It’s a common saying in marketing that ‘people buy from people’, but what does it mean and, if it’s true (spoiler: it is), how can you make sure that your email marketing makes the best use of this understanding?
Let’s talk personality.
The Human Touch
No, this isn’t a ‘humans are better than AI’ rant. AI is an amazing tool for email marketers, but knowing that a human is at the end of a sales communication can make all the difference to your customers – and that’s something that’s been true long before ChatGPT and its friends hit the scene.
No one has ever really connected with the ‘corporate machine’. The idea of a profit-driven inhumane organisation that’s just after your cash is something almost all of us find a little distasteful. That’s where the ‘people buy from people’ saying originates – it has nothing to do with AI, it’s about the personal touch.
When you talk to a person, and they nod along and agree with some of your points, and give a little feedback… that’s when you feel listened to and understood.
Contrast that with the feeling you get dealing with a faceless corporation, a business that simply has rules its staff have to follow, and no flexibility.
With people, you build trust.
The Importance of Trust in Marketing
Your customers are far more likely to buy from you – and far more likely to be willing to listen to offers, upsells, and new developments – if they trust you. Trust breaks down some of the natural barriers that we all put up to protect ourselves from being misled.
Trust isn’t just important for marketing – it’s essential.
Why You Are at the Centre of Trust
I could make some corny line about U being in the centre of trust, but I’m staying away from that! The truth is though, that it’s your personality, your character, your uniqueness that means your customers grow to trust you.
So, put that into your email marketing. When your newsletters represent the human you, they’ll resonate more with your readers – with stories about how you’ve overcome challenges, advice that comes from your experience, and promotions based on the kind of thing you’d like to have.
Over time (and it does take time), that feeling of trust builds, a connection forms, and sales are made: people buying from people.
AI in the Modern People/Trust Circle
Does promoting the human touch and talking about people buying from people mean AI has no place in this people/trust circle? No, not at all; in fact, some of the nicest people I know are AI!
But there is a difference between the appropriate use of AI in your email marketing, an approach that helps build trust, and poor over-reliance on AI. One is understanding the strengths of the tools, and the other is generating slop that no one wants to read – and doesn’t promote your brand to your customers.
This isn’t an article about AI in email marketing, though – I have a few of those you can read elsewhere. This is about personality – and if you can use AI to help strengthen your brand personality, then I’m all for it. Just take care.
Building Trust with Your Brand Personality
Your personality – charming though it surely is – is not the personality that your email marketing should necessarily focus on. More important is your brand personality, the public facing attitude that your company puts out. It is your brand personality that needs the human touch, your brand personality that needs to have its stories and its flaws. It’s your brand personality that ultimately must be used to build trust with your customers.
For many, this is close to your personal personality. When your company has been crafted by you and shaped around your beliefs, there will be a crossover between how you present yourself and how you present your business; but as your company grows, it will take shape with other voices. The important thing for your marketing, is that in doing so, it retains its humanity and doesn’t become another faceless corporate front – and your email newsletters are key.
Your newsletters are one of the main ways your customers hear from your company – in fact, they may be the primary presentation of your brand personality. So, make sure you craft them with the care and consideration they deserve. Keep them human.
Marketing Your Brand with Nathan Littleton
For years now, I’ve helped brands like yours successfully shape and define their brand personalities, making sure that emails build trust and that the human touch is never lost.
Book a consultation with me, Nathan Littleton, and let me help you make sure your emails don’t become lost to bland facelessness. Together, we can build trust with your customers, improve your brand personality, and get the most out of your email marketing. Contact me today.
