Take some time right now to step back and reflect on all the brands that you love. What is it that makes you love them? Is it the product quality? Customer service? The branding? The company’s mission statement? 

While product quality and customer service are crucial in getting repeat customers, the personality of a brand is what really sets it apart from its competitors in the digital age. A next-level brand has its own personality and is much more than just a company you buy a product or service from. You also want to follow them on social media, subscribe to their newsletter, and engage with them beyond the point of purchase.

By focusing on personalizing your brand, not only will you be able to produce more sales, but you’ll also develop strong brand loyalty that will generate more longterm leads. The four tips below will start you off on the right foot by adding more character to your brand and making your customers and audience feel more connected with your brand.

1. Nail down your brand voice.

Who is your brand? If you had to put a face to your brand, who would that person be? How would they talk? Are they chill and relaxed? Fun and upbeat? Mellow and more serious? 

Nail down the tone, and make sure that this voice stays consistent on all your marketing, both online and offline. The goal is to make your brand more personable rather than a company. This is what adds true character to your brand and can give your brand a leg up on the competition who still is trying to nail down how they should sound like to be more relevant to their audience. 

You know who you are, so make sure you not only know what your brand is but who it is as well.

2. Invest in some humor/cheekiness.

Unless you’re in the business of funeral homes and mortuaries, there is always a way to add humor to your marketing strategy. Not only does it attract more customers, but it also helps build great communication that not only will help your followers and customers be more engaged with you and it can help with having your community refer you to their networks as well. 

We will say this: ditch the knock-knock jokes. Investing in humor is much more effective when it’s smart, witty, and timely. And in today’s digital age, it’s time to push aside the “professional” image that many brands are trying to stick to. As stated in an article by INC., focusing on “establishing a professional image means making it look like what’s expected, which often results in boring and forgettable websites, PowerPoint, and videos.”

The key is to always do the unexpected. Don't be so predictable.

3. Mirror your customers and be relatable.

Just as your voice relates to the voice of your consumers, so should the content that you’re creating for your brand. Mirroring your customers and creating content that they can relate to increases your content’s shareability and strengthens brand loyalty as well. Take some time to really analyze your audience: their likes, dislikes, habits, goals, struggles, etc.. Integrate those into your own brand’s content and show your audience how you come from a place of understanding and relate to them.

However, be very careful to not take away from their experiences without TRULY understanding who they are. It’s easy to sense when your grandparents are trying too hard to be cool, and even easier to sense when a brand is trying too hard to be relatable. (Point and case: please refrain from using bae, YASSS, on fleek, or any Drake lyric that can consequently cause some serious eye rolls and unfollows.)

4. Be transparent. 

If there is one thing that reeks more than grandparents trying to be cool, it’s a phony. And if there’s one thing that you need to invest in the most more than reliability, it’s trustworthiness.

In today’s digital age people can find out EVERYTHING about your brand with one Google search, so be aware of how this can affect your brand positively or negatively. Whatever it is, be real and upfront with your audience. Don’t cut through any business shortcuts, don’t be shady, and watch how you can have a leg up on the competition that chooses to keep things behind closed doors. That simple. 

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This story was originally published on March 24, 2016, and has since been updated.

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