How to infuse personality into your content and brand
“Consumers today want to do business with the soul of a company.”
You can no longer get away with just having amazing photography, images and words. I know some days even that can feel a challenge for a lot of us! But if you really want to make waves and grow your business, showing your future clients a taste of your personality is key to success.
People will only build a connection with a brand when they see authenticity and a touch of human - it’s why social media works so well for those who get it right. Whilst I appreciate not everyone feels comfortable in front of the camera, myself included, I would say that it’s the number one way to connect with your audience and drive business growth. Lucas O’Keefe shared this fab video on from Head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri and it really shows exactly why sharing a part of yourself with your audience can be so beneficial.
If you’re really not up for getting in front of the camera, here are some alternatives to video that will definitely help build that vital consumer trust and buy-in for your brand.
Write as you would talk
Write copy and captions as you would talk, and how your audience do too. This is an important one. I have talked about the importance of keeping it simple before when it comes to social. Don’t use really complicated jargon, or any jargon really. You need to write as if your audience are new to you and not an expert in your business.
People simply don’t talk the way a piece of content can be written. Without an injection of personality, it’s dry, robotic and doesn’t feel relatable. Write content that is enjoyable for you to write, that way it’s more likely to be engaging to read too. If it’s appropriate, write like you speak. It will give the audience a sense of you and as a result, your audience will see themselves in your content and feel a stronger connection.
How can you accomplish this? Here are a few tips:
> Use social listening (where you observe other accounts and comments) to find out what words customers are using to describe their challenges.
> Find out what your audience is reading or podcasts they are listening to. Then read comments on popular posts to find out what customers are saying.
Jay Baer said that “if it sounds like writing, rewrite it.” Take his advice and make sure that your writing sounds more human and brings in the personality of your target audience.
> Have the facts to back up your audience’s pain points. This is very much the case with beauty brands or for example acne products where they then quote surveys they have conducted. This is just one example.
Gaining those vital connections with customers requires you to say, “we understand your pain points – and we’re here to fix them.” Customers must feel like they relate to your content. Accomplish this by combining emotional content with compelling facts.
Storytelling
The art of storytelling is simply the way to make your content more memorable and more powerful. I have recently discovered Hilary at @22storiesandme and her content really explains this well. It requires you to tell people why you do what you do and what this means to them. We even wrote a whole blog about the power of storytelling earlier this year. When you tell stories, the audience will feel a deeper and more authentic connection and ultimately, be more likely to buy in to your brand and convert into customers.
Despite what many of you may think, storytelling isn’t a new marketing trend. It has been around forever. How do you think brands such as Nike continue to be so memorable? They tell motivating stories with the motto “Just Do It” encouraging their customers to be just as courageous as the people we see in their ad campaigns.
Storytelling doesn’t have to just be about your own stories though. You can tap into your most powerful storytellers- your customers. A brand that does this really well is Airbnb with their stories from the Airbnb community. This content focuses on hosts and people who use Airbnb and by using their travel stories to create marketing campaigns, they relate to future customers who want to experience the same kind of feelings as those shown in the stories.
Behind the scenes
Build rapport with customers by providing them inside access to your brand and you. When they see day-to-day footage, e.g stories on Instagram, viewers can’t help but feel that the brand is more human and relatable. Stories are an extremely powerful way to build engagement and some real moments versus your perhaps more polished grid content. Also a reminder we don’t need or want to see perfect all the time - customers like to know you’re human!
If you’re looking to branch out, look at other content creation options, as ultimately this will also lead to social content for you to share and post.
Podcasts – the amazing thing about a podcast is that with an average length of 43 minutes, there are no other digital mediums that provide the length of attention span from new audience members. It is one of the best ways without getting in front of a camera to create a human connection, showcase the people behind the brand, and create a safe space to be a little more honest than you potentially feel comfortable doing on social. If the person you are talking to does a great job, it will feel more like having a coffee with someone, but the difference is there is an audience you didn’t know was there. Podcasts are also the perfect place to collaborate and as you know from our “Moments to Motivate” series, we love a collab here at Your AJency! Read more about how to find the perfect partner for collaboration here.
Photography – don’t forget about good old photos! Gone are the days of staged photos, now it’s all about those candid moments. You need to find a great photographer who makes you feel comfortable and who will produce something that works with your general brand aesthetic. If you’re a light and airy interior brand, make sure you’re not working a photographer who specialises in moody, darker tones. A picture can tell a thousand stories so make sure your imagery is telling the right one for you!
Overall there are lots of way that aren’t video that will help you infuse personality in your brand. This is a reminder the next time you are trying hard to get that video and just can’t do it, or simply don’t have the time to spend editing. Video remains top for now, but take these small steps and remember, as I was reminded recently on Instagram, that showing your personality is a huge advantage that we have as small businesses and that our human element allows us to compete with big brands with deep pockets!
Now you’ve read our tips, let us know what works for you when it comes to adding personality to your brand. We'd love to hear from you here or on Instagram.