One of the biggest misconceptions in the world is that your audience is approaching their decision-making process with an analytical mind. Sure, they may have some ideas about what they want or even try to compare prices/features, but this is not all there is.
First, most of your audience is lazy. Even if they compare you to a few competitors, this will seldom be more than two or three other vendors (in most cases, just one). Second, money is not the only factor, so things often get blurry. After all, how do they compare the lack of a single feature or translate it to a difference in price?
In other words, if your buyers were just data-driven, there would be only one vendor in the market – the cheapest.
More often than not, your customers buy from the most relatable vendors, and here’s how you can make your brand fit this description.
1. Get to know your audience
You can’t make yourself feel relatable if you don’t know who you’re supposed to be relatable to. So, for starters, you need to start by profiling your audience.
There are many ways to do so; the simplest is to look for the best CRM software available. At Techopedia, you can find an extensive list and reviews of suitable platforms, so do your research and feel free to pick one.
Other than this, you can also conduct customer surveys. While you can do this via platforms like Google Forms or Survey Monkey, some brands take this further and hire third-party surveyors. This way, they can rest assured of the validity of the information and exclude any pre-existing biases from the process.
Making your brand more relatable also involves understanding how to make invitations that resonate with your audience. Focus on creating invitations that not only convey information but also evoke a sense of connection and engagement. By mastering the art of how to make invitations, you establish a relatable and personable brand image that fosters stronger connections with your target audience.
Even something as simple as social media analytics can provide valuable insights. All you need to do is study your community or even conduct a brief analysis of the customer base of some of your closest competitors.
To be extra thorough, you might even want to start one-on-one conversations with your clients. This way, you can capture nuances that often exclude the statistics. However, this doesn’t mean you can ignore focus groups entirely. Be thorough and try to cover all the bases.
2. Be locally present
People usually strongly relate to things that they know or have heard of. Showing that your store is in the part of town where they always walk their dog will evoke a sense of familiarity and make them feel like they can trust you even before you do business together. This is why you must improve your curb appeal and put it at the forefront of your online campaigns. A photo of your storefront goes a long way.
Also, don’t be afraid to invest in local SEO. People are often looking for local businesses online. In fact, according to some surveys, about 80% of all purchases happen after an online mobile search. A stronger SEO campaign gives you a better chance of appealing strongly to your target audience.
Hosting local events is a huge deal, and it helps you interact with people in person. No matter how terminally online they are, someone you meet in person will always appear more trustworthy.
Sponsor local events to remind everyone that you’re a part of their community. After all, if you improve that park, your family goes there too. If you install a new bike rack, that’s because you expect your employees to benefit from it, as well. It’s not just about giving back; it’s reminding them that you live where they live and that you share the plights of the local community.
3. Use storytelling
People feel strongly about stories, so if you employ storytelling techniques, you’ll have a stronger chance of evoking emotions.
First of all, you need to construct the protagonist of the story. This protagonist is your average buyer. Some brands make the mistake of putting their business or their team at the forefront, but it’s not about you, and the centerpiece should always go to the customer. A customer-centric narrative will stroke their ego and make them listen more closely to your words.
Your business plays the role of the agent that they can use to solve their problem.
Also, it’s ideal if the protagonist is every person. This way, the lack of clear features (but the resemblance of an audience member persona we established in the first segment) will help people get immersed in the story.
Next, you need to pick the right verbiage. You see, your audience has its own vernacular. If you’re a specialist, you can’t afford to be too colloquial, or you’ll sacrifice some of your authority. At the same time, you can’t afford to be too specific or technical either, or you’ll use them (because they can’t follow what you’re saying). So, try to figure out what kind of language your audience uses and their current knowledge level.
4. Use human faces
People are suspicious of online businesses, and for good reason. Anyone can buy a domain, make a site (with a drag-and-drop website builder), buy some followers on social media, and appear legit.
Still, by putting your business behind faces, the faces of your team members and customers will make you seem and feel more legit.
Now, it’s important to remember that AI generation is a powerful tool, but it makes people more suspicious than ever. So, why not make a few introductory videos instead of taking corporate headshots? Let them see what a day at your enterprise looks like and allow them to glimpse into the nature of your brand.
Keep in mind that in the age of chatbots and AI, people are more suspicious of whether there’s a human on the other end of the line or not. It’s not even about the resolution of the problem (they know that AI is capable of solving their problem); they just don’t want to have to take the Turing test if they don’t have to. Show them they’re working with humans from the start, and you’ll already feel more relatable.
5. Leverage UGC and social proof
There’s a reason why people love user-generated reviews. They know that you have an agenda and what this agenda is. This is why they would rather hear it from someone more relatable. They want to hear it from other users.
So, even when looking for reviews, they’re more likely to go through pages and pages of Google Reviews or go straight to the comment section. Sometimes, they’ll go to social media or subreddits to see the buzz about you.
You need to leverage this as best as you can.
First, present your UGC at the forefront. Get snippets and testimonials and brag about brands you’ve worked with. This way, you’ll seem more credible, trustworthy, and genuine.
Second, make sure to encourage reviews. Be direct about it. Many people who like your brand would leave a positive comment if you just pushed them. It doesn’t cost you a thing just to ask.
Other than this, there are so many strategies that you can employ, ranging from personalizing your review requests to sharing these reviews on social media. Give them an incentive.
Being more relatable will always make you more appealing
The last thing you want is to be seen as just another corporate cash grab. You want people to relate to your business, understand what makes you tick, and see you as a team working to their benefit. This process is difficult to achieve, but the payout is always worthwhile.