The Power of Human-centered Branding

Let’s be honest: did you click on this blog post because of the dog? We bet you did.

That’s the power of appealing to someone’s humanity. People like dogs. (Dogs also like people.) Using authentic strategies to connect with someone’s humanity will help you develop a human-centered brand.

Consumers today are very conscious of their buying choices. They know their money is going into someone’s pocket, and they want it to go to a person they choose to support. They want to feel like they’re helping a small business grow, not throwing money into the void of a faceless corporation.

The only way to create that deep, intrinsically human level of support is by humanizing your brand. What does that mean, and how does it work?

The Humanity of a Brand

When customers buy from a brand, they want to feel like they’re buying from someone who understands them. The more of a connection they feel with your brand, the more likely they are to be a long-term loyal customer.

Of course, people don’t typically establish connections with impersonal entities. If you want them to connect with your brand, your brand needs to be more human and relatable.

Humanizing your brand allows you to build that trust and understanding with your customers. It shows them that there are truly people behind your brand; it isn’t a money-grubbing corporation run by machines.

Is Your Brand Human Enough?

How do you know if your brand has the human qualities that will be relatable to your customers? Start by asking yourself these questions.

Do People Engage with Your Brand?

If you use social media to market your business, take a look at your engagement. Rather than likes and shares, look at how often people comment on your posts and reach out to you.

The more “human” your brand is, the more likely people are to engage in a conversation. If your engagement level is low, it could mean that your brand doesn’t seem relatable enough to spark a conversation.

Does Your Writing Sound Conversation?

Review the writing on your website, social media posts, ads, emails, and other materials. Can you picture a real person saying these words to their friends? Or does the writing sound more like a textbook?

According to a recent study, 36% of your brand’s humanity comes from the language you use. When you use conversational language to represent your brand, you approach people in a more humanized, interpersonal way.

Does Your Brand Evoke Emotions?

When two people interact, emotions arise. They could be emotions of warmth, friendliness, intensity, joy, seriousness, you name it.

Take a look at the writing that represents your brand and your visual branding. Does it bring a certain emotion or feeling to mind? Or does it seem more clinical and distant?

It’s helpful to ask others to look at your branding and answer the same question. As the owner or operator, chances are that you have your own emotions tied to the business. You really want to know what others see and what their first impressions are.

Can You Picture Your Brand’s Reactions?

One way to tell if your brand is human enough is to put it in human situations and see if you can picture its reactions. If your brand has a human-like personality, it will be easy to picture the brand’s reaction.

For example, if your brand were a person, how would it react if someone walked up and insulted it? Would your brand clap back with a witty response? Would it be hurt? Would it turn the insult into a joke?

How to Make Your Brand More Human

Making your brand more human is a powerful way to develop a stronger bond with your customers and build loyalty. Where do you start, though? Try these tips.

Create a Fictional Brand Representative

It may sound corny, but if you want your brand to be more human, turn it into a human.

Picture who your brand would be if it were a person. What would they look like? How would they dress? What would their name be? What would your brand’s interests be? How would they spend their days? What type of language and slang would they use?

You won’t necessarily use this fictional person to represent your business. This concept helps provide you a more tangible identity to tie to your brand. This way, with any future messaging and content, you can ask yourself if this seems like something that person would do or say.

Your customers are real people with lives and emotions. In your marketing and branding, why not appeal to those experiences your customers understand?

Getting Brand Humanity Help from a Professional

Making your brand feel more like a genuine, engaging, flesh-and-blood person is not easy. Luckily, you don’t have to figure it out on your own.

Our branding strategists can create a comprehensive branding plan to turn your company into a relatable, humanized brand that your customers can truly trust. Contact us to learn more.