Digital marketing has seen a radical shift in approach and sentiment in the last decade. And now more than ever, audiences are craving authentic social media content.
Let’s look at how marketing has evolved in recent years, and why human-first is the future.
Product-Centric Marketing
Since the first ad was placed in a newspaper, marketing has been focused on selling a product or service. The goal was to make money, and marketing was the main route to do so.
This approach didn’t look at people as people, but rather as numbers on a spreadsheet, and pounds in a bank account.
- The average person is likely to see 362 ads per day; but only be able to recall 12 of them.
Influencers Started the Revolution
During the pandemic, we saw the rapid rise of influencer content as brands were essentially forced to adopt a more lo-fi approach to their marketing.
And do you what else we saw? We saw, across the board, that audiences and social media users much prefer this toned-down, rawer, more authentic type of marketing.
It’s real. People want to see others that they relate to, and this authentic type of marketing is the perfect way to provide exactly this.
- 81% of consumers need to trust a brand to consider buying
- 77% of consumers prefer shopping with brands they follow on social media
Human-First Marketing
What does this mean for the future of marketing? Well, the first thing is brands need to be harnessing a more authentic approach in their content. And the second is that teams need to step out of the shadows and onto social media.
Employee advocacy – meaning getting your team to post more on social media about your brand – is a cornerstone of human-first marketing. So, working with your team to help them do this is vital.
But what else is needed?
Showcase Your Team and Leadership
Elevate your team with personal branding that resonates. Highlighting the faces and stories behind your team not only humanises your brand but also positions them as thought leaders and industry influencers.
- 65% of consumers say a brand’s CEO and employees influence their decision to buy
- 70% of consumers report feeling more connected when a brand’s CEO is active on social
- Content shared by employees receives on average 8 times more engagement than content shared by brand channels
Put Authenticity First
Step out from behind the brand and connect, human to human. This means inviting your team to speak about your brand on social media. This means asking them to celebrate wins, post about their experiences, and reshare brand content with a personalised twist.
- 88% of Millennials say they value authenticity in the influencers they follow
- 72% of consumers report feeling more connected when a brand’s employees share information about the brand online.
- 84% of consumers believe that a company’s reputation is influenced by the personal brands of its employees
Key Takeaways
- Social media users value authenticity, so be transparent in your content
- Stop trying to sell all the time – focus on building connections
- Use storytelling to appeal to emotions and encourage participation
- Bring your team into the mix and invite them to get involved
The Human-First Marketing Infographic
Check out and save the full human-first marketing infographic below!
