The power of storytelling in marketing products is one of the keys to successfully building a business with strong branding. Through humanization, brands can present stories or a human side that makes them more relatable and connected with consumers. In the event “Optimization of Digital Marketing & Campus Social Media,” held on the 8th floor of the Learning Center Building at FEB UGM on Friday (21/3/2025), Social Media Strategist, Influencer, and Content Creator Farchan Noor Rachman explained humanization strategies in marketing and business branding on social media.
Humanization in Branding on Social Media
Humanization in business branding on social media means making a brand more relatable, personal, and authentic, creating a genuine connection with consumers through conversations and storytelling. Farchan explained that the essence of humanization is making a brand behave like a human, from how it tells stories to how it interacts with its audience. One example is affiliate marketing, which involves leveraging influencers, content creators, or real people to promote products that feel more relatable to the target market.
Additionally, active engagement on social media, such as frequently responding to comments and direct messages (DMs), helps brands connect more with their consumers. Nowadays, many brands also adopt Employee Generated Content (EGC), where employees create content about their personal experiences at work or behind-the-scenes activities within the company.
When managing a brand’s social media appearance, there are no strict rules to maintain an elegant and aesthetic layout. Instead, the visual style and arrangement should be adapted to the platform and target audience. For instance, Instagram is more suited to an aesthetic design, whereas TikTok prioritizes spontaneous and humorous content, which makes its feed appear less structured. According to Farchan, the most critical aspect is how a brand’s social media presence delivers a strong narrative and builds brand persona.
“A neatly arranged feed without a strong story will lose to a less organized feed with compelling storytelling behind it. This is because humanization is essential in shaping how consumers perceive a brand,” he explained.
Three Fundamental Concepts of Humanization in Digital Marketing
There are three fundamental concepts that can be used to execute humanization strategies in social media marketing. The first concept is Who, which involves understanding the brand and its community. Brand understanding includes its identity, values, and ideals that shape its image in the eyes of the audience. Meanwhile, community marketing refers to how a brand can integrate into its target audience’s community and build relationships with them.
The second concept is What, which involves planning digital content and coordinating integrated marketing strategies, this includes planning community activities both online and offline.
The third concept is How, which includes strategies for communicating with audiences and other brands on social media, managing content using content pillars to maintain branding consistency, and ad placement strategies. However, many brands, especially in major cities, now rely more on user-generated content or word-of-mouth recommendations for more efficient and effective brand promotion.
How to Humanize a Brand
There are two key approaches to humanizing a brand. The first is building brand persona through storytelling by sharing the brand’s history, vision and mission, and product development journey. This technique can help brands shape a unique brand character in the eyes of consumers through compelling narratives.
The second is creating content about unique and innovative aspects, lifestyle, or brand purpose. Instead of just promoting products, social media content should be engaging, relatable, and unique to keep the audience interested.
The choice of visual content also plays a crucial role in shaping branding on social media. Images, videos, infographics, GIFs, and memes can be used based on the most effective marketing funnel analysis. For instance, GIFs and memes generate high engagement, but excessive use can blur the established brand persona.
Meanwhile, videos have high engagement rates without losing their promotional purpose. Therefore, Farchan recommends allocating a more significant proportion of video content than other visual formats.
Then, all visual elements, such as colors, logos, and design, should reflect the brand’s character and values to establish a strong identity in the minds of consumers. The logo, in particular, is a crucial element that needs to be carefully designed.
Tips for Humanizing a Brand on Social Media
Using a unique brand voice through storytelling and persona helps make a brand feel more human when communicating with its audience. CEOs or founders should also make public appearances to build trust with the audience. Then, actively engaging with audiences, such as responding to comments and DMs, strengthens the brand’s connection with its community. Finally, being authentic and distinct from competitors helps create a unique brand identity.
Reportage: Najwah Ariella Puteri
Editor: Kurnia Ekaptiningrum
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