Humanizing your brand- really? A brand is your message delivered via traditional and social media so how can that be tied to a human? Traditional media is one way communication where you place your ad and shouts out “I am here, visit & buy from me” where as social media is the “Let me get to know you first.” These are two completely different mindsets however they look to achieve the same goal. More sales with repeat customers. In getting to know someone first social media looks to build relationships and listen before jumping in and throwing your message and sales pitch at people.
Social media has created a forum to be able to target customers where they are comfortable and find out their thoughts on why they like or dislike and where they are in the buying process which is the beginning stages of humanizing your brand. Each brand has a human behind it, unveil that human.
5 Tips for Humanizing Your Brand
1. Get to Know People First. This is so powerful as no-one really likes to be shouted at and pitching first is shouting at them to buy.
2. Be Personable. Give some insight into who and what is behind the brand. People all want to feel that they know the person so let them get to know you.
3. Solve Problems. This has been best seen with @ComcastCares on Twitter. You have a problem with service, tweet it or email them and they resolve it. Why? Because they care. You are talking to a real person anonymously but still a real person.
4. Ask Questions. The forum is available to ask questions about how people feel about your industry in general. Remember it is about them and not you.
5. Be Available. It is very easy to determine when people are around on social media. A simple message indicating that you are looking into it goes a long way as being non-responsive sends a message that you do not care.
Social media sets the stage to invite people into your company without interrupting them. They have an opportunity to find you though searches and see you commenting on industry blogs, answering questions onmicroblogs and networking sites. If you see someone enough it begs you to go and find out more. The cool kids table has now become the cool community.
Make Sense? How have you given your brand that human touch through social media? Let us get to know you.
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