Happy 2021! 2020 was...interesting to say the least.  Of all things that happened, I feel like the underlying energy leading into the new year is growth, awareness and some form of togetherness.  When you can’t see the ones you love, it makes you appreciate the times that you had even more.  All the technology in the world can’t make up for the human touch from a hug or even a high-five.  Human interaction is such a basic concept, but so important possibly now more than ever.

I often speak of automation and how it can be a positive thing in your life as a blogger/business owner.  While this is true, I feel that going into 2021 and beyond, humanizing your brand is crucial.  Of course use automation still, but lets talk about the things that we should start putting more focus on in the new year.  Here’s how to humanize your brand in 2021, because we all need to do it!

1. More collaboration

Collaboration over competition still rings true.  Don’t focus on other brands being your competition.  Think of a way that you can collaborate and win together!  There is room out here for everyone to thrive mostly because we’re all unique and our unique qualities is what attracts our audiences to us.  Don’t get down on yourself for not being where someone else is (or “appears” to be); instead, reach out and work with them!

2. Show up on video

We all know that video content is consumed and received much more and better than still photos, so why are we so afraid to get on camera?  It’s likely because we’re self-conscious, talk down to ourselves, and/or don’t want to look dumb in front of an audience.  We have got to get past this negative self talk.  Like, throw it out the window and keep it moving.  It’s getting in the way of our progress and success.  I find myself more interested in the raw, real, behind the scenes content than the well planned, curated content.  I mean, who doesn’t love a beautiful aesthetic, but these are the things that cause people to be self-conscious because they feel they don’t have it all together like the next.  We also know social media is a huge facade, so why are we even giving it that much influence over our progress?  When the negative self talk pops up, just know that you're not alone, and people that post video content also have the same thoughts in their head.  The difference is they don’t let it stop them.  You should do the same.

3. Make a conscious effort to easily interact with your audience

The best way to be human is to interact with people.  You should want to get to know your audience and have interesting, funny, thought-provoking, etc. conversations with them.  It’s a great way to get to know them and for them to get to know you.  Instagram makes this easy and fun with the question stickers, polls, etc.  Use these tools to open the dialogue with your audience.  Also, ask a question in your feed posts to get the conversation going there, too.

4. Open up

Humanizing can be uncomfortable because it involves opening up and stepping outside of your comfort zone.  Telling personal stories gives your audience more insight into why you do what you do, believe what you believe, and who you are.  They will feel more of a connection with you especially if they can relate to you.  People like to feel and know that they aren’t alone when it comes to feelings and thoughts about things.  You opening up could be just the thing someone needed to hear to help them to continue on.  You never know who you could touch just from showing up.

Another way to open up is to share your family every now and then with their permission.  Seeing a family dynamic and the different family obligations you have is a way to show you wearing your mom, wife, etc. hat.  It’s nice to see the family behind a brand as well.

5. Go for it (aka don’t be scuurred)

Stop the self-doubt.  Screw your follower COUNT and focus on engaging with them regardless how many you have (1 is just as important as 10,000).  Start pitching brands because you know the value you will provide, not because of the number of people following you.  Stop talking yourself out of opportunities that are there for you.  I don’t have a “large” following, but I have secured speaking engagements and brand partnerships.  My follower count didn’t do that...my value, individuality and guts did that.

6. Post more pictures of yourself

I always say people don’t just want to know the brand, they want to know the person behind it, too.  That not only means engaging, but also sharing photos of yourself.  Post more pictures of yourself on your feed!  It’s a fact that photos of people get more engagement and likes than photos of things (this is based on my own research from my feed stats and friend’s stats- all pointed to higher engagement on self portraits).  People like to know that there is actually a person behind a brand name.  They like to see you in your natural surroundings.  They like to get to know you and it’s easier to do this when there are pictures of you on your feed.  As I mentioned earlier, forget the negative self talk.  We’re our own worst critic, so push that negative voice to the side and post those beautiful pictures of yourself!

7. Share and shout out other’s content

We’re all in this together.  If you see a post from someone that really resonated with you or you loved the message, share it!  It’s a great way to encourage community and gives that person a boost…and it literally costs you nothing to do.  It’s also a way to get their name out there and open them up to new followers.  All of these things are appreciated, and again, they’re all free.

8. One-on-One

Personally email one email subscriber and/or follower each month and ask how you can help them.  The personal touch is so important.  We all know when we receive an email newsletter, they are sending a mass email with merge tags that place your name in it to make it appear as if it were written specifically for you.  But guess what...when we get an email that isn’t personally acknowledging us, we look at it like “huh??”.  We still feel like those emails are personally for us specifically from them.  Well why not kick it up a notch and actually do it?  If you have an email list, pick one of your highest engaging subscribers and send them a personal email asking them how you can help them.  They will appreciate it.  If you don’t have an email list, you can send a DM to a follower asking the same thing. Bonus points for sending them a video or voice note to make it even more personal!

9. Talk about things that matter to you

If you feel a certain way about something going on in the world and you want to speak on it, go ahead and do it.  You might lose a follower or two, but you shared your opinion and views and being true to yourself is worth way more than keeping a few followers.  There’s nothing wrong with having a difference of opinion, and it’s a great way to spark a conversation.  The thing that matters to you may not even be a controversial topic.  It may be something small, but if you feel strongly enough about it and want others to know as well, share it.

10. Post and discuss your routines

I enjoy viewing daily routine content.  Seeing the person (people) behind a brand go through their daily routine helps you get to know them even more.  I love watching “GRWM (Get Ready With Me)” posts, and coffee making posts.  It gives you a glimpse into the minor details of the face cream that someone uses to the coffee mugs they drink from.  Getting a glimpse into everyday life and readers knowing that you are human and get dressed just like they do everyday is just plain relatable, and relatable content is King.

What are some ways that you would like to humanize your brand this year?