In a world that is drowning in brand messaging, it’s more important than ever to avoid becoming white noise to your audience. There are over 30 million small business in the United States and each of these businesses are competing for space, attention, and visibility. Marketing tactics and trends to help your brand obtain recognition are changing daily, but there is one strategy that will never go out of style – adding a personal touch. Let us tell you why.
The Consumer Feels Important
There’s a common mistake that marketers often succumb to: Treating the audience like numbers. Failing to acknowledge each member of the audience as an individual will often lead to losing their attention, relationship, and loyalty. To avoid getting lost in the shuffle, marketing needs to bear the power to speak to individuals on a personal level.
Take Coca-Cola for example. Coca-Cola is one of the world’s largest non-alcoholic beverage corporations and is known for its innovative marketing initiatives. Their “Share a Coke” campaign was launched in 2014, replacing its iconic logo with the most popular names in America. Why was this campaign so successful? They made consuming a Coke more than just tasty and refreshing, they made it personal. Consumers were encouraged to seek out bottles with names that held significant meaning to them, share them with the people in their lives, and then post about their experience using the hashtag #ShareaCoke. Brilliant.
It Adds “Humanness” to Your Brand
As much as the audience loves to see and hear their own name, they also want to get to know the names and faces behind your brand. Allowing your audience to see that you are, in fact, a human being builds a foundation of trust. Consumer trust is fragile and people are naturally skeptical of large corporate brands because of the robot feeling they can’t help but exude. Show your audience that your brand is authentic and genuine by sharing personally written content, complete with photos and stories about your team on your website and social media platforms. This will help you create a brand that is more human and more memorable.
It Creates Memories That Foster Relationships
Regardless of your audience, adding your personality will help you stand out. This makes you naturally more emotional and relatable, and therefore more memorable. Crafting a personal, memorable experience for your audience leaves a lasting impression and takes your relationship down the path to customer loyalty. Successful businesses are grounded in relationships. Ensure your relationship with your audience is a strong one by giving them an experience that they won’t forget.
At the end of the day, your business can provide the most convenient, hassle-free, or time efficient experience to your audience, but if it’s not personal it’s not built to last. The strategy is simple: write like a real person, communicate with your audience as people rather than numbers, and allow them to get to know you. The more genuine you can be, the better.