Blog to Foster the Human Connection in the Digital Age

Have you ever wondered why handmade items are looked upon as superior, while machine made pieces are often deemed inferior? And is that still true?

“Perhaps it used to matter if a dress was handmade or machine made, at least in haute couture, but now things are complete different,” said Karl Lagerfield at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute Spring 2016 exhibition.

Not everyone agrees. Julie Heller, owner of an appointment-only designer vintage store EraLuxe gallery, admits that the scope of what makes a garment valuable is changing. As technology advances, handmade pieces will be associated with added value – mostly because, she says, of “society’s nostalgia for the craftsmanship of the past”.

Hazel Clark, research chair of fashion at Parsons, agrees. “We are seeking connection in many walks of life – including in our clothes, says.  That sense of the individual in the process is important, a sense of a relationship with the person who has made the item.

Does this discussion about creating connection relate to blog marketing? In every way. “How would most people describe their relationship with your company?” asks Corey Wainwright of hubspot.com. Is the relationship purely transactional, make you just a place they go to get something they need, or do you elicit more personal feelings? “When your audience is reminded there are real life humans behind the scenes,” it becomes easier for them to trust your product or service, Wainright concludes..

On your website and in your blog, you can get your point across really well with clear, concise, straightforward copy.  But, Wainright explains, if you can get your point across and humanize your brand, you have the potential to delight readers. Two ways, among others, to achieve that effect, he says:

• Infuse a sense of humor into your content once in a while.
• Publish photos of your team being themselves.

One interesting perspective on the work we do as professional bloggers is that we translate clients’ corporate message into human, people-to-people terms.  People tend to buy when they see themselves in the picture and relate emotionally to the person bringing them the message.

Blog readers may be connecting with you digitally, but it’s up to you to foster the human connection!