The human connection in the digital era

25 August 2022 | PR

We are very close to complete the first year of social distancing derived from a health emergency that caught us off guard. In the last 12 months, the world has changed completely, and it hardly seems that it will go back to the way it was in January 2020.

The most important shift has happened in the social environment: we were forced to move from the public space and our offices to the living rooms of our homes, which from one day to the next became meeting rooms, classrooms, shopping centers and entertainment venues, while still being family spaces. Social relationships changed in all areas of our lives. Along with work activities, consumer habits changed radically and moved to the screens. And although e-commerce was already part of our life long before the pandemic, most brands continued to add value to their products and services through person-to-person interaction. Faced with this transition to the digital environment, how can we maintain a human connection with consumers?

How is my brand perceived?

This is probably the first question that can help us have a more human connection with our clients. They are becoming more and more observant of the core values of companies and their social and environmental responsibilities, and many times, especially the younger generations, base their purchasing decisions on the unity between what brands say and do.

This is why it is important to communicate adequately the commitments of the brand. A good way into doing so is through the heads of the company, it shows the human side of a brand, the people that take decisions behind the products and services that are offered. Advocates are also an important part of this communication, since they endorse the brand because they believe in it and, most of the time, they are also captive customers; validating their voices empowers their statements towards the brand. Also, this helps to build trust and closeness with consumers.

You might need to make some adjustments in the communication strategy, since all these key messages must be transmitted with transparency and authenticity: we must avoid stiff voices and messages that, due to excessive use, have been trivialized. This is the moment to fully exploit the personality of your brand, always seeking to empathize with the reality that customers could be experiencing and never taking advantage of the current situation.

Customer service as an added value

It is not a surprise that, in the face of uncertainty, people have greater control of their expenses. This does not necessarily mean that people have stopped buying but that they are being much more cautious in their purchases: they analyze if their spending is essential and they compare prices. One way to benefit from this is by offering exceptional customer service. In many cases, customer service can tip the balance of the purchase decision in our favor, especially when most of our interactions are done through a screen and we lack the human component.

Today more than ever, it is essential to take the client from point A to B in a simple way, with just a few steps and giving them the possibility of getting help if required. In the case of e-commerce, platforms must be secure in processing payments, products should be displayed in a logical and simple way, and have up-to-date and adequate descriptions.

Regarding the use of technologies such as automated response bots, it is important to bear in mind that they are support tools and it is not convenient to delegate all of the work to them, but rather to supervise that clients are being helped by a human being capable of giving them a fast and practical solution when required.