Maintaining a sense of humanity in a world of robots is complicated. The barrier created by the screen is real, and overworked creators are becoming reliant on automation. Where do you find humanity in a sea of AI-generated content and automation?
We’ve discussed how to enhance your social media strategy with AI or why AI is essential for maintaining a schedule of consistent content. The reality is that we need some of the AI technology to operate efficiently. AI’s involvement in social media is becoming essential.
As important as AI is becoming, it can never replace human touch. As publishers, so much of what your readers seek is human connection through content. They want to feel heard, understood, inspired and moved. UIt’ssing AI and building authentic human connections with your audience is possible. AI cannot work with us; you are entirely in control of balancing AI with humanity within your brand.
In this article, we’ll cover why human connection in the online space is so important and how you can authentically connect with your audience through humanized content. Let’s get started!
Where AI lacks in connecting with your audience
The power of human connection is irreplaceable. We experience a spark from connecting with others that sends dopamine through our bodies that no AI tool could ever mimic.
Where AI technology lacks the most is its ability to understand concepts like emotions, aspirations, and values. This includes everything from intuition, empathy, sympathy, trauma, redemption, resilience, and our ability to see the world through someone else’s eyes. These are natural processes from most humans that AI will never be able to experience or comprehend.
Sure, algorithms can predict what products you’re looking for, websites you’ll visit, and stories you’ll consume. However, this is based on patterns—users’ spontaneous and emotion-laden actions and behaviors only humans can predict or understand. Providing insights on marketing trends is different from forging a bond with groups of people who have felt and experienced the same things you have. It’s a highly overlooked phenomenon in the real world, becoming sacred ground as AI grows online.
Building a human connection with your audience
Okay, so we know human emotions and experiences are unique. But how do we go about translating this through content? There are few proven ways.
Emotional narratives and storytelling
Humans have been connecting through storytelling for thousands of years. Studies show that people are 22 times more likely to remember a story than a list of facts because of the human ability to internalize stories over facts.
Online stories help show the vulnerability of your brand in a good way. They help display your values and ethical practices, making readers more likely to establish a connection.
You can create stories that show your brand from the eyes of the people who made it: the beginnings, the struggles, and the triumphs. This is a great way to highlight your brand’s cultural aspects. A well-crafted story can boost engagement and secure those loyal readers you want when increasing traffic to your website and social pages.
Creativeness processes
There is nothing more human than the trial and error of human creativity. Sure, AI can provide prompts or ideas that humans can use as a springboard, but it’s ultimately up to you to turn ideas into reality.
Share with your readers how you create and curate your content. Gear your posts around telling them about your process rather than just showing the result. You can show off everything from brainstorming, researching, writing, and designing. Draw in your audience by telling them a story about what it takes for them to create the content they’re consuming.
Sensitive responses to change
AI tools are great for helping publishers stay on top of trends and changes in the social media world. However, there is a limit to how these programs react to news and topics that are a bit more sensitive, including death, war, and tragedy.
AI lacks the human ability to interpret and comprehend topics that spark emotional responses emotionally. In these moments, especially in the publishing world, you NEED humans to react to these events. When times are hard (and we’ve seen a lot of hard times in the last few decades), this is a time for your team to connect with your audience on a unified level. Delivering the news in a digestible, informative, and sensitive way to those affected is not easy and will not be taken well if it appears to be written by AI.
Highlight faces behind the scene
Publishers work in teams of humans. Every human has a role, a backstory, a goal. Why not highlight your team on social media to put a few faces to your brand?
Showing your team and the faces behind the process is a great way to humanize your brand. Often, readers will seek out news mediums they can connect to in multiple ways. We’ve seen how quickly certain brands can get canceled based on the values of their owners or staff. It works the other way too.
You can create content that shows your team working, team highlights, and team milestones or give a shoutout to new and talented members. Celebrating your team will humanize your brand for your readers and make your staff feel appreciated. Win-win!
Don’t avoid human connection with your audience
We aren’t losing our humanity to AI. It may seem that way with how many daily tasks we can pass off to these tools, but the human/AI relationship is not that dependent. AI needs humans, and humans need humans. No one needs AI, no matter how nice of a tool.
If anything, AI is helping us be more human. These programs take the tasks we don’t like and help save time for us to do the things we do, like creating, connecting, curating, etc.
Send us a message if you want to discuss how to use AI with your brand voice while maintaining humanity.
