They might sound like similar concepts, but these buzzwords play two distinct and important roles in every marketing campaign.
If you’re looking to increase conversions while also increasing trust with your audience, it will be important to understand them both.
The former will become even more important and tricky to perfect as Google phases out support for third-party cookies by the end of 2023, creating the need for new data collection methods.
Meanwhile, the importance of the latter has become apparent as consumer trends point towards trust and honesty being the key to marketing success.
As a white label digital marketing agency, it’s our job at Agency Stack to stay on top of these developments and deliver them to our clients in digestible terms.
If this blog doesn’t do the job for you, get in touch to discuss personalisation and humanisation in more depth.
What is Personalisation?
In marketing terms, personalised content involves the collation of customer data as a means of presenting more tailored content in more targeted ways.
Until the end of 2023, this data can be collected using third-party cookies which are bought from vendors and brokers such as Google without the explicit knowledge of the user.
Other methods exist, however, and should be prioritised to prepare for life after Google’s third-party cookies.
These first-party data sources include surveys, newsletter subscriptions, website activity, and social media interactions.
Using this data, brands can present more popular products to specific audience segments with the aim to increase clicks and conversions.
Proven personalisation
McKinsey & Company’s Next in Personalization 2021 Report found that 71% of consumers expect personalised interactions with brands, while 76% get frustrated when this doesn’t happen.
Getting this right directly affects a consumer’s buying habits. The report also found that fast-growing companies earn 40% more of their revenue from personalisation than slow-growing companies.
If you’re treating your audience as money-makers rather than unique individuals, you’re likely losing a significant portion of your potential.
What is Humanisation?
The crossover between personalisation and humanisation is that they’re both designed to make your brand more likeable, but for different reasons.
Where the former presents customers’ preferred subject matter, humanisation does it in a way that speaks their language – both make the audience feel understood.
Just as lower-class consumers would struggle to relate to a luxury brand, or the elderly mightn’t engage with a high-tech ad, consumers are unlikely to interact with any brand if it doesn’t feel relatable.
This can be helped through the language used, the people presented internally and externally, and the information offered.
Crafting your brand’s tone of voice is a vital piece of the puzzle, as you decide the level of humour, formality, entertainment, respect, and enthusiasm conveyed to the audience.
All of these factors and more will contribute to presenting the most human and approachable version of your brand.
As we can see below, this is vital to enticing more loyal customers.
A testament to trust
The brand trust fostered by humanising your marketing material can work wonders for your business. As more players enter each market, consumers are becoming increasingly wary of each brand they choose to interact with.
Only the most trustworthy brands earn their customers’ business, as revealed by this Accenture report which found 76% of CEOs believe trust is critical to staying competitive.
Edelman’s annual Trust Barometer Report also found that 58% of people buy or advocate for brands based on an alignment of values and beliefs.
These and many more studies conclude that hitting the heart strings and connecting with customers on a personal level is the key to marketing campaigns.
From 2022 and beyond, a humanised brand is a successful brand. It’s up to you what that human looks, feels, and sounds like.
Contact Us
Like we said, there’s plenty more to this comparison than can be conveyed in a simple blog.
If we’ve left any burning questions on your mind (hey, we’re only human), don’t be afraid to ask.
Get in touch with the team at Agency Stack and we can tailor your marketing campaigns to any audience.