There was a time when a funny photo or a trending sound was enough to keep a brand relevant on social media. Those days are gone. Feeds are more crowded than ever, and people scroll past anything that feels like an ad in a costume.
So what actually makes people stop, follow and remember you? People. Your team, your thinking and your workplace culture are the things no competitor can copy. Anyone can post about the same services you offer. Nobody else can post about your Friday trivia, your four-day week or the way your team actually solves problems.
But being human on its own isn’t enough anymore either. Audiences want personality and proof that you know your stuff. In this guide, we’ll look at how humanising your brand has moved past posting funny videos, why usefulness and credibility now matter just as much as personality, and how to approach social media in a way that feels human and valuable to your audience
- People connect with people. Logos and polished messaging don't build relationships; real faces, stories and culture do.
- Personality gets attention, credibility keeps it. Today's audiences want content that's helpful and thoughtful, not just entertaining.
- Going viral isn't the goal. Consistent, human, useful content builds trust over time. One-hit wonders are quickly forgotten.
- Culture is your biggest differentiator. It attracts the right job applicants, creates loyal "sticky" customers and draws in new audiences at the top of the funnel.
- Start with what you already have. Your people, your insights and your everyday moments are ready-made content.
Why humanising your brand still matters
It’s a tale as old as time, and if you’ve worked in digital marketing you’ll have heard it as often as Instagram updates its platform: people feel connected to people. It sounds simple, but it’s been proven to work again and again.
At its core, humanising your brand is about creating connection. People don’t build relationships with logos or perfectly polished messaging. They connect with people, stories and ideas that feel familiar and genuine. What has changed is what audiences expect once that connection is made.
Emotion still drives decisions
People don’t make decisions on logic alone. Emotion plays a major role, whether we realise it or not. Human content is far more likely to spark feelings like trust, reassurance and curiosity, and those feelings shape how people remember your brand and whether they come back when they’re ready to buy.
Connection builds familiarity
When a brand feels human, it feels easier to approach. Familiarity takes the edge off and makes people more comfortable engaging, asking questions or starting a conversation.
But familiarity on its own doesn’t hold attention for long. It needs to be backed up by something meaningful, whether that’s useful insight, thoughtful content or a clear sense of what you stand for.
Credibility now matters just as much
In the early days of social media, being relatable was often enough. Now that every brand is posting, simply showing up isn’t. Audiences still want you to feel approachable, but they also want reassurance that the people behind the content know what they’re talking about, can genuinely solve their problems and are worth following over time.
It's not about going viral anymore
One of the biggest misconceptions businesses still hold is that social media success comes from going viral. In reality, viral moments are one-hit wonders. They create a spike in attention but rarely build trust, loyalty or long-term value. More often than not, the moment passes and the content is forgotten.
The brands that perform best today aren’t copying the dance trend every other company did last week. They build recognition over time by consistently showing up with human, helpful content that’s relevant to their audience.
Why culture is your no. 1 social media tool
If people connect with people, then your workplace culture is the most human thing your brand has. Showing it on social media has shifted from a “fun, silly thing to do” to a necessity in an increasingly saturated online space. Think back to your own daily scroll. The businesses that stick in your mind aren’t the ones with the longest service list. They’re the ones with the fiercely competitive monthly trivia, or the post explaining why they offer flexible hours.
Here’s where culture content does its heaviest lifting.
1. It's the latest and greatest recruiting tool
Gone are the days of asking around to find out what a workplace is like. Job seekers, especially younger ones, now head straight to Instagram and TikTok to see who you really are behind the carefully curated scenes of your website.
The conversation has shifted from “did you hear they’ve won all those awards?” to “did you hear they have a four-day work week, an Office Olympics, and genuinely care about my mental wellbeing?” (yes, that’s a shameless Excite Media plug).
When candidates see a culture that matches their personal and professional goals, the people applying start to look more and more like the right fit. Your socials filter applicants in and out for you, so you spend less time sifting through resumes and more time building your business. No ad spend required.
2. It creates sticky customers
The goal for any business should be to increase the stickiness of its customers. No, not those sticky hands that ended up stuck to the ceiling. We mean customers who feel invested in your business, stay for the long haul, recommend you to friends and care about your success.
Picture this. Instead of being any old plumber around the block, you’re good ol’ Joe, who knocks off early on Fridays to take his kids to the water park. He explained why in a video about his commitment to work-life balance, and how that shapes the way he runs his business.
Before looking at his website, his prices or even calling him, you already know that’s a business you want to support. And if people see a strong, supportive culture, they assume it carries through to the work itself. People who work in a stable, supportive environment thrive, and so does the work they produce.
3. It powers your top of funnel
A quick refresher on the marketing funnel: the top is where customers first discover you, the middle is where they evaluate and compare, and the bottom is where they buy.
People find new businesses on social media every day through Instagram’s Explore tab and TikTok’s For You page. But users aren’t on social to be marketed at. At the top of the funnel, the goal is simply for people to know your name, and culture is the easiest way to get there. That might be a video from your latest team event, or a monthly carousel counting how many dogs visited the office (cliché, but there’s nothing better).
You’re not trying to convert anyone here. That happens later through strategic campaigns like SEO or bottom-of-funnel Google Ads. You’re introducing people to your business, and there’s no better introduction than the culture that sets your team apart.
How to humanise your brand (and do it well)
Modern humanised content does three things at once: it provides value, it feels approachable, and it reflects how your brand actually works. Here’s how to get there.
Share your thinking, not just your origin story
Your story still matters, but it doesn’t stop at how your business began. People are just as curious about how you work, what you’ve learned, how your thinking has changed and what you’re seeing in your industry. Sharing those insights makes your brand feel open, experienced and easy to trust.
Share your people (with purpose)
Your people are one of your biggest assets. Showing them reminds your audience that your brand is real humans, not just a service offering.
Content idea: Create a recurring “Meet the Team” or “Day in the Life” series. Each post introduces one team member, shows what their day really looks like and explains how their role supports clients. A familiar format is easy to repeat, while each new perspective keeps it fresh. Here are two of ours.
Show faces, not just names
People connect with faces far more than with brand names or job titles. Real photos and videos of your team create a sense of openness that stock imagery can’t match. This applies everywhere: social media, your website and your emails. When someone can picture who they’ll be dealing with before they reach out, trust builds faster.
Post with a purpose, but don't limit yourself
Trends can still perform well, but only when they serve a purpose. Rather than jumping on them for the sake of it, find a way to make them relevant to your brand, your message and your audience. A little thought makes it feel intentional rather than forced.
Thought leadership doesn't have to be loud
Thought leadership isn’t about having the strongest opinion or the biggest platform. It’s sharing what you know from the work you already do. Explain why you recommend certain approaches, talk about patterns you’re seeing across clients, break down tricky topics or answer the questions you hear again and again.
The best part? You don’t need to start from scratch. A recent blog can become a social post. A how-to email you sent a client can become a short video. A conversation from a meeting can become content that helps a much wider audience.
Keep your personality (just not at the expense of professionalism)
There’s still plenty of room for humour, warmth and personality. They’re often what make a brand enjoyable to follow, and they remind people there are real humans behind the posts, not just a content calendar.
What’s changed is how personality comes through. It works best in support of the business, not as the main takeaway. Personality should make your content clearer and more relatable, never leave people confused about what you actually do.
Find the balance that works for your brand
Humanising your brand isn’t about putting on a persona or chasing moments of attention. It’s about showing up consistently, sharing your thinking, and letting people see your culture and the people behind it.
If you’re not talking about your culture on socials yet, you’re missing a huge opportunity, and one your competitors might already be using to their advantage. Aim for progress, not perfection. Pick up your phone and film the after-work BBQ, the team lunch or the five-minute explainer you’d normally only give a client. Then post it.
Combine personality with perspective and visibility with value, and social media becomes less about chasing attention and more about earning it.
Ready to show up on social with more intention?
Our social media team can help you find your voice, showcase your culture and turn everyday moments into content that builds real trust. Get in touch and let’s chat.
