How to Humanize Your Brand
What’s one thing all consumers have in common? Consumers want to interact with people, not companies.
We all have an innate desire for human connection, even when it comes to our shopping experiences. For illustrators, most of the content we put out on social media primarily showcases our art. For some of us, our feeds may be digital pieces of content only and for others, an occasional glimpse of our face or workspace may be sprinkled throughout the feed, but it’s not quite enough for somebody to start recognizing our face.
A lot of us have gotten so used to only posting our art that a deviation from the norm by sharing a couple of snapshots of us in our workspace feels intimidating. The problem with not showing our face on our Instagram is that nobody knows who the man or woman is behind the brand. If people can’t see you, they don’t feel like they know you. Some of the most successful influencers on Instagram are the ones that make you feel like you KNOW them, even if you’ve never met them. Do your followers know you?
Whether you’re just beginning your illustration career or you’re five years in, it’s never too early or too late to start humanizing your brand. Of course, it’s possible to grow a brand without ever showing your face, but there are some easy steps you can take today to start enhancing your page and your brand, just by allowing your followers to see you.
Instagram Stories
Ditch the idea that Instagram stories can only be about your latest projects or newest piece of art. Instagram stories give your followers a more personal view into your life. Show them what your morning looks like, tell them about something good that happened to you today. Do something to interact!
IGTV
Posting videos on Instagram with IGTV is a great way to have a lengthier conversation with your following, if you’re comfortable in front of a camera. Pick a topic or even ask your followers what they’d like to talk about, sit down, press record, and share your first video! Sharing a longer video gives your followers more time to see you and get a feel for your personality. The more vulnerable you can be with your audience on camera, the more approachable you’ll be to your following. Don’t be too worried about looking/acting perfect on camera!
Do a Photoshoot
Influencers and fashion bloggers aren’t the only ones that need photoshoots! You don’t need a fancy camera, use what you have and do a shoot with you, your products, your workspace, etc. You can create content around it while also showing people what you look like! Give your followers a chance to start recognizing your face. If you do want to invest in a nice camera without completely breaking the bank, I purchased a Canon Powershot G7 X Mark II. It gets the job done and I use it for product photos on my website as well! It’s also perfect for shooting videos of any kind.
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Share BTS Content with Reels
If you haven’t started getting into using Instagram reels yet, now is the time!! Reels are a great way to create quick, engaging content that can show a lot of “behind the feed” action. Reels usually gain traction pretty quickly and can do a lot to bring new followers to your page in a short period of time. The second reel I ever did on my Instagram was a tutorial on drawing faces and it now has 150K views and counting—and I don’t even have 50k followers yet! Use reels to show your process of creating new pieces of art, take them behind-the-scenes to your workspace, or show yourself packaging an order. The possibilities are endless and you can get super creative with these videos!
Get Personal!
As previously mentioned, Instagram stories are a great way to get some more face time with your audience. But what you should you talk about? It can be hard enough to get yourself to show your face on stories, but once you have—NOW WHAT?! A misconception that some people have about Instagram stories is that you can only post content relating to your brand. We should be viewing Instagram stories as a tool to promote our brand, but to also get personal and talk about other things, even things that don’t relate to our business at all!
Get personal with your followers about something happening in your life right now. Are you going through any life events? Are you graduating college, starting a new job, moving into a new apartment, engaged, getting married, pregnant, or becoming a first time home owner? Share these things with your audience! Invite them to come along on a personal journey with you. You don’t have to share every detail with them, but a little goes a long way. Give it a shot and see what kind of response you get!
Start a Blog!
If you’re not quite ready to let it all hang out on stories or your feed, there are still other ways to get personal. Start a blog and get writing! If it’s easier to type out your thoughts than it is for you to speak them on camera, then consider beginning a blog. You can choose to write about a variety of topics. It can be a combination of business related content and maybe some personal lessons you’ve been learning along the way, or virtually anything that’s been on your mind lately. Starting a blog is a great way to diversify your content. If you’re a natural writer, this might be a great option for you!
No matter how intimidating it may feel to start showing your face and sharing your story on Instagram, take the leap and give it a try. Be more active on stories! Snap some pics of yourself at your desk with in action with your iPad! The more you do it, the easier it’ll get. Plus, having a gallery of pre-shot images of yourself in different outfits doing different things for your business is a great way to help yourself batch your content. If you’re still feeling intimidated, just take a deep breath. You got this!! Remember: You are your greatest selling point.
