Naturally as humans, we connect with people we trust. We’re influenced by our thoughts, the emotions we feel and the interactions we have with each other.
Here’s a question: Would you become friends with someone you don’t trust? Probably not. How would you feel about giving them your hard-earned money to support their business? Also a no-go. You wouldn’t want to easily hand away your money to something or someone you don’t truly believe in.
Humanising your brand is one of the best ways to create a positive customer experience. A brand’s longevity is highly based on whether their customers trust them. Now more than ever, people are starting to care about what intentions the brand really has, what their values are, whether others have had a good experience and whether the brand themselves are offering more than just a product. Hint: Good customer service goes a really looooong way.
We’ve decided to put this informative article together to show you how you can humanise your brand. Reading this may be the best decision you’ll make for your business, so grab your coffee (or tea, for those non-coffee drinkers out there) and make sure you keep up.
Put a Face to Your Brand
Now, we’re not saying your brand has to have an actual face. We’re saying that you should showcase the faces behind the brand - aka your team. After all, they are the ones who work to keep the ship afloat, they should be given a little limelight. You could place an image of them on your website with some text about themselves or delve into something a little more creative and get them to film a takeover of their workday on Instagram stories. Just remember that putting faces to your brand is one of the best things you can do. It makes your brand fun, interesting and human.
Transparency, It’s Kind of a Big Deal
Be transparent. Tell everyone how you came to be. There’s a story behind every business, so don’t be afraid to share it. Transparency gives your audience their reason to support and follow you. It plays a big part in building trust and creates that special bond between you and the person on the other end. Make sure you don’t forget your roots and continue to come back to your ‘why’. It’ll encourage you to keep going.
A fab brand that comes to mind when we think of transparency is ‘Who Gives a Crap’. An eco-friendly toilet paper brand that we love and use here at picos. If you decide to check out their website, you’ll see that they’re extremely open about what’s going on over on their end. It’s a big part of the reason we’re obsessed with them!
Be Yourself, Find Your Voice
The key ingredient is you. We’re sure you’ve heard it plenty of times before, but it’s true. You just need to be yourself. For others to open up and connect with you, you need to be willing to show the truest version of yourself. When you’re able to find your own voice and solidify your mission, you won’t have to prove anything. Your messages will be authentic, and your audience will see that. Zoe Foster-Blake aka Australia’s boss beauty queen is the perfect example of this. She is a visionary, a true gem and the epitome of being yourself. Talk about a triple threat. Our view of her should tell you that she’s clearly doing something right.
Educate Your Audience On the Solution
Who hates being constantly bombarded to purchase a product? *Raises hand*It’s happened to the majority of us, and it can be incredibly frustrating.
Think about the last time your friend told you to go and buy the best book they had ever read. Maybe it was that reusable drink bottle you didn’t have in your life. You probably went out and bought it, right? So, think about how your friend came about to tell you. We highly doubt they got all dressed up and pulled out a PowerPoint presentation. They most likely just told you why they loved the product and why it was something that you needed in your life. When talking about your service or product, try focusing on what it can bring the consumer. To put it simply, don’t tell your audience that your reusable drink bottle is green. Tell them that it’s reusable, it’s environmentally friendly and that money they always spend buying water bottles when they’re out? They’ll save it.
Engage With Your Audience, Be Social!
No matter what you’re sharing with your audience, make sure it’s relevant to them. Listen to them and encourage them to be social and speak up. Chat with them. Interact with them. Let them see the most authentic part of you and your business. Everyone wants to feel like they’re a part of something, so make them feel like they’re a part of your family (virtually speaking). Ask them to answer your Instagram polls and send in any questions they may have. It’s the best way to get to know your audience, get them involved and find out what they want from you. The hospitality industry is a perfect example. Foodies are constantly chatting to customers, engaging via social media and keeping in the loop with what’s happening around them.
Show Your Gratitude
You may have seen different Instagram influencers run giveaways on their page. You might have even been that person to tag your entire list of friends because you want that freebie (definitely not judging, we want freebies too). You don’t need to do the same, but we do want to emphasise that this is their way of recognising those that support them. And it’s great. Show your audience you appreciate them and care for them in your own way because let’s be real, you wouldn’t be where you are without them. Remember to thank those that support you and your accomplishments. There’s nothing forcing them to advocate for you, they’re choosing to do that. These people are your hype people and they’re the ones you want sticking around long term.
So there you go. A few simple yet effective steps to humanizing your brand. Why not try and take a leaf out of our book and let us know how you go? Better yet, get in contact with the team here at picos and our bunch of passionate humans will happily chat you through any biz decisions you’re thinking of making.
