10 Ways To Humanize Your Brand On Social Media

Ever called up a service on the number provided on their website to only have it answered by an automated message? You have to listen to the entire pre-recorded voice of a woman and punch in the numbers she instructs you to before you can actually connect with a real person. Frustrating, isn’t it? Most of the times, it is the same story with social media. When users tweet a complain or post a general feedback to a brand, they are greeted with a monotonous generic message that asks them to share their details. It’s not a surprise that most of the brands do the same. Although a part of social ORM, it does affect your brand’s image which makes people question whether there are actual humans behind the brand or just robots. The last thing you want is for your brand to be dehumanized on social media.

Although creativity and humor do go a long way in fostering a good relationship with your followers, there are certainly other factors that one must consider while interacting with users.

Here are 10 ways in which you could humanize your brand on social media:

1. Avoid Anonymity
Let’s face it, you’re no masked vigilante jumping off skyscrapers in a fictional Gotham City. Don’t use your brand’s logo as a mask to respond to your followers. Instead of being a Batman and responding in anonymity, you could be a Harvey Dent (before the two-face tragedy, of course) and give your followers a face to look up to in their time of peril or need. Show them that there is an actual person behind the keyboard who is listening and responding to them.

2. Talk As A Friend
While addressing your peers, you wouldn’t use your brand name in lieu of your own now, would you? Address your followers in the first person. It not only establishes a strong sense of familiarity but it also helps build a lot of trust. Using terms such as “I” or “We” convinces or rather reassures your followers that there are actual humans behind that corporate logo.

3. Avoid Corporate Jargon
Yes! Yes! Everyone knows you have an awesome vocabulary loaded with difficult words that people often throw around during a corporate meeting. Guess what? You’re not sitting in a corporate meeting. This is social media! Although it is completely normal to discuss business but what’s more important is that your followers understand what you’re trying to put across. Be as lucid and as simple as you can. Using the layman’s vocab can get you a long way whilst engaging your followers.

4. Call Them By Their Names
Isn’t it delightful to hear someone call your name, especially when you thought you were completely invisible to them? It makes you feel good, doesn’t it? Similarly, while addressing your followers on social media, be sure to address them by their name. A name is certainly the most precious thing a person can own. Respect it and use it!

5. Stay Current
While a majority of our posts on social media are scheduled for the next day or the day after, it is important to remember that current events garner a better response. There is nothing more authentic than capitalizing on an event that just happened, be it global or in your own country. Try staying as current as possible and your followers will love you for it.

6. Use Visual Content
While written words have an impact of their own, images and videos are far more effective while getting a point across. People respond to images and videos much more than they would to written content. Posts containing visual content get shared much more than written content.

7. Loosen Up!
We’re sure you don’t want your brand to be viewed as an old grumpy man sitting on a chair placed at the center of his porch with a gun in his hand and a warning sign on his front gate that reads – “Trespassers Will Be Prosecuted”… trust us, nobody wants to be that guy. Don’t be uptight or stuck up in the old-fashioned way of doing things, add a little humor to your posts, engage in a delightful manner that would encourage your followers to approach you on social media. It’s no secret that humor sells faster on social media than hot buns in a bakery on a Sunday morning.

8. Help Them
Don’t you remember all those childhood stories and fables which encouraged you to help others? It’s time to implement them now! A good deed’s never gone unheard. Do good and good will come back to you. This is not a lesson in morality but a genuine fact. Listen to your followers, give them your attention, your time and they will sincerely appreciate it. Share their posts from time to time if you find them appealing. It will let them know that you care about them. They will know that you are listening to them, watching over them, like a silent guardian, a watchful protector… A Dark Knight!

9. Take Feedbacks Seriously
You may own the business but the truth is that you only have a brand because of the people! Never forget that. The moment people start to flock away from your brand, you can kiss your company goodbye. No one is more qualified to tell you about your brand than your followers. After all, they are the ones who use your products the most. Listen to them, take feedbacks and implement them. If there is a problem, fix it.

10. Admit Your Mistakes
No human being is flawless. No matter how perfectly you have planned a campaign or even a single post, there’s always room for human error. Accept your mistakes, if you’ve made any, and apologize. Genuine apologies are often reciprocated with good spirit. People love brands who humble down, accept their flaws and work on them!