Companies have an uphill battle in the twenty-first century to make themselves stand out from the crowd. Most consumers today don’t just want a brand that sells them a product. They engage with businesses far more closely than any of their predecessors. Because of this intimate exchange, most consumers prefer to deal with authentic, human-centric brands. Unfortunately, developing human-centered content and marketing remains a challenge for most brands. Connecting through social channels has made it easier to get on the same page as your audience. On the flip side, it offers many more places for consumers to criticize your branding and messaging. Keeping your brand focused and its message consistent across all social media channels can be even more challenging. However, there are distinct benefits to building a human-centered brand. The hardest part is making a genuine connection with consumers.
Why Connecting Is So Difficult
Consumers in this day and age have a lot of nuances regarding their attention. They understand that they’re essential for businesses to make a profit. That’s why they hold companies to a higher standard of interaction. However, there are a few significant challenges when it comes to developing human-centered marketing.
Authentic Content Takes Time to Create
Nothing that can be considered authentic content can be cranked out like it’s an assembly line. The modern consumer can spot inauthentic messaging from a mile away now, and they despise it. Trying to force content will lead to your customer base becoming wary of your advances and avoiding your brand as a result. Consumers today want an authentic experience when they interact with a brand’s content. Inauthentic content can irreparably damage a brand’s reputation and taint the business for years to come.
Short Attention Spans
Marketing Dive mentions that only 4% of all ads get more than a two-second view. Short attention spans mean that creating content for consumers is much more difficult. Visual content becomes the most striking way for brands to make that connection with consumers. However, investing in this sort of visual brand marketing also takes time. Skilled practitioners like DesignBro can help a brand develop their visual marketing, but it still depends on the consumer wanting to look at their ads.
An Increased Focus on Visual Branding
More consumers see visual branding as necessary. In fact, Ad Week mentions that as many as 81% of consumers do research online before engaging with a brand. This statistic suggests more users experience a brand for the first time online. First impressions are critical in marketing. The visual branding for a company must be on-point if they want to attract their target audience. Video and photos have become a vital part of connecting with an audience.
Crafting a Human-Centered Brand
The most crucial part of building a human-centered brand is authenticity. Consumers look for a genuine connection with brands, even though they don’t come out and say so. Between photos and videos, visual branding is becoming the best way to connect with an audience. Companies can leverage this visual branding to engage with their consumers on a deeper level. This engagement helps to build trust and raise the authenticity of the brand. So how does a company approach visual branding?
- Develop Engaging Visual Content: Whether it’s video or photos, companies can leverage users’ interest by creating images that help sell their brand promise and mood.
- Keep Focus on the Customer: The consumer prefers having a unique and genuine experience, and the design process must take that into account at every step.
- Close the Loop: Use engaging content to help the user feel like it’s a truly authentic experience.
These tactics can help a brand develop appealing experiences that will draw consumers in. They also help to reduce costs since visual brand marketing tends to cost less if done right. Consumers don’t want massive, sweeping ad campaigns anymore. All they want is a company they can genuinely interact with.
DepositPhotos – human-centered
