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A Human Brand: 5 Ways to Humanize Your Brand

How human is your brand?

If you didn’t know, your business can speak, touch, and have values just like a human being. And how authentically it does these things matters to consumers. In one survey, close to 80 percent of respondents said they are more willing to buy from a brand they feel connected to.

It’s the human characteristics of your brand that make it possible for consumers to build this connection.

If you’re new to business or branding, you might be wondering how to build a human brand. It’s not a walk in the park, but with our guide, you can pull it off.

Here’s how to humanize your brand.

Have a Strong, Relatable Mission

The journey to humanizing your brand kicks off when you’re on the drawing board, making plans on how to start it.

Your mission, which will be summed up in your mission statement, is one of the most powerful tools you can use to give your brand a human touch. You want to get the mission right from day one so that you don’t become one of those businesses that change their missions after launch.

The mission of your business is certainly intertwined with your personal story – which is a good thing – but if it’s not strong and relatable, your efforts to build a human brand will start on the wrong footing.

You want a mission that strikes the heart of your target consumers. For example, if your business is primarily targeting boomers, you want to have a mission that boomers can relate with. A mission that’s centered around the life of veterans, for instance, will resonate with them.

Having a mission in your heart is one thing, putting it down on paper is another thing. If writing isn’t one of your strong suits, hire someone to craft your mission statement.

Tell Your Story

If you’re familiar with the television show Shark Tank, where budding entrepreneurs pitch their ideas to investors, you know that every business has a story. The investors particularly want to know the story behind the enterprise or product being pitched. Stories connect us as humans.

Similarly, telling the story of your business is a powerful way to connect with your audience. What motivated you to start it? What have you gone through since you took the first step to start the business?

How you tell your story matters. Words (blog posts) are effective, but pictures and videos do a better job. After all, a picture is worth a thousand words.

And a video? Videos are now the most preferred content format, seeing that consumers spend over 100 minutes every day watching online videos.

There are different video styles you can use, including corporate documentaries and company profile videos. Check out https://www.1minutemedia.com.au/ for a comprehensive list of video styles.

Your Business Is the People  

Your business is not its premises. Neither is it the products and services it offers.

Yes, these are important in the larger scheme of things, but your business is the people that work there. Your personnel will play a big role in giving your business a human face.

Every employee has a role to play, but some have a big responsibility than others. For instance, if your business has a CEO, they’re the face of the company. Their words and actions, even when they’re not at work, will be closely associated with the company.

Personnel in customer-facing roles, such as your receptionists and sales reps, also have an important role. Ensure they’re properly trained about brand humanization so that they have the skills to represent your brand correctly.

Humans take care of each other. Does your business go out of its way to take care of its people? From competitive salaries to a healthy workplace environment, there are several things you can do to give your personnel the best care. Gradually, consumers will notice and their love for your brand will only get stronger.

Be Reachable

Ever tried contacting someone but you couldn’t reach them? Maybe they weren’t picking your calls. Emails and texts went unanswered.

Frustrating, right?

As a business, that’s what you’re putting your customers through if you aren’t reachable easily. Being reachable opens a reliable line of communication. Your customers want to know that they can talk to you at any time. This builds confidence and trust. It also humanizes your brand.

Be Social on Social Media

There are businesses that are on social media just for the sake of it. Save for the occasional post, you’d be hard-pressed to tell whether those businesses are still in existence.

Humans are social beings. If you’re not making the most of social media, you’re not helping your brand.

And being active doesn’t necessarily mean posting ever-serious stuff. Loosen up and be funny. Memes are the jam right now, so your business should be throwing memes here and there. And be sure to engage your audience. Respond to their comments, follow them back, and even drop an occasional comment on their posts!

A Human Brand Is Primed for Success

Any kind of business, be it a small retail store or an industrial giant, can be transformed into a human brand. You first need to embrace the value of humanizing a brand and then know how to do it. We’ve shared a couple of effective strategies with you, but there are many more.

Keep tabs on our blog and you’ll stay informed on branding and marketing.