How to engage with your audience on a personal level.

Let’s talk about you, friend. I’m serious. You are at the center of your business. People want to know who you are. So the best thing you can do to grow your business in 2022? It's to share who you are.

When it comes to sharing about your business, people wanna know the story behind the business. Why are you doing what you do? Why are you offering these products or services? How did you get started in this business?

I know it might sound silly but, these things really do matter to people and here’s why: in today’s post Covid age people crave connections more than any other time in history. We get those connections through digital content. That means that you need to help people connect with your products in a way that draws them in and gives them a purpose to buy your products.

I may sound like a millennial, heck I am a millennial, so maybe that’s why you should listen. Millennials are all about connecting with a bigger purpose. We want to work with businesses who are helping our world be a better place. Now, I know it’s not just millennials who want that. We all want to see our world become a safer, more productive and more loving place to be for generations to come. So if you are a product or service that can help people in a real way then you need to share that. If you are a business who gives part of your proceeds to a charity you need to share that. Because people really do want to connect with you simply because you’re helping the world be a better place.

Maybe you’re saying, Kellianne, I don’t give it to charity right now. How do I share so that people connect with me? Good question friend. You don’t have to be giving to a charity to get people to like what you do. We want to know how you got started. We want to know the reason behind it. And here’s the thing, almost every time the reason, your why,  is because you’re trying to change something. You saw a problem in the world and you have a solution. And that’s what I’m talking about. I want you to share everything that makes you and your products unique, that tells the story of why you got started and how you are making a difference or making a change.

Let’s talk about the practical ways that you can actually do this day today in social media.

In Instagram, where you are posting everyday or every other day, we want to see a picture of you or your hands and a little bit about you in every nine posts through your images and videos. That means you can tell us why you got started, you can tell us how you are making your product or you can talk to us about something fun about you. What’s your favorite flavor of ice cream? What types of shoes do you like to wear to a photography session? What’s the best makeup to wear for a long day of photographing a hot summer wedding? 

Whatever it is that you do, you have something that you can share. It may not seem like we want to know, but honey, we want to know. 

We want to relate to you. 

My favorite flavor of ice cream? Vanilla bean. Because it’s simple and clean like a blank canvas and I can dress it up in any way that I want. Vanilla bean ice cream lets me be truly creative. It lights up my soul to figure out what toppings I can add. It’s the same when I have a new photography client who is ready to be photographed and I get to dress them up, pick out the right location and make beautiful images that are in my head come to life. And then I would simply ask what’s your favorite flavor of ice cream?

Do you see how that works? OK, so this may again sound silly, but it gives people a chance to not only get to know you but to see how your personality traits connect to your business and it gives them a chance to engage on something trivial. Everyone’s willing to share their favorite flavor of ice cream because it isn’t a personal question but it is a personal connection.

So what can you share?

• Favorite flavor of ice cream
• Favorite way to relax
• One simple reason why you got started
• How you help your clients by doing (name something specific)
• Tell us about your first year in your job and how it’s different now with a benefit for your client
• What does a busy day look like for you?
• How did you go above and beyond for a client this week and why.
• Where do you source one of your product items and why (only if this is emotional, like the money you spend helps children eat)
• How does your business give back to the community?
• How can people support you so you can support your community? 
• What’s the bigger picture behind what you do? What’s your why? How do you help people every day?

Friend, I know that stepping out of your comfort zone and sharing a bit about you and your true meaning behind what you do can be really really scary. But you should do it. And you can do it. What’s stopping you?

The number one thing that stops people from achieving this goal, is not having pictures of themselves to share that they are proud to share. That’s where great branding photography comes into play. Not only do I capture beautiful pictures of you but we also take a look behind the scenes and get candid pictures close-ups of your hands close-ups of your products so that you have plenty of images to share on your social media feeds that you can be proud of. Not only that, but when people see your face they connect even more with you and your business.

Want to learn more about finding your USP, your story and how to connect with your audience on a personal level? Listen to the full podcast: #5