Bringing more of 'you' into your business

Gone are the days of corporate, formal relationships when it comes to marketing yourself.

When we buy from a business online, we don’t just want to know what services and products they offer - we want to connect with them.

We want to understand their brand, their story, and their reason for existing. We want to feel their passion, learn about how they got started, and ultimately understand them. 

That’s why in the last ten years, particularly with the advent of social media, our business relationships have changed. They’re no longer purely transactional.

More of us are seeking out business from those who understand and match our values. We buy from people who we feel we can connect to on some level. We feel like they just ‘get us’, or we just ‘get them’.

You can see this in the way marketing is changing. Communication on social media is moving towards being more emotionally expressive, and emoji laden. Photography is no longer a forced cheesy smile in a business suit; it’s relaxed, natural, and ultimately authentic.

Websites are now more about the experience rather than the sales - in short, we’re making the connection first, the business second. And that’s the way it always has been, we’re just now valuing the importance of the relationship over its monetary value.

I chose this cover image as it represents a big part of who I am and what’s important to me. I’m incredibly passionate about the power of music.

I’m also interested in personal development, and making the most of the precious time you’ve got here, so this combination really lights me up.

By sharing more of who you are in your business, it might help connect you more to the right kinds of people.

• For example, a photographer could share their passion for vegan cooking as part of a content series, and this may help to secure more clients that want photography done for their restaurants or food blogs.
• If you’re a travel company with a passion for reading, why not share some of the best books you’ve read as part of a video series? You could combine the two, by talking about which books have inspired you to travel. This not only sets you apart from other travel companies and adds an interesting element to your business, it also connects you more to your audience. You can also add in your call to action at the end.
• If you’re a hairdresser with a love for flowers, why not incorporate more flowers into your photography and hair shoots, or even your branding? You can bring in more of your identity to your business without it being forced or feeling disjointed, it can be in a subtle way.

By bringing more of you into your business, your sales become a natural by-product of someone authentically connecting with you, and sharing the same passions as you.

Ultimately, our passions are what make us come alive.

By integrating your passions into what you do, you’ll not only become more excited about what you’re doing, but you’ll also gain loyalty from customers that you can personally identify with.