You care.You care that this is the twelfth generation helming the family business. That the color in the logo was recently changed from lilac to magenta. Or that this is the fourth year in a row you won the local what-is-this-even-award. Let’s be frank: don’t make the fatal assumption that just because you care, audiences care too. In this blog we’ll discuss how you can select content that will resonate with your customers. As well as give you some inspiration to spark interest with communication that normally wouldn’t.
What do they find interesting?
To select the right content for your audience, you must find another perspective than your own. For example: if you’ve been working towards a rebranding for a long time, it’s understandable that you find the outcome incredibly interesting. But in all fairness: your audience won’t be blown away by the fact that your logo went from yellow to ocre. Try to think about the things that happen in a company that are noteworthy and surprising. Think like your audience thinks. Do they care about saving the world? Do they want insider information? Do you go for human interest or showcase your expertise? You don’t have to crack the formula right away. Check the interaction with certain posts, and different kinds of content to find out.
Tip 1: Marketing has a hard job to gather unique insights from the workfloor. Why? Because they can’t be everywhere at once. Create a drive, doc or spreadsheet where everyone in the company can drop useful insights so the information will never drie up.
What is the impact on them?
Why should clients care that this is a family owned business? How will they experience this? If something is important to your business, you should make sure it feels important to your audience as well. These are the things your customers actually care about:
- Price
- Quality or quantity
- Impact on the world
- Delivery
- Personal connection with the brand
Do you have news on the delivery time or the price? We’re sure your audience will want to know. If not, then you might want to keep it to yourself. Or if you really want to make an impact: change it yourself. It’s our founder’s birthday and so ten percent of our sales will go to charity. We’re rebranding and we want you to choose our new tagline. Connect news you find important to something that will spark interest with your customers to make sure it stands out.
Tip 2: Is something of vital importance to you? Make sure it has a positive and undeniable impact on your audience.
Can you make it personal?
Companies can feel cold and unapproachable. So dare to link your brand to a person. Thinking of Apple? Then Steve Jobs probably popped into your head? Most people think of Jef Bezos when they hear about Amazon. Whether it’s your CEO, your receptionist, concierge or even a fictional character, giving a (friendly) face to your company works. Link a person to your brand. Any form of communication becomes much more intimate and gives people an emotional, easily recognizable connection to your brand. So conquering that stage fright might certainly be worth the trouble.
Tip 3: A few companies choose a fictional character as the sender of all communication. Do you know Duo, the slightly unhinged owl teacher from Duolingo? His bright and surprising personality spruces up all of their communication.
Can you demystify your brand?
Companies generally keep their audiences at arm length in all their communication. They share only the big successes, never truly open up about times where things were less than ideal (except in hindsight to hype up the current upward trends even more). Don’t talk down to customers or go with the same sales pitch every time. Be honest, explain why you do something, show your vulnerability and turn it into strength. Bad press? Don’t shy away from it but show how you strive to do better in the future.
Tip 4: Don’t only share that you’ve won a prize. Also share when you’ve lost. How will you make sure you’ll get it next time? What have you learned from this? Turn your honesty into your greatest asset.
Your communication style and what you share is a part of your organization’s DNA. Part of your brand. Looking to shake things up? Look no more: Handlangers is an expert on all things (re)branding. We help you find the right strategy and we can even create personalized content that always hits the spot. Turn your brand into a powerful asset for lead generation, employer branding and thought leadership. Give us a call and we’ll help you find out exactly what communication works for you.