7 Habits of Remarkably Charismatic Marketers

Katarina Holmgren
Katarina Holmgren

Updated:

Published:

charismatic marketing inbound  introductory3

You know those people everyone wants to be around? The ones that light up the room with their smiles? The ones that make every person they talk to feel like the most important person in the world?

I love those people.

And I bet you do too, because they just make you feel ... awesome. That (along with Inc.'s article "10 Habits of Remarkably Charismatic People") inspired me to think about how we as marketers can make sure our marketing embodies some of that charisma that we admire in those around us.

Think about it. Does your marketing make people feel awesome? Does it light up a room? Does it make people want to be around your company more? If not, we've thought of seven tips to help you transform your marketing into something people just can't get enough of!

How to Inject a Little Charisma Into Your Marketing

1) Draw people in with engaging content.

Do you want to be that people-magnet that others just naturally want to start conversations with? Your company can become that if you center your marketing around creating engaging content. Here's how to get started:

  • Write interesting blog posts to drive visitors to your website and establish your company as thought leaders in your industry. Those view counts on your blog articles will increase as people realize how great your content is -- but only if your content is consistently great. So remember, when you're writing, craft content with readers in mind, not search engines. Crawlers are smart enough nowadays to understand what your website is about if you simply include keywords when it's pertinent in your content, instead of jamming them into every other sentence.
  • Have you created any visuals lately? Whether it's on Pinterest, Instagram, or just a hilarious meme circulating around Facebook, people love them some visual content . In fact, did you know that according to Dan Zarrella's data , on Facebook, photos are the best type of content you can post to generate likes, comments, and shares? Or that according to SEOmoz , blog posts with videos attract 3X more inbound links ? Or that marketers who publish infographics grow traffic an average of 12% more than those who don't , according to AnsonAlex ? Should I keep going? Use visual content. People love it. Case closed.
  • Speaking of data, using data points and statistics is another great way to get people drooling over your content. The internet is cluttered with gurus and ninjas -- also known as people masquerading as experts on a particular subject matter. That means there's a lot of subpar content to sift through, so using data to back up your points gives you far more credibility. Plus, they're small, digestible nuggets of information that people can easily share to increase their own industry clout.

2) Make your marketing something people want to interact with.

Charismatic people aren't usually seen begging for friends. They don't need to, because those relationships just happen naturally. If your marketing is working, you don't need to focus on interrupting people's lives and begging for their attention. Your network will shout your awesomeness from the rooftops, and more and more people will find you organically. So, how do you get people to take action with your content, sharing it socially and becoming truly engaged with it? Well aside from just creating remarkable content to begin with (the stuff has a way of speaking for itself, you know) there are a few things you can do:

  • First, make sure your content is relevant to those receiving it. If the content is something they're interested in, people are more likely to click through or share it on social media. So if your content is reaching your audience via email, ensure you've segmented your lists so the only recipients are those that would truly enjoy that content.
  • Gamification is another creative way to get people to interact with your content and expand its reach. If you're not familiar with it, gamification is just a fancy word for giving people an incentive to engage with your brand. Essentially, you're making a game out of your marketing! For example, on a recent webinar we made a game out of tweeting our event hashtag, awarding free tickets to our upcoming (and epic) inbound marketing event INBOUND 2012 for those who tweeted our hashtag the most.
  • Believe it or not, people like to be told what to do. And since you want people to, well, do something, you can make everyone happy by putting calls-to-action everywhere! Wrote a fantastic blog post, for example? There sure as sugar better be a CTA at the end of it where readers can convert on a related topic. Now visitors are interacting with your content, and you're generating leads.

3) Listen and respond.

Charismatic people don't talk your ear off and dominate the conversation. They know the importance of listening, and are genuinely interested in what the other person is saying. So it's a little perplexing that according to Factbrowser , on average, people respond to only 30% of fans' feedback on social media. Charismatic marketers strive to be better than that statistic! You should care about those who care enough about your brand to engage with you on social media. Make an effort to respond to comments, both positive and negative, on social media. Here are some steps to getting started in social media conversations:

  • Set up a social media monitoring system . Checking in every few minutes on every social network on which your company has a presence is exhausting -- how would you ever get anything else done? Use a tool like HubSpot's Social Media Monitoring Tool  to help stay on top of mentions of important keywords you'd like to be alerted for. For example, you might track mentions of your company name, products you sell, the names of key executives at your company, and your competitors to stay abreast of important conversations happening on social media.
  • Don't be afraid to respond to both positive and negative comments. Thank people for their suggestions, and if a Negative Nancy is interacting with your brand, kill them with kindness. Ask them if you can help in any way, and then actually, you know, help them.
  • React promptly and publicly to people's questions or concerns on social media, but take the details offline, especially if any private information needs to be exchanged. You can offer to chat with them over email or phone if that's an easier way to clear up the issue.

4) Be genuine and humble throughout all of your marketing.

Be a brand that people love and want to be a part of. You want people to be excited about your marketing -- don't be a jerk! People like to be around positive people, so all of your messaging should have a positive angle to it -- from your email copy, to your social media updates, to the way you treat your customers. To give you a little inspiration, here are three brands that are doing a phenomenal job creating and maintaining a brand people want to be a part of:

  • Chipotle is a unique brand that's up front about their desire to provide "Food with Integrity." They make it very clear that their brand values animals, the environment, and farmers. Kind of hard to argue with that premise. Check out how Chipotle separates themselves from other fast food chains, right on the homepage of their website.

 Chipotle 
  • Jet Blue realizes that in general, people aren't happy with their flying experiences. They differentiate themselves by really caring about their customers. Kind of crazy "caring" is a differentiator, eh? Their slogan is "You above all," and the genuine interest they place in their customers draws people towards their brand. They also come across as less corporate than their competitors, and more in tune with the average flyer. 
  • Dove inspires both girls and women to live up to their full potential, no matter what their body shape. People want to buy products that are inclusive of all people. Dove's message is that to be beautiful and have positive self esteem, you don't need to be a size zero. Or you can be. Whatever. This positive, uplifting message is a great embodiment of charismatic marketing!

5) Make others feel loved.

Thank people for their ideas. Give some link love to those who deserve it. Don't be an internet thief, and give credit where credit is due for ideas, data, and content. Charismatic people realize that everything isn't about them, and their success is dependent on many other people. The same principles extend to charismatic marketers -- we should all be inspired by others, share ideas, and thank one another for contributions. Oh, and most importantly, give some serious customer love ! Here's how:

  • Create Success Stories: Featuring your top customers in testimonials or case studies is a way to not only shine the spotlight on someone else for a while, but to thank your customers for being such a key part of your company's community. And while making your current customers feel loved, you'll probably gain some new ones in the process.  
  • Spread the Love on Social Media:   Recognize customer success and happiness by responding to positive comments about your brand in social media. So get retweeting, commenting, and sharing other people's content socially.
  • Offer Guest Blogging Opportunities: Guest blogging is a way to say you value your customers' opinions, get some extra content for your blog (who doesn't need that?), and give those guest bloggers exposure to a new audience and valuable links back to their site.
  • Say Thank You: It's so simple, yet most of us don't do it enough. Actively seek out opportunities to thank your customers, whether it's after a purchase (you can use marketing automation tools to make personalized thank-you emails a scalable part of your marketing) or just every so often in your blog and social media comments, saying thank you goes a long way.

6) Present your marketing in a way that's consistent with your brand.

Charismatic people are aware of how they come across to others. They put thought into presenting themselves well, speak clearly, and stand up tall. Apply those principles to your marketing, too!

First, be sure you're speaking clearly and in a consistent voice. If you need some inspiration, check out these companies that nail their copywriting . This clarity of voice will help keep your marketing consistent to your brand and the message you are trying to portray. You may even want to establish a corporate written style guide so that you can maintain consistency in your copy as your company grows. And if you haven't already done so, create some buyer personas -- it will help remind everyone who they're creating content for!

Maintain this clarity not only in your written content, but also in your visual content. From logo, to font, to brand colors, visual content evokes certain feelings in people. And when people see your content, you want them to be drawn in and immediately recognize that it belongs to your brand.

Finally, do your best to double check all of the content you push out before publishing. Yes, spelling mistakes slip through once in a while, but making your content easy to consume (and frankly, just looking like you cared enough to try) will be much appreciated by your audience.

7) Be honest about mistakes and take the initiative to fix them.

No one is perfect. The most charismatic person you know isn't perfect, and neither is your favorite brand. Don't be afraid of making mistakes, because they will happen; being paralyzed by that fear will just make you an ineffective marketer. Here at HubSpot we've definitely  made our share of mistakes ! But when mistakes happen, acknowledge them and apologize. If necessary, transfer the conversation from a public arena like social media, to a personalized message or a phone call. And be prompt to fix your mistakes instead of trying to cover them up. In the process, you'll only gain more clout and respect from your leads and customers, and really make your marketing something people love.  

What else can marketers do to inject a little charisma in their marketing?

Image credit: oxcnpxo

55-brands-rocking-visual-content-3-tweets like-what-youaposve-read-click-here

Related Articles

We're committed to your privacy. HubSpot uses the information you provide to us to contact you about our relevant content, products, and services. You may unsubscribe from these communications at any time. For more information, check out our Privacy Policy.

Outline your company's marketing strategy in one simple, coherent plan.

Marketing software that helps you drive revenue, save time and resources, and measure and optimize your investments — all on one easy-to-use platform

START FREE OR GET A DEMO