What’s the one thing business owners, their staff and customers have in common? They’re all human. So why is it so hard for some of them to go abouthumanizing business?
Maybe some businesses want to present themselves as purely professional. Maybe some are more focused on keywords, and others may not realize how robotic their brand’s voice is.
Humanizing your brand is no longer an option. People prefer to make connections. They like to invest time and money in people they know and can relate to.
Here’s how you can start making your brand’s voice more relatable.
- Begin from the Inside Out
Start by creating a great company culture. CEOs and upper management can spread the culture like wildfire through the business, motivating the team to be the true advocates you want them to be.
Once everyone’s on board, post about it. If your team ran a race, post a photo on Facebook of everyone crossing the finishing line. Make it the cover photo. If you’ve decorated the office according to your brand’s theme, post a video tour on your website.
Showcasing your staff on social media goes a lot further than just having the basics in place.
When your online community can see how great it is working at your company, they’re more willing to trust your abilities.
- Make Your Brand’s Tone Approachable, Personal and Engaging
Portraying yourself as an industry leader is crucial to generating leads and building credibility, but don’t let it negate your ability for humanizing business. You can still have professional content that is presented in an engaging tone.
- Focus Less on Sales and More on Resources
Always offer something of value to your followers, minus the sales pitch. Chances are they’ll keep coming back for more. It’s all about creating relationships through trust and that trust should be built on providing helpful and credible resources.
- Keep an Active Blog
If you’re looking for more ways for humanizing business, show your human side to your audience by keeping an active blog. Not only does it help boost your SEO, staying on track with topical issues in your industry helps to show your human side.
It shows readers you’re active, educated and current and this lends further credibility.
- Showcase YourCommunity Manager
If you have a community manager or similar, let him or her take
the spotlight by showcasing them on yoursocial media platforms.
Giving a face to your staff makes your community more comfortable with your brand and helps build stronger relationships.
- Apologize and Saying “Thank You”
We all have our flaws. If your business has dropped the ball, offer a sincere apology to your audience and even offer a potential solution. Your online community will appreciate you addressing something head-on.
Don’t forget that humanizing business means saying thank you, too. Simply posting a status that celebrates the amount of fans you have can go a long way.
- Be Available
This is a tip for every nuance of your brand’s persona. Cultivating a brand can’t actually happen without humans being able to humanize it.
If someone in your company posts on your social media platforms, have him or her be available to respond to follower’s questions, comments and reviews. Don’t ignore the importance of engagement.
KEY TAKAWAY
Humanizing your business has a range of benefits, including getting your voice heard and gaining credibility.At the core, it’s the essence of human to human interaction and how important it is for your brand.
Want to talk this through with someone?
I'm Bryan Kramer. I coach executives and founders one to one, and I give keynotes on AI, leadership and human connection.