The “People-Led Marketing” Tactic

Occasionally, our friends, family, or users we follow online mention a restaurant, product, or retail store with some positive emotions attached to it, and suddenly, we want to go and check it out for ourselves!

Chances are, we’ve seen numerous advertisements and “recommended” posts online about the same thing, yet it was only when a trusted source mentioned it we took action to visit that establishment or make that purchase.

In a world overpowered by technology, people crave human connection. While technology plays an irreplaceable role in our lives, coming across authentic content personalized toward us will make us feel more connected and special, influencing more extended views, more engagement, and likely purchasing decisions.

So, how do you make people feel connected to you and your brand on a human level rather than just scrolling through the feed on autopilot? Enter People-Led Marketing – a tactic that relies on people, human connections, and relationships instead of trends and algorithms.

People-led marketing is similar to the referral strategy that many companies use. While throwing some posts with relevant pictures online is much easier, the conversion rate from those posts will likely be much lower than if you were to implement content generated by people.

Below are some tips to help you understand and utilize people-led marketing today!

Pro Tips For People-Led Marketing

• Create People-Led Content: Technology has undeniably become a huge part of day-to-day life, and it is a breath of fresh air for users to see the human side of your brand. Create content, such as product reviews and updates, that comes from YOU and your direct circle of people (your team and customers).
  
  
• Would You Personally Buy It? You can advertise anything you want, and with enough consistency, it will probably bring you results. But at some point, people are bound to notice whether or not you, as the owner of the brand (or the salesperson), use, enjoy, and believe in what you sell. So, don’t fake it – use it and love it before you sell it!
  
  
• Engage With Your Audience: In this fast-paced world, people seek connection. Whether it is a comment under one of your posts or a direct message, acknowledge the fact that it’s there. Encouraging feedback and reviews and engaging with your audience on a personal level indicates that you care about their experience and are willing to take their feedback and suggestions into consideration.
  
  People want to be heard and acknowledged, and by giving them that, you build a loyal community that is likely to share their positive experiences with others in their lives. If done right, people will feel inspired to promote your product without being asked to, simply because they enjoyed engaging with you and had a positive experience with your product or service.
  
  
• Reward Referrals and Referees: For example, Southwest Airlines offers a credit card that accumulates travel points as you use it for any other purchase. Here and there, they’ll send out an email blast with a personalized link and encourage you to share it with your friends. As a reward, both you and the friend get an X amount of points added to your accounts. And as a result, Southwest Airlines gets more clients.
  
  Some may know this tactic by the name of affiliate marketing, but it’s slightly different. The goal is to benefit both the existing AND the referred client by offering a discount, gift, or even a financial reward.
  
  

Closing Remarks

People-led marketing adds a human touch to your brand and helps potential consumers trust you, inspires them to purchase from you, and ultimately, allows you to spread your brand’s awareness and reach. By implementing this tactic, you can gain loyal consumers, beneficial feedback, and free word-of-mouth advertisements.

If you manage a team, encourage them to use your brand’s products, and then together, start posting and promoting your short video reviews and experiences online. Start by generating product reviews and people-led content within your company, and then inspire your customers to tag along to spread your brand’s message far and wide.

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