Brands are so much more than faceless entities. They are the people behind-the-scenes, those eager to engage and relate to you and your audiences. In a world where it can be difficult to tell whether you’re talking to a human or a bot, modern day communicators must remember one important thing: be human. 

Many of us spend our days in front of various screens (I’m guilty of using multiple screens at once), and as this remains the norm, humanizing communications becomes more and more difficult. However, we still yearn for personal connections, now more than ever in the aftermath of COVID-19. So, what can your brand do to show your human side?

Showcase People

Putting your staff front-and-center and sharing behind-the-scenes content helps you connect with your audiences and introduce them to the humans behind the brand, breathing life into the content.

Customers, audiences and potential clients are more likely to want to engage with you if they can see who they are engaging with. Don’t keep your employees under wraps – include them and work together to facilitate interactions between staff and other stakeholders. On that note, don’t use stock images of your staff. Get real photos and encourage them to get involved and become brand advocates.

Keep it Conversational

Audiences want to feel like you are talking with them, not at them. Avoid standard marketing language and create conversation, engaging your audiences instead of creating a one-way road. Your digital platforms aren’t a billboard – they’re meant for interaction! Conversational content helps add a sense of trust and connection and gives them another way to engage with you and speak directly to you when sharing compliments, comments or complaints.

Resharing and replying to content about your brand helps create a flow of conversation and makes the consumer feel heard. A little goes a long way; by sharing and interacting with them you show your followers that you are listening and eager to talk with them.

Show-and-Tell

A kidney donor and recipient. First-hand stories of the homeless and their journey. A giraffe rescue from a flooding island. These stories of humanity and the world resonate with your audiences and allow them insight into who you are as a brand. People value human connections and can relate to first-hand accounts far more than standard brand messaging.

Humans are wired for storytelling. Since the beginning, stories have shaped our way of thinking and given us a path to experience things for ourselves in a unique way. Sharing your brand and audiences’ stories and getting personal creates a sense of connection that can help your stakeholders strongly resonate with your messaging.