People can be intensely loyal about the brands they love and trust—just look at the vacationers who repeatedly return to Walt Disney World, the devotees who wait in line for hours for the newest iPhone, and the shoppers who get a mood boost from browsing the aisles of Target. What these consumers all have in common is an emotional connection to their chosen brands, which keeps them coming back again and again. Follow these tactics to foster a similar affinity for your brand in your own customers and create business you can count on for years to come.
To build a following of dedicated customers, you need to do more than simply market your products and services. Instead, try to position yourself as an aspirational resource that taps into their wants and needs, values, and visions of themselves. Consumers are more likely to emotionally connect with brands that can help them solve their problems and achieve their goals—whether it’s building a better future for themselves, bettering the environment, creating a beautiful home, or enhancing their health and well-being.
For instance, Coca-Cola and McDonald’s don’t just sell tasty sodas and burgers; they promote the idea that their products can make you happy or lead to meaningful moments with family and friends. Similarly, Nike’s swoosh logo and “Just Do It” tagline inspire confidence to pursue and reach your goals, whether athletic or personal.
You could also connect to specific age groups by deftly reminding them of past good times. Rakuten did this by featuring actress Alicia Silverstone in a Super Bowl ad campaign based on scenes from her 1995 movie Clueless, as did Pepsi by creating a new logo that’s reminiscent of one of its classic versions from the 1980s. This type of nostalgic marketing can be a powerful way to boost your brand since it can quickly generate a meaningful connection at a deeper level.
People are more likely to develop a fondness for your brand if you treat them as important individuals instead of merely as customers. Strive to show you appreciate their patronage in everything you do—avoid impersonal robocalls, ensure each interaction is unique and genuine, and provide convenient ways for them to connect with you, such as by phone, email, or social media. Also, take a close look at your customer experience from start to finish to find ways you can make it as pleasant as possible, including by simplifying your website’s navigation and online-ordering process. And continue to give your customers value after the sale; for instance, you could offer tips via email or social media on how to get the most out of your products and services. If you can demonstrate that you want to do more than just sell a product or service, your customers may appreciate that and become more enamored with your brand.
As people can only connect with a product or service so much, try to show off your brand’s personal side. You can do this by sharing authentic stories about your brand in your marketing and advertising and through your social media—post behind-the-scenes looks at your operations or highlight the dedication of your employees. You’ll also want to share heartfelt testimonials from your clients and repost their videos, reels, and other relevant unique content, which can help strengthen their relationship to your brand.
Wanting to be part of something larger than yourself is a common human trait, and this type of connection can have a great impact on an individual’s happiness and wellness. So if you can provide your consumers with membership to a vibrant community, it can help you stand out from the crowd and cement their loyalty.
Start by identifying something your customers care about or a lifestyle that speaks to them, then find ways to align your brand with it. For example, apparel brand Bombas donates new clothing to homeless shelters for every purchase, and Patagonia encourages its customers to think environmentally by teaching them through its Worn Wear program how to repair their own clothing to make it last longer. Once you’ve implemented your ideas, you can use your messaging and social media to attract like-minded individuals and grow your following. By building their trust, you can create a truly dedicated tribe whose members will continuously support you and eagerly spread positive word of mouth about you.
Now more than ever, consumers want an emotional and personal connection with the products and services they use. If you can create such a bond, you may effectively bolster your reputation and increase your base of dedicated customers.
TAKE ACTION:
Identify several ideas for authentic social media posts about your company that could connect with your target audience.
As a business leader or service professional, one of the most lucrative skills you can develop is balancing your brand across your online accounts. On your professional social media, this means providing information about your business’s mission and values while also offering a glimpse into who you are as an individual. And on the personal side, it involves sharing family updates and staying abreast of relevant news while also promoting your professional activities to your followers.
To utilize social media in your work and personal spheres more effectively, formulate a plan for maximizing the content on each. Use the following guide to help you better determine what constitutes a professional post, what to reserve for your personal account, and what you can comfortably share on both.
If you haven’t done so already, create a distinct business account on all major platforms, including TikTok and Instagram. Note, however, that you can’t simply pop your doors open on social media. When setting up a professional Instagram account, for example, you must access the site’s settings and define your profile as a business page before you can start posting.
But navigating these steps is more than just cutting through the red tape. Making a business Instagram profile grants you access to professional services like ad builders, detailed analytics, and data about trending hashtags. Using tools such as these on the various platforms can help you broadcast your business accounts to your target consumers and make lead conversion a breeze.
Once you have your accounts set up, you can begin posting optimal, industry-relevant content. Implement these strategies to ensure you position yourself as the expert customers should turn to.
Apply the 3 Es
Professional social media is a key tool for directing the public down the lead funnel, so your accounts should primarily feature content your audience may want to engage with. To accelerate growth, focus on posts that incorporate the three Es of good marketing: education, entertainment, and endearment.
Posting these types of content on dedicated business pages can boost your appeal to visitors and drive user interaction.
Filter personal content
For the most part, you should streamline your professional accounts to appeal to your target consumers’ wants and needs. An individual interested in your services would likely find it irritating to have to scroll through excessive posts about your personal life to find ones that pertain to them.
However, you may still want to include some content from your personal accounts on your business ones. People don’t necessarily connect with facts and figures but with individuals. So if you can build a virtual bond with leads who organically scroll through your professional accounts, you may potentially land new clients. Did you attend an annual event like an art festival in your town? Did you recently take a scenic hike with your partner? Share this personal content with your professional audience to endear yourself to them.
Establish your brand identity
As strategic business advisor Bernard Marr writes in Forbes, “Personal branding means taking control of your online reputation and shaping it so people see you in the way you want to be seen.” When you post daily—yes, daily—always remember to keep branding in mind. Every post on your professional accounts should help curate the unique story of what you do, how you assist people, and what defines your company culture. This goes for subject matter from your personal accounts as well: only borrow posts that suit your professional brand. For example, a wellness spa owner might share instances of them living a healthy, active life with a positive mindset. Reposting this content on their business profiles can appeal to potential leads and get them within striking distance of signing a deal.
After work, you can dive into the refuge of your personal accounts to follow your friends, entertainment, memes, and any other content that satiates you in your downtime. Unlike your business accounts, these pages are where you can be yourself. This doesn’t mean, though, that they are completely exempt from professional promotion. Follow these tips to maximize your casual accounts for business purposes, even when you’re posting off the clock.
Mind your manners
First of all, don’t go too wild. Because your clients may hop over to your personal social media, you should avoid posting content that is overtly lewd, offensive, or politically polarizing. Existing patrons and leads who locate these posts may develop a negative view of you—and, therefore, of your professional services.
Mine your personal network
While you could always play it safe by making your personal accounts private, doing so would mean losing out on followers of your professional accounts who may take interest in your nonwork life as well. If your personal profiles include humorous posts, images of you living an exciting lifestyle, and other entertaining content, you may organically gain a larger following there. So it may serve you to link to your personal accounts in your business pages, and vice versa, to potentially increase your following on all.
This will also position you to easily promote your professional services within a large social circle. Remember, networking isn’t just a workplace activity; in fact, the most impactful lead conversion may occur within your extended family, friend groups, and other personal contacts. Share major business updates on your personal accounts—if you expanded to a new storefront or have taken on new staff, for example. Just make sure to limit yourself to making occasional updates, such as once every Sunday, or only releasing major news that your casual contacts will appreciate.
Armed with these tactics, you can boost engagement with consumers in both spheres of your life: your professional and personal worlds. Though you may maintain separate social media accounts for each, they ultimately work better when synchronized. By sharing the appropriate content across both pages, you may mine even greater benefits for your business.
TAKE ACTION:
Open dedicated professional accounts on several platforms, then assess which content will optimize your online presence.
Social media star Caleb Simpson discusses what makes for a successful brand and how he keeps things fresh for his millions of followers.
Where did your idea of visiting people’s apartments come from?
I studied what kinds of content worked and then built upon that. I had seen a video of someone asking people in New York City things like how much they paid for rent and what the most expensive thing was in their home. After watching the clip around twenty times, it finally clicked: What if I asked to go into a person’s home after they revealed the price?
Was it an immediate success?
Not at all. I spent the entire first day walking around New York having people say no and look at me like I was crazy. [Laughs] Eventually, I got someone to agree and let me do a tour that day. You really have to be persistent in believing that someone will be down to try your idea.
Who is your audience, and why does your content appeal to it?
My viewers are mostly between their early twenties and mid-thirties. Because many are looking for homes, they identify with the videos. More broadly, though, one thing most of us have in common is we live inside a box—and pay to do so. It’s a reality we can all connect over. Shows like MTV Cribs and Million Dollar Listing feature homes that most people will never visit in their lifetimes; it’s entertaining but unrelatable content. But watching someone just like you might inspire you to think, “Maybe I could get an apartment in New York.”
You keep the focus on the apartment and its owner. Is that your secret sauce?
Yes. I made online content for a long time before realizing I was always trying to make it about me. I fell for the big trap out there: everybody basically wants to be the next famous person. So I thought, “What if I just turn the camera around and give everyday people a platform?” Personally, I find that more interesting. If something I do adds to their story, only then will I keep it in.
Does content creation require more work than it seems?
Great question. I would say from content ideation—finding someone to let me see their apartment—to going to the location and filming to editing and posting, each video takes around six to seven hours to make. It depends on the city too. For example, New York is so big, it might take a while to find somebody to do a tour with, and we may drive for hours to get there.
What’s the key to business success in the social media world?
First, you must have a good team around you to help with filming, editing, navigating the business side, and working with brands. Figuring out who I wanted on mine was a big challenge.
Working with brands is always interesting too. Whether you do outreach or they’re reaching out to you, you need to negotiate; a lot of creators will do that themselves, while others leave it to their team. Because some of my stuff is celebrity focused, I’ll often do the outreach, networking, and meeting with people to put a face on my content. Barbara Corcoran was the first celebrity to reach out to me herself, which was the tipping point for my series. (Thank you, Barbara!)
Is consistency or fluidity more important to a social media brand?
For content creators in general, consistency is the most important thing—and the hardest. Even if you’re only posting three times a week, can you keep that up for five years? It’s pretty difficult.
But you also have to constantly adjust. That’s never going to stop because platforms and people’s interests are always changing. I’ve observed social media long enough to know that everything has a window of relevance and interest and you need to evolve at some point.
Why have so many people tried social media but so few succeeded?
Everyone thinks they need to make content or should be a social media star. That’s a conversation I have with many people who say, “I know I should be posting more.” I always ask them why. Finding and consistently remembering your why—what value you want to provide to the world—is super important.
Also, very few people become successful after one video; for the vast majority of creators I’ve spoken to, it was a slow grind over five or ten years like it was for me. And it’s a lot of hard work. You’ve got to be committed to it to rise above the rest.
How can individuals and businesses use social media to grow their brands?
I’ve been helping build social media brands for years now, including in music, so let’s take djs as an example. If a dj is popular on Instagram, they’ll get paid more because they have the power to post to more people about an upcoming gig in a particular city—so maybe 500,000 people will see it versus 20,000. The shareability will drive more ticket sales, the artist and venue will make more money, and a bigger fandom will be created. That’s why it’s important to build up your page and make it exciting.
For small businesses or a personal brand, it depends on your objective. If you’re a city-based mom-and-pop shop and want to stand out, social media is a great free marketing tool. For instance, there’s a pizza place that really blew up, and all the owner does is film a person eating his pizza, ask how they like it, and post it. It’s the simplest thing ever. He doesn’t even have to edit it.
The bottom line is that social media creates opportunity and awareness, which can create sales. I think people put way too much pressure on themselves initially because they believe they must post four times a day or whatever. Just do it once a week to find a rhythm and figure out what works for you.
What are you planning next to keep your brand fresh?
My goal is to always provide more value and entertainment, so I’ve branched out with things like a Cash Cab–like show and interviewing people over pizza. In July, I launched a newsletter that gives deeper glimpses into the lives of the people whose homes I’ve toured and my thoughts on their places. If you take the core ethos of your brand and expand on it like that, you’ll keep things fresh and interesting for both you and your audience.
For more info, follow Caleb on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram
If you asked most business owners, they would likely admit that finding a healthy equilibrium between work and play is a challenge they face every day. The demands of running a business can be all-consuming, and finding time for family, hobbies, and self-care can be hard. However, it is essential to develop ways to maintain this balance to avoid burnout, keep your energy up, and improve your overall well-being.
Ultimately, there is no one-size-fits-all approach, but incorporating the following strategies into your daily routine can help you work toward a better balance.
A key part of achieving harmony between your work and home life is identifying your main goals and commitments in each. Once you have a clear understanding of your priorities, you can then make adjustments in your schedule to maximize your ability to meet each one. For example, you may be more efficient when setting work hours and sticking to them, even when you have downtime. On the other hand, you may be more productive if you can schedule work around essential personal commitments, such as caring for children or an elderly relative.
The above step is especially important if you work from home. This has become more common since the COVID-19 pandemic, giving many people, including business owners, more flexible work schedules, whether in a hybrid or fully remote capacity. While this can be positive, it can also lead to nontraditional work hours and blurred lines between work and personal life. To better maintain a healthy balance, set a realistic daily schedule and commit to ending your workday at a predetermined time. Other things that may help are making outside plans for after work and setting an away message on your computer and voicemail to clearly define your business hours.
As an entrepreneur, it’s easy to get caught up in the minutiae of the day-to-day operations of your business. But when you cram too much into your workload, those tasks, and the stress that may go along with them, can bleed into the time that should be reserved for your personal life. To avoid bringing work home with you—whether literally or by worrying about deadlines during family time—consider implementing an organizational process. This could involve dedicating time each day for reviewing your to-do list or calendar or breaking down large projects into smaller, more manageable tasks. You could also consider assigning certain responsibilities to your team, such as managing email follow-ups, making client calls, or conducting research.
Additionally, don’t overlook the value of systemizing your business through project management software, like a CRM tailored to your industry, an email marketing and social media scheduler, or concrete customer service protocols. Automating various aspects of your business will enhance its efficiency, leading to a more positive work-life balance in the long run.
The saying “work smarter, not harder” may be a cliché at this point, but it still rings true. Learning to use your time efficiently can significantly impact your work-life balance and reduce your mental and physical stress. Avoid multitasking, like working on a report and simultaneously sending emails, taking phone calls, or texting, as this can extend or push meetings and cause delays in projects, compelling you to make up time in your off hours. Instead, give your full attention to only one item on your to-do list, and don’t hesitate to seek help or delegate if necessary.
Part of being organized and managing your time well is recognizing your limitations and establishing boundaries. Know when to say “no” to tasks that aren’t on your priority list, be mindful about overloading your schedule with excessive meetings and calls, and avoid taking on an unreasonable client load. Just as essential, commit to switching your phone to silent mode and not answering work-related calls during nonworking hours so you can enjoy personal and family time.
Insomnia is a common problem for business owners and entrepreneurs. The stress of running a business and the inability to relax and switch off your mind when it’s time for rest can make it difficult to fall asleep. This can result in a lack of energy and trouble concentrating, which, in turn, may lead to decreased productivity, longer work hours, and less personal time. If you are struggling with sleep disturbances, prioritize improving your sleep by establishing a regular sleep schedule, creating a relaxing bedtime routine, and avoiding sugar, caffeine, and alcohol before bed.
If you notice you’re beginning to feel a lack of motivation, have difficulty concentrating, become more short-tempered, or even lose passion for your business, you may be experiencing physical, mental, or emotional burnout. Take stock of your work-life balance to determine where you are falling short. Have you been working late more often than not or working from home in the evenings? Are you exercising, caring for your health, spending enough time off with your loved ones, and pursuing activities you enjoy? Recognize that needing a break from your business should not be a luxury but rather a necessity for operating at your best both at work and at home.
Achieving a positive work-life balance is vital to your physical and mental health and your ability to be a good leader. Pay attention to how you feel, and ensure you’re taking care of yourself. When you do, you’ll experience greater success in all areas of your life.
TAKE ACTION:
Evaluate your current work-life balance, and identify areas where you could set better boundaries or delegate specific tasks.