There’s more to a person than what they do. Sometimes a person’s career is a large part of who they are, but I’ve found that it takes some digging to find other pieces that reveal the whole of a person. Often times it’s these “additional pieces” of a person that you ultimately end up connecting the most with. This exact concept can be applied to brands, and it’s critical to expose those little pieces of “who” your brand is if you want people to create lasting emotional connections with your company. Here’s how:
Know the heart of your brand
Every brand has a heart, but many of them are not beating. If you don’t know the heart of your brand, there are two key places you can find it. First, go to your “about” page on your website and read your brand story. Pay attention to any human elements and highlight them. Chances are, the heart of your brand can be found in your story. Second, consult with your Community Manager and request information that could help you determine what topics your audience connects with or feels strongly about. Use this information as a guide when creating your content.
Don’t limit your brand to the product you sell
You must expand your thinking. Your brand should be bigger the product it sells, and your product should be bigger than the problem it solves. If you’re not thinking this way, then it is the reason you’ve remained small, or stagnant. The key to establishing an emotional connection with your audience is to expand your brand beyond the product you sell (what you do) and position your brand to STAND for something (who you are). Who do you want your brand to be? What should your brand stand for?
It’s not all about you
Many brands, even in their attempts to create emotional connections, are failing because their connection strategy is self centered. Emotional connections will only flourish when a brand is willing to start from the outside in, not the inside out. As a brand on social media, it is crucial to understand that it’s not always about you. It is first and foremost about the audience you’re trying to connect with. Knowing what your audience values from an emotional perspective, will help you to shape an emotional content strategy that is authentic to the audience you’re targeting.
Remember, connecting emotionally with your audience is no different than connecting emotionally with other human beings. But in order to create an emotional connection, you need to be willing to see your brand for WHO it is. Once you do some digging and discover the additional pieces that make up the whole of your brand, suddenly you’ll find the beating heart that your audience was always meant to connect with.
