is highlighted by the uniqueness of your voice. But also, be aware of the language your users use.
- Show off your team: Nothing makes a brand more human than showing off the humans behind the brand.
- Share user-generated content (UGC): It not only makes your claims more believable, but it also creates a community rallying behind your brand.
- Tell real stories: The internet is savvier than ever, and people can sniff out the real from the make-believe. Be real. It smells better.
- Be Engaged: Whether it’s through social or in the comments of your blog, respond and interact with your users.
- Influencer partnerships: With built-in relationships, influencers introduce your brand to their online friends. One good word from a highly respected influencer can turn your product or service into a bestie with all that influencer’s followers.
What About Social Media?
As a brand, going online means you need a social media policy in place. It dictates how your brand is going to respond to a crisis, as well as day-to-day interactions.
Anyone performing social media on behalf of your company should have knowledge of this policy. It needs to be a living, breathing document that is consistently updated.
As for your brand on social media, here are some humanization pointers:
- If you have more than one community manager, sign off each post with their name
- Talk like a person and be personable
- Take a side, and stick to it. But, stay away from things like politics and religion unless those are part of who your brand is
- Show emotion. Use emojis, and emotion-based words.
- Be active on your social platforms
- Share images and videos that dive deeper into the product or services you offer
Think of humanizing your brand in the same way you’ve grown your own personality. As you grow, so does your brand.