5 Valuable Techniques to Increase Business Likeability
Not all companies are involved in anything but fair and honest business, but it's hard to trust something without a face. To appear trustworthy and be likeable, you need to show there are real, genuine people behind your brand, people who care about more than just money. By making a few simple changes, you can humanize your brand and become a likable business with a personality that customers can connect with.
1. Find a Voice
Having a distinct voice or message is part of being human. While your business isn't human, that doesn't mean it can't have a personality. By giving your brand a voice that matches either your own outlook and ethos, or that of your customers, you can engage with consumers in a more human way.It needs to match the type of business you are, the type of people who are behind the business.It's also important to be genuine as people can spot a fake a mile away.
2. Utilize Social Media
Social media is one of the most powerful marketing tools of the digital age, and the ultimate way to humanize your brand. Social media allows you to communicate in a way that you simply couldn't through any other method, as it opens up channels for your business to engage with its customers on a very human level.
3. Get Involved With Your Community
Community involvement depends on the type of business you are and to what community you are actually a part of. Getting involved in local events, such as festivals, meetings, charity events, etc., or through charitable contributions, funding, or volunteer work, can provide you with the perfect opportunity to illustrate your connection to the local community. Sponsoring or funding events also opens up the door to reach new customers, either through face-to-face encounters or the marketing benefit that comes with having your brand attached to a public gathering.
4. Keep Your Promises
Promises come in all shapes and sizes: no hidden fees, easy refunds, project completion dates, etc. Whatever promises you make to customers, it's imperative that you keep them. Failing to do so will result in a negative reputation, which could potentially spread. Just like a person, the more bad qualities your business is given, the harder it becomes to find it likeable and trustworthy. If you are unsure about your ability to keep a promise, don't make it in the first place.
5. Treat Staff Well
People talk. Just like bad reviews can ruin a movie's box office success, so too can they ruin your business's customer base. However, bad reviews don't always come from consumer encounters. The simple answer is treat your staff with kindness, respect, and dignity. Good stories may not spread like bad ones, but it leaves your reputation and likeability untarnished, and nobody wants to be doing business with a company that doesn't take care of the little guy.
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