Relatability is truly a powerful thing. Influencers make mega-successful careers mainly because they present their authentic and relatable selves online. And the feeling of genuineness has even become a marketing strategy that many brands use to attract customers looking for human connection in businesses.

Nowadays, consumers aren’t just looking to buy products or services, they want to support brands that share their values, understand their needs, and communicate in a human way.

To learn more about it, Bored Panda reached out to a brand strategist and marketing consultant, Hilary Young, who believes that relatability is one of the most important components of building a brand.

However, she notes that businesses can’t just magically become relatable. “You have to truly understand your target audience and the various emotions they're feeling at any given moment in order to craft brand messaging that relates to them.”

She further explains, “When a business can effectively communicate with their audience in an authentic, relatable way, they are much more likely to not only engage with your brand but also open their wallets and then share your brand with others.”

In her own practice, she encourages companies to empathize with their audience. “The way I encourage my clients to approach brand strategy is very similar to the advice I dole out as a mother to my children: lead with empathy, listen to what others are saying, and be authentic in all of your interactions with other people. All of these pieces of advice apply to building a strong brand and, when well executed, go a long way in making your brand more relatable to target audiences.”

But being authentic and relatable is not an easy thing to get right - you can’t really force it. Young says that one way to ensure their communication with customers is authentic and not staged is to once again lead with empathy, listen carefully to customers, and be genuinely yourself.

“Of course, for both humans and brands that can be easier said than done, which is why businesses need to work on a written brand strategy that helps them move more confidently through the world. Consumers are really savvy, and can smell a faker from a mile away, so you have to be really careful about sticking to your brand strategy because it allows brands to act more authentically confident when it comes to marketing their business,” she explains.

“It also means they will be consistent in their messaging, which also lends itself to relatability,” Young adds. “If you're constantly sending mixed messages or flip-flopping on your messaging, you're going to confuse your audience, and they'll abandon you for a competitor who has figured out how to execute their brand strategy more wisely.”