Why Human Connection Is at The Core of Compelling Brand Content

Source: Adobe Stock by Everything Bagel

Not that I want to rattle off a bunch of stats to you right in the beginning, but considering the sheer amount of content we digest on a daily basis, I figured these were rather “compelling” in illustrating the potential impact of creative content. 

According to a recent article by Finances Online, by the end of this year humans will have created and consumed 94 zettabytes of data. (For perspective, 1 trillion gigabytes equals 1 zettabyte - yeah that’s insane! And by “data” they mean every trackable move a person makes online, which is only going to keep growing …

Another study from Insider Intelligence claims we spend roughly 13 hours a day on “media time” aka “screen time,” which includes time spent watching TV, gaming, mobile activities like social media and digital viewing on computers. They project that by next year digital media/streaming will finally edge past traditional media and it shows zero signs of slowing down …      

Lastly, according to Statistica, the average person spends around 147 mins a day on social media, creeping up just slightly from last year. And as we know, there’s always a heavier end to these averages, which is coming from the 16-29 year old age group. This is why it’s so important to know where your audience is and what their interests are …

Ok so if all the above is true give or take varying study details and resources, there’s no wonder we skim through, scroll past, or simply ignore content that we don’t feel is relevant to us. While we may be spending insane amounts of time in “content creation/consumption land,” we are highly selective, guarded even, of anything that feels sales-y or not relatable. 

As these numbers continue to grow, the need for purpose-driven, relevant and valuable content will follow, narrowing our margins for error even more. 

How do we connect, like truly bond, with our communities and what does that even mean?  

Well, we likely know how to bond with people, right? Taking inventory of your personal and professional life, there are certain people’s voices that speak louder than others. What is it about them that resonates with you at a core level? Is it their values, are they inspirational in some way, do they make you laugh and brighten your day, are you constantly learning from them? The answers to these reflect your level of connection, the investment you’re willing to make in time and attention, and the depth of care you have for who they are and what they mean to you in your life. 

Trust me this all connects to brand specific content and here’s how…

I recently came across a couple posts (ironically while scrolling through Linked In) that spoke to this need for human connection in content. Neil Patel, author and famed digital marketing influencer, had a quick video explaining why people want to see and need to connect a face to a brand. The short video explained the importance of creating a personal connection to a brand’s audience through brand representatives.

These influential voices create, shape and relate to your audience. (Side note: when I say influential here, I mean an audience valued voice that represents a brand). That value is assigned to a person by the audience through their behavior, words and consistent delivery. Isn’t that the same way you’d vet any relationship? Over multiple hangouts (exposure), shared experiences (relatable content) and conversations (engagement)?

Then probably the same day (thanks to the algorithm I’m sure) I saw an article from Fortune Magazine about how “Cisco is training 84,000 employees to be Linked In influencers.” In doing this, Cisco will create a community of brand culture promoters and believers sharing in their own words the meaning of the brand. Pretty smart if you ask me. 

As an aside, I’ve recently embarked on this journey myself. I’ve started sharing content, stories, quotes, thoughts, articles, etc. all in hopes of it connecting to and inspiring others through my perspective. The jury is still out but it’s my truth and one I feel is worth sharing in connection to my personal brand.

In the end though, it’s not about what I’m doing, it’s about how I’m doing it, so let’s talk about the E’s of creating compelling brand content…

I use these 6 descriptors as a checklist for vetting content. If an idea somehow falls outside of one of these categories, I rethink my reason for why I’m sharing it.

Establishing

Does this idea/thought connect to your purpose and connect to why your audience should care? 

Entertaining

Are you creating interest within your audience through this idea? Is it memorable? Are you grabbing their attention?

Educational

Are you teaching your audience something by sharing what you know? Are you explaining it in a relatable way and empowering them with knowledge?

Emotional

Are you inspiring your audience to feel something about who you are and what you do? Are you challenging them to think about something in a different way?

Engaging

Are you keeping your audience’s attention? Can they connect and experience something through your unique perspectives and solutions?

Evolving

Are you connecting the dots for your audience between understanding and future-thinking? Are they being called to action in a thoughtful way?

With as much 94 zettabytes of data flying around, we have to start looking at “attention” differently. It’s not about validating who we are with a like or blending into the noise with similar content, it’s about finding the right people for our message and compelling them to be more and do more through our content. Competition is no longer restricted to simply what’s within our industry, it’s literally anything and everything that redirects your audience’s attention within the digital space. Instead of feeling the pressure to produce more content, maybe we could try focusing on connecting to the human who’s digesting it. Something face to face that’s worth your effort and their time and attention.