Everybody Needs That Human Touch: How to Humanize Your Brand
Humanizing your brand is one of the best ways to grow your business. Read on to learn how to humanize your brand.
Brand trust is more important than ever.
In fact, a recent survey by PWC found that over one-third of consumers rank "trust in a brand" as one of their top three reasons to purchase from a particular business.
And, 15 percent of those surveyed said trust is the number one reason they choose to shop with a brand- making trust even more important than price.
But, even with these telling statistics out there, many companies still have no clue what to do when it comes to making their brand more trustworthy.
If you're one of those companies who is totally lost when it comes to building trust, you've come to the right place.
While there are a lot of ways you can make your brand more trustworthy, one of the best things to do is to humanize your brand.
But, just exactly how do you humanize your brand?
Read this guide to learn how it's done.
Why Do You Need to Humanize Your Brand?
Ok, before we talk about the "how," let's first talk about the "why." As in, why exactly is it important to humanize your brand?
Well, the answer is pretty simple. Even in the crazy digital age that we're living in, people still respond best to other people. Just think about the last time you called a customer service line, and you had to wait on hold forever, only to communicate with a robot to solve your problem. It probably left you feeling pretty frustrated, didn't it?
Well, your customers feel the same way when it comes to interacting with your brand and other brands. They get very frustrated when everything feels impersonal and robotic.
People want to see who is behind the curtain at your company. This way, they feel better about giving you their hard earned money.
How to Humanize Your Brand
Now that you know the "why," let's dive into the "how." Here are some practical ways you can humanize your brand.
1. Pretend Your Brand is a Fictional Character
When trying to humanize your brand, it can sometimes be challenging to figure out where to start.
One of the best places to start the process is to pretend your brand is a fictional character. Invent a fictional character for your brand - one that has a personality and a human voice.
Ask yourself: What does this fictional character like? How do they dress? What's their name? What personality characteristics do they possess?
Asking yourself these questions will help you piece together a full personality that can be your brand's avatar. From there, it's easy to build branding and marketing materials and social media posts that channel this specific personality.
Think of the company Geico, for example. Geico is one of the most successful car insurance businesses out there, and a lot of their success has to do with that little gecko they created to represent their brand.
2. Show Your Staff Off
People tend to have a lot of distrust of the big guys at the top. And, a lot of that has to do with the high levels of corporate greed that exists in our society.
But, not every brand is run by greedy people, and it's time you let your consumers know that your company is made up of people who really care about creating a product that helps you.
The best way to do this is to put your staff in the spotlight. One of the best ways to do this is to create an 'About Us' page on your website that features photos and short bios of your employees.
And, these bios shouldn't just be focused on work talk- make sure they include information about who each employee is outside of work. Write about what their passions are and how they like to spend their free time.
Another way to show off the fun and relaxed side of your employees is to post videos and photos of fun office events.
3. More Funny Business
Humor is one of the best ways to humanize your brand. When we laugh together, we form bonds and tear down walls.
By making your customers laugh, you show them you are not corporate drones who take themselves super seriously all the time. Humor shows your customers that you enjoy a good laugh and that you're not afraid to set aside professionalism for a moment in order to engage in a human experience.
The type of humor and the appropriateness of it will definitely depend on your brand. In general, though, humor that is self-deprecating or tongue-n-cheek connects well with nearly everyone.
Wendy's is an excellent example of a company that uses humor to connect with their customers. Wendy's occasionally uses playful sarcasm to talk to their customers on Twitter, and people have loved it.
4. Show Your Gratitude
You wouldn't be where you're at today if it weren't for your customers, so make sure they know you appreciate their loyalty to your company.
One of the best ways to do this is with free giveaways and discounts. Ben and Jerry's is an excellent example of a company that shows their appreciation for their customers by offering a free cone day every year on their anniversary.
If you can't afford to give away free product to all of your customers, consider running a contest that has prizes for the winners who enter.
Are You Ready to Bring a Human Touch to Your Brand?
As you can see, there are a lot of different ways you can humanize your brand. And, most of these ways are pretty simple and fun. Pretty soon, people will stop seeing your business is a corporation and start seeing it as a reliable brand they love to buy from.
Which of these ways are you most excited to try?
Let us know in the comments below. And, be sure to read about this regram feature that Instagram is currently testing.
