Add diversity to your brand with integrity and honesty
In recent years we have heard more and more about diversity and inclusion (D&I) in the workplace. The words “diversity” and “inclusion” are similar, but they don’t have exactly the same meaning.
VernÄ Myers, a well-known diversity advocate, explains it this way: “Diversity is invited to the party. Inclusion is invited to dance.”
Inclusive brand marketing is similar to D&I, minus the HR department. It refers to how you represent people of diverse backgrounds in all forms of your advertising. That means considering factors such as:
• Age
• Ethnicity
• Gender
• Sexuality
• Appearance
Beyond making your customers feel represented, inclusive brand marketing can help you:
• Reach more potential customers
• Build loyalty and trust
• Boost engagement on social media and website
• Increase leads and sales
From your website to your Instagram feed, inclusive marketing can be an integral part of your marketing strategy, but only if you’re doing it authentically.
Let’s look at three ways to add diversity to your brand in an honest and accessible way.
1. Serve your target audience, not all.
Inclusive marketing is not about trying to find a stock photo with every possible demographic.
Instead, it’s about knowing your business inside and out, and making sure your target audience is well represented in your marketing campaigns.
Remember: your customers can tell the difference between a forced opt-in attempt and a genuine one.
And if they feel represented in a real way, they’ll probably be more motivated to support your small business. According to the 2019 consumer survey conducted by Google and The Female Quotient, 64% of all respondents took some action after seeing an ad that they considered diverse or inclusive.
2. Stay true to your brand.
You may remember the Dove Real Beauty campaign. The first ad for her featured a fresh-faced woman sitting down and having her hair and makeup professionally done before images of her were digitally retouched and placed on a billboard.
Of course, it looked incredibly different from start to finish, with the idea that what we see in magazines, on TV and online is not reality.
Since then, Dove has built its marketing on this concept, using women of all backgrounds, shapes and sizes in its campaigns and vowing not to digitally retouch images.
I’m not using this example because I want you to be like Dove. I want you to take a careful look at the identity of your business.
If you don’t sell plus size clothing, including a larger woman in your advertising will fail. If you sell plus size clothing, wearing a skinny model will alienate your customers.
Again, it all comes down to having a deep understanding of who is interacting with your business.
READ: The importance of brand messages for a successful website redesign
I’m sure you landed on someone’s website and felt like something was just…wrong; or maybe you were suddenly turned off without even knowing why.
Most likely, you quickly clicked again to find a competitor’s website, where you felt more comfortable and confident.
Your visitors might feel the same way if you don’t pay attention to how you engage with your target audience.
In this article, I’ll share 5 questions you need to answer to determine your business identity and create the most effective website possible.
Read more on our website.
3. Always be empathetic.
To reach your customers, you need to tell relatable stories, not just sell products or services.
Find out what the likes, needs and pain points of your target customers are. How will your product or service make a difference in their lives?
Once you have an idea of what motivates them, tell that story through empathic marketing. Empathic marketing means putting yourself in the shoes of your customers to serve them better.
And unlike sympathy, which is feeling compassion, empathy means imagining yourself in someone else’s situation.
Your audience wants their needs to be understood and recognized. And that goes beyond a multicultural stock photo.
Maybe it’s interviewing an expert who is from the demographic you want to represent, or highlighting testimonials from real people using your product or service.
How to add diversity to your brand every day
As marketers, we must continually evolve our strategy (or pivot entirely!) In the future, that will also need to include more inclusive marketing.
Your customers want to feel that you authentically understand them. Increasingly, consumers are interacting with companies not just because they want to buy something, but because they share the beliefs and values of that brand.
So research your target audience. Dive deep into your data. Hear what your customers are saying, whether it’s online reviews or comments on social media.
Commit to trying to do better every day to help your customers to believe on your mark!
For the success of your business,
Suzanne