Nowadays, marketing is an entire world. Innovating is more and more difficult. Being you a marketeer, student or just someone reading this article, how many times have you wondered whatever was yet to come? It seems everything is already created, right? But then Uber came, Netflix appeared, and Airbnb is on fire! In the marketing area, we see the same scenario: we’re already used to informing and persuading ads, to having promoters sharing some content… what else could come?
A very cool trend has started: brands started sharing human elements on their social media platforms and making their marketing and brands more human. It is called humanised marketing! Here are my 3 top necessities on how to be successful in this strategy:
1. HAVE A HAPPY BRAND!
How many times have you left a store with a smile on your face? Or left a website positively surprised? Companies need to focus on their brands, on the idea they want to transmit and, particularly, on the feeling they want their customers to have. This is directly connected with employee’s satisfaction: the happier they are, the more productive and prouder they will be. Personally, I value it a lot: a happy employee is, usually, someone who is well-treated by the company and that, consequently, makes me feel welcomed, valued and not “just another” consumer.
And this is the easiest part: involving your employees in the process, just by caring for them (it’s easy marketing!). You’re already paying them anyways, just make it a pleasant experience for them! Put yourself in their shoes.
If you quickly check the social media accounts of some companies, you’ll easily find public employee’s recognitions, public statements of the current social situation and an overall positive and impactful vibe. For example, check Sumol+Compal, Glovo, EF, The Agency, McDonald’s, Lidl, Get the Job, Assaí Atacadista, El Corte Inglés Portugal and even Rock in Rio. Marketing is getting more human from the company’s core, from its internal aspects. Sumol’s ads are normally entirely focused on humans, and they play it well.
In terms of technical skills, you will definitely need good and inspiring leaders who can boost your employee’s motivation and guarantee that your standards are being met. On the other hand, make sure you have a well-established brand positioning and are coherent in your communication, that is, if you publicly share something now, tomorrow you can’t be against that same aspect. People will follow you for your beliefs, you cannot change it every day.
People are looking for happy brands! Work on your brand’s image and enjoy the process!
2. ENGAGE WITH YOUR CUSTOMER!
In this part, you focus on external satisfaction.
There was a time that customers needed the brands more than the opposite. Nowadays, a company which rapidly answers the consumer, nicely and elegantly in the platform(s) he/she prefers, has a huge competitive advantage over the others, and the customers know that! Care for your consumers in all phases. Common companies are very active while customers are looking for a product and, sometimes, after its acquisition, but forget to build a long-term relationship with them. Care for your customer, make sure he/she appreciated your product/service and reply to them on social media. If you post something and your clients reply, then reply too: at the end of the day, they’re your communication target, right?
Try to eliminate all communication barriers and study the best ways to get to your customers (try to be innovative!). Why asking your customer to send you an email if it’s way easier by WhatsApp for him, for example? Why being so formal? Use emojis if it makes it easier to engage with your customer.
Focus on them: hear them, reply to them, make them part of your entity! In this epidemic moment, many are also giving out free courses or webinars. Giving a hand to your customer now is definitely the best you can do! A consumer who remembers your brand is a gained (occasional) promoter. A consumer who shares your vision, values, and philosophy is a forever brand lover who will also engage with your company and happily follow your achievements.
On the technical side, here you have to work way more. Companies that engage in this marketing strategy need to have their personas and market segmentation beautifully and very accurately done, so they can reach their exact customers in the way they want to be contacted by the means they prefer. The more you know, the better you do. This said, engage in knowing your target market and fully understand it. On the other hand, make sure you know your competitors’ profile and get a competitive advantage over them: always check what they are doing and the latest trends and try to anticipate it. Predict what’s to come and surprise your customer… and them. For example, Sumol has an incredibly defined target and communicates to them brilliantly, in a very informal way in the platform they prefer – give it a look and try to guess who they’re trying to target! See how amazingly they communicate it.
3. BE AUTHENTIC!
ALWAYS! Nothing will ever work if you show others something you are not. Recall a brand you love, either for its philosophy, culture or products. Now imagine that your best friend works there and the image he/she paints of that company is incredibly negative. Undeniably, regardless of whatever the company tells you and/or posts on social media, its image is forever damaged.
This said, always engage in honesty! If you want to seem a cool brand, then be it! If you want to make others feel jealous of your employees, then make sure they feel proud of being part of it! Just show your true brand’s identity, philosophy, culture and people! That is your true business… the people who run it!
For some reason, if you don’t feel confident to show your true company, then it’s also a moment to change. And N-O-W! Marketing is not done alone, work on your business structure first: ask your employees how they feel, what they would change. Make your business better and then engage in a more innovative and, honestly, better and easier marketing strategy: just openly be yourself. Isn’t that great?
Get to action and don’t forget to stay amazing!
Innovate and impact! Be the best you can be 😉
Nuno Vilaça
Human Development
Nuno Vilaça
Human Development
