No matter what you do in the way of work, it probably involves human connection on some level. This is especially true if you own a business. After all, in order to sell your goods or services to others, you need to establish some form of connection with them. Furthermore, customers tend to prefer businesses who have human interests at their heart. Whether that’s amazing customer service or supporting a great charity, building human connection into your business is a vital strategy if you want to be successful and feel good about it at the same time. However, the concept of human connection has become a bit alien in the past year or so. With various lockdown measures put in place across the globe, the rise of remote working and virtual meetings, and just generally seeing less of each other, it’s probably fair to say that some of the human connection that we previously took for granted has been lost.
But, how can you ensure that this isn’t the case going forward? In this blog post, we’ve put together 5 simple ways to build human connection into your business, in person and online, to give you some inspiration. Not only will these ideas help you to build better working relationships, they may even help you to attract new customers and hold on to the existing ones and their loyalty. At the end of the day, the reason for any business to exist is to make money. But, there is a lot to be said for building a business with a heart at the same time. So, you really don’t have anything to lose. Most of these ways are also fairly easy to implement into the day to day running of your business, so it’s something that’s simple to do but can have big rewards.
What are our top 5 simple ways to build human connection into your business?
1. Getting your team involved in your marketing efforts
When it comes to simple ways to build a human connection into your business, what could be easier than getting your team and their day-to-day activities involved in your marketing? When they need to choose a business to purchase from or work with, many potential customers aren’t looking for one that’s sterile and completely professional all the time. They want to see you have a bit of fun. And, many customers like to know who’s behind the businesses that they are considering. So, showing your personality on social media is a good way to do this. Why not take your customers ‘behind the scenes’ of your business every once in a while? For example, you could show them what each team member does on a typical day. This is quite quick and simple to set up. Nobody needs to do anything special- just their normal daily activities- and you can post photos, videos, and text on platforms such as Instagram stories. These also disappear after 24 hours so you don’t need to worry about them being around forever. You will probably be surprised just how interested your customers may be in the behind the scenes of your business, and it also adds a bit of fun and human connection to your marketing that makes you and your business seem more personable.
2. Sending personalised gifts and cards to clients to say thanks
In this list of simple ways to build human connection into your business, it’s not all about attracting new customers. It’s also important to hang on to the ones you have already got, and encouraging human connection is a great way to do this. But how can you show your existing customers that you truly care? One way that will certainly make them feel special is by sending them a personalised gift or card. This method works particularly well for B2B organisations and strategies. It could be a handwritten note to thank them for their custom. Or, you could send them a small gift on a special occasion such as the birthday of their company. Perhaps you know that they will soon again be needing your services, so you could send them a little note in advance to remind them that you’re there to help them. Doing this shows that you genuinely care about their custom, as you are willing to put time and effort into building that human connection with them. So, they are more likely to remain loyal to you and your business ahead of your competition, as you are the one putting in the effort to show them that they are a truly valued customer.
3. Actively taking feedback on board
Another great way to build a greater human connection with your existing customers is to provide them with ample opportunities to give you some honest feedback on what they thought about you and your services. There are many ways to collect this feedback. You could simply ask them to leave you a review on your chosen platform, such as Facebook, Google, or Trustpilot. Or, you could send them an anonymous survey where they can answer questions about their experiences with you and their thoughts. Another alternative is to have a proper conversation with them and ask for their genuine feedback as a part of this. It will make them feel valued, as you are showing them that you value their opinion as a customer. This helps to build a human connection, but what is even better is actively showing that you’re working on the feedback that they’ve given you. This could be a follow up email with the individual client to tell them about what changes or new features you’re implementing. Or, it could be a wider part of your marketing strategy where you share your amazing feedback, and what you’re doing as a result of it, with the world.
4. Thinking about what features you could add to your website
Finally on our list of the best simple ways to build human connection into your business, it’s time to look at your website. If 2020 showed us anything, it was that human connection doesn’t always have to be face-to-face to be effective. So, why not encourage it digitally as well? A great way to do this is by adding a live chat box to your site. This allows customers to get in touch with you quickly and easily for any queries that they may have about you and what you offer. It makes for great customer service, which is the backbone of building real human connection into any business. And, it makes your customers feel as though they are talking to you personally, even if it’s through a screen, so they will feel listened to and valued by you as a company.
5. Supporting a charity
This is probably the most straightforward thing on this list that you should definitely consider implementing in your business. In fact, if you do nothing else, you should think about how you could do this. It’s a great idea for any business to pledge their support to a charity (or charities) of their choice. You can choose one that’s particularly close to your heart, or maybe one in the local area that you would like to support. There are so many charities out there that could benefit from your support. This is especially true recently, as many charities have lost a lot of their income as they haven’t been able to hold fundraising events due to the pandemic.
Once you’ve chosen your charity to support, it’s time to get fundraising. There are a few ways that you can do this. It’s all about finding what works best for you and your business. For example, you could hold a charity raffle. Or, donate a certain amount of money for each purchase your customers make with you over a set period of time. Or, why not get your whole team involved in a fun fundraising event like a sponsored walk, run, or even a skydive? The fundraising possibilities are endless. And, supporting a charity doesn’t only benefit them. It will also benefit you and your business. But, for it to have the biggest impact, you need to shout about it. The best way to do this is to talk about what you’re doing online, especially on social media if you can. This shows your customers (and potential ones) what you’re doing to support charities. In turn it shows them that you’re a business who has a heart, and one that they would like to support themselves.
Conclusion to our simple ways to build human connection into your business
As you can see, building a good level of human connection into any business doesn’t have to be overly complicated. If you are willing to build a business with a heart that puts building good relationships with customers and the community at its heart, then you are well on your way. Building a business that makes human connection a priority does take time. While it’s fairly straightforward to implement, it does need consistent effort to do it properly. But, the rewards that you can reap are well worth it, as you should build a reputation for being a business that truly cares about the people involved with it.
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