We are all humans, right? At the most basic level, humans are social animals that thrive when we feel connected to a community and to other humans.
(I actually did Google this for confirmation and that was quite a rabbit hole, but that’s for another time)
As entrepreneurs, we can get so focused on driving growth, watching the data, following the numbers that we literally forget that we are speaking to other HUMANS.
This very important fact means that we should be taking a step back, looking at our overall marketing strategy and asking a question:
“Is this content and strategy speaking to some created avatar or to a human being with desires, struggles, feelings and dreams?”
In our post-pandemic world, real, sincere human connection has become not just preferred but pretty much required.
So how can you make your marketing more human? Here are three ways…
1. Talk to your audience like they’re human people, not data points
The point of marketing is to present your products, services, brand and message to an audience of PEOPLE who would benefit from said assets.
It’s like this…
Audience: “Hi, I’m a person who really loves brownies and I want some brownies but there are so many brownies to choose from, I’m not really sure which brownies I want.”
Marketer: “Oh cool! Here are my brownies and here are all the ways that my brownies can solve the problem of you wanting brownies.
I’m also going to help you understand why my brownies are the best brownies for you by writing things, saying things and sending you things that help you make the decision!”
Audience: “Awesome, you are marketing your brownies to me!”
See? You’re talking to a person with a desire and a problem and they need a solution. They’re not a cell on a spreadsheet or a data point on a graph.
Keep this in mind every time you create a piece of content – human to human is your best bet.
2. Create content that tells a story
Way back before texts, emails and Facetimes, humans passed information to each other through story.
Parables were designed to teach kids valuable lessons, sermons were made on street corners to share someone’s perspective, journalists wrote about events, people and issues in a story-like way.
Why?
Because humans are able to deeply identify and relate to information shared as a story.
Our prehistoric ancestors told stories as a way to pass on culture, warn others of danger and build community – we are hardwired to respond to storytelling.
Whenever you create content, whether it’s a blog post, an infographic, or even just a social media post, make sure there’s a story behind it.
How can you set up a story?
There is a problem, a process and solution to that problem, along with the human experience of it all.
Share your own experiences, let your own voice and personality come through. Your audience will appreciate and connect with your authenticity and will naturally want to engage with your brand as a result.
3. Humans have emotion, so show yours
You’re most likely an entrepreneur or solo-preneur. You’re marketing yourself and your brand/product/service to, what you hope, is an audience of potential clients.
(Remember, our theme here is “HUMANS”)
And that audience of potential clients are living each day with emotions, so your marketing should also utilize emotion – namely, yours.
A lot of businesses make the mistake of presenting themselves as these faceless, bland entities that are simply focused on making money. But the reality is that people want to do business with other people, not faceless entities.
Don’t be afraid to show some emotion in your marketing!
Get excited! Show empathy! Be frustrated! Share your joy!
Let your audience know YOU, who you are and how you feel. That is the perfect formula for real connection and human to human marketing.
Here’s the thing, at the end of the day, marketing is literally just about connection.
By making your marketing more human and focusing on the human at the other side of the interaction, you’ll not only be building more business, but you’ll start cultivating a brand culture of pure, sincere connection.
And that is ALWAYS going the way to go!
Need a bit of human-to-human support to create this kind of transformational marketing?
Let’s chat! Hit me up here – Katie Kastner’s Email – and let’s get started!
And check out Katiekastner.com to learn more!
