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 do not have exactly the same meaning.

Well-known advocate for diversity VernÄ Myers puts it this way: “Diversity is invited to the party. Inclusion is invited to dance.”

Inclusive brand marketing is similar to D&I, minus the human resources department. It refers to how you represent people of diverse backgrounds in all forms of your advertising. That means considering factors like:

• 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

• Promote participation in social networks and the website

• Increase sales opportunities and sales

From your website to your Instagram feed, inclusive marketing can be an integral part of your marketing strategy, but only if you do 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 everyone.

Inclusive marketing isn’t about trying to find a stock photo with every possible demographic crammed into it.

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 clients can tell the difference between a forced attempt at inclusion and a genuine one.

And if they feel represented in a real way, they will probably be more motivated to support your small business. According to the 2019 consumer survey from Google and The Female Quotient, 64% of all respondents took some action after viewing an ad that they considered diverse or inclusive.

2. Be true to your brand.

You may remember the Dove Real Beauty campaign. Their first ad featured a fresh-faced woman sitting down and professionally doing her hair and makeup before her images were digitally retouched and posted 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 based its marketing on this concept, using women of all backgrounds, shapes and sizes in its campaigns and promising not to digitally retouch images.

I am using this example not because I want you to be like Dove. I want you to carefully analyze the identity of your company.

If you don’t sell plus-size clothing, including a bigger woman in your advertising will fail. If you sell plus size clothing, wearing a slim model will alienate your customers.

Again, it all comes down to having a deep understanding of who is related to your business.

READ: The importance of brand messages for a successful website redesign

I’m sure you’ve landed on someone’s website and felt something was … wrong; Or maybe you suddenly turned off without even knowing why.

Chances are, you quickly clicked again to find a competitor’s website, where you felt more comfortable and secure.

Your visitors might feel the same if you don’t pay attention to how you deal with your target audience.

In this article, I’m going to 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 identifiable stories, not just sell products or services.

Find out what the tastes, 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 your customers’ shoes to better serve them.

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 photography.

Maybe it’s interviewing an expert from the demographic you want to represent or highlight testimonials from real people who use your product or service.

How to add diversity to your brand every day

As marketers, we need to continually evolve our strategy (or pivot completely!) Going forward, that will also need to include more inclusive marketing.

Your customers want to feel that you understand them authentically. Increasingly, consumers interact with companies not only because they want to buy something, but because they share the beliefs and values ​​of that brand.

So research your target audience. Dive into your data. Hear what your customers are saying, whether it’s online reviews or social media comments.

Commit to trying to do better every day to help your customers to believe on your brand!

For the success of your business,

Susan