Social media is full of clutter and the information on how to be effective is contradictory. Too often brands focus on saying what they think they should or, worse, jump to a sales pitch. No one wants to talk to a robot. Find out how to humanize your brand on social media and really engage your audience by telling your unique story.

1. Just Be Human
How to engage on social media

2. Marketing isn’t Advertising
• What advertising is not.
– Posting social media
– Getting your audience to talk about you
– Your culture
– Your value proposition
• Good marketing gets your audience to feel something
– Keeps that feeling consistent across all channels
– Feelings don’t have to be warm and fuzzy
• I’ll explain how, once I explain why

3. Let’s get it out of the way…

4. Name the Companies

5. What’s the difference in product?

6. Why do you buy your toilet paper?
• Do you really know the features and benefits?
• Do you understand how it’s made?
• Do you know how it’s distributed?
• Does the company directly ask you to buy?
• If price is the biggest factor, do you buy everything in
bulk?

7. Why do Charmin & Cottonelle stick?
• Make awkward situations approachable
• Take down barriers
• Acknowledge real life
– Kids asking parents weird questions
– If its good enough to protect a puppy, it has to be good

8. How did we get here?
Marketing is all fun and games, right?

9. Think About Mediums: Outdoor, B.C.

10. 1,600s = Newspapers

11. 1,800s = Magazines, billboards, catalogs

12. Early 1900s = Pre-Digital, Radio and TV

13. Your phone is better than this…

14. Messages had to come to people
There weren’t other options.

15. Then Technology
Gave People Power

16. All things digital = Consumer Voice
• Consumers get a voice
• Consumers have control
• Brands have more clutter to break through
– 3,000+ messages a day

17. Branding Changed Production Too
Technology is evolving all aspects of society.

18. Branding Evolution
• Started on livestock
• Evolved with trade
– Showed quality and consistency
– Allowed charging a higher price
• Industrial Revolution helped brands evolve
– Capitalize on mass production and economies of scale
– Allows for more competitive pricing

19. Adjacent Products!

20. But now consumers have power
>$#!*!@#!@#!@$!

21. Age of Consumer Voice
• Individual can get a message in front of millions, viral
• Companies can’t cover up bad products or service
• Local businesses have same tools as major brands
• Communication is instant vs. snailmail
• Always on communication
– Beyond time of transaction

22. Face it…
The Good!
• Crowdsource feedback
instantly
• Don’t need expensive
study to gain insights
• On-demand production
capabilities
• Customer needs met
more regularly
The Bad?
• Companies have to be
transparent, truth will
come out

23. What makes you want something?
Who owns an apple product?

24. Why?
• Apple:
– Sell with emotion, not features and benefits
– User-centric design fuels product development
• All TP wipes your butt, there’s a reason beyond features
that makes you buy.

25. That’s nice Jen, but….
It doesn’t apply to me.
Won’t work for my company.
Only works with a large budget.
People really like our features.
Our process is working, we won’t change.
Wasn’t this supposed to be about social?
It’s already too crowded.

26. Your excuses are…

27. You just need a plan.

28. 1. Know your business

29. 2. Understand Your Personality
• Define Your Culture and Values
– How does humanizing your brand fit into your culture?
– Does the culture need to evolve?
– What do you stand for?
• Limitations
– Know what you can’t say or do
– Really understand strengths and weaknesses

30. Personalities are Complex.

31. They React to Surroundings

32. And they need to evolve

33. 3. Build a Team
• Emotional intelligence required
• Ideally: warm, articulate, passionate, confident,
extroverted, and generous
• Have both sides of the brain, even if it means two people

34. 4. Have a Simple Checklist

35. Basic concept
• What’s in it for you?
– Does it position you as the ___________ expert?
– Will it generate the right leads?*
– Can it build a following?
• What’s in it for them?
– Is something in it for the audience?
*Really define what a good lead means

36. 5. Get Out There

37. Exposing Yourself…strategically
• Collect customer feedback
– Knowingly: surveys, engagement, etc.
– Behaviorally: traffic patterns, open rates, click-through, etc.
• Get your company involved
– Allow employees to express themselves
• Balance employee freedom with brand protection
– Integrate culture into your hiring process
• NEVER STOP LEARNING

38. Remember How They Feel

39. Past Experiences Fuel Memories
Relating it to something makes it easier to understand

40. SBSC

41. Savage River Lodge

42. Features and Benefits Don’t Sell
It’s what those DO that make you FEEL.
Feelings make the sale.

43. Always

44. Good Conversation is Two Sided.
You must listen as much as you talk.

45. Seamly

46. Go ahead, ask me anything.
I might even answer.