How To Punch Your Personality Into Your Marketing (Whilst Also Being Professional)

personality marketing with Lucy Dowson image

Just because you’re professional, doesn’t mean you have to be boring.

Now, that might seem a bit of a harsh way to begin, but let’s get to the root of why we went there.

You may or may not agree that the hearing care industry has a bit of a doppelganger problem…as in, many businesses look, sound, and act exactly the same.

Now of course, as a medical industry, there needs to be a level of professionalism and enough visible evidence on a business’s digital platforms (i.e. website, social media, etc.) that ensures people know they’re in safe hands, but does that mean there can’t be room to have a bit of, dare we say, fun?

In this article, we look at the ways you can add personality to your business without sacrificing your professionalism.

But first, let’s understand why we might want to add personality at all.

 

It’s All About You (well, sort of)

Think about the thing that makes your business unique.

Nope, it’s not your premises.

It’s not your pricing.

And it’s certainly not your hearing aids.  

It’s you … and your people.

You and your people are what makes your business unique and people come to your practice because they know, like, and trust you all.

So, why is there none of your personality in your website copy or marketing materials?

By adding personality to your digital presence, you’re helping people see who you are before they’ve even met you. If they like what they see (only kidding, it’s you, so of course they’re going to like it), they’ll be more inclined to come and visit your clinic over the one that’s full of lifeless, cookie-cutter copy that gives no indication of the people who will be helping them.

 

So, What Does Personality Copy Actually Mean?

Personality copy is where you write as you and not as a business entity. That means including colloquialisms, unique phrases, and generally writing in a more informal way than your typical audiology business would.

Perhaps you’re known for your local lingo, your accent, or even a motto you like to say often.

But don’t worry, “personality” doesn’t necessarily mean funny or in your face – it can mean a whole host of things that feel authentic to you, such as showing warmth or empathy.

Including these things within your website and marketing copy can go a long way to personifying your business and striking a much stronger human-to-human connection with potential people who may require hearing help.

Because, let’s face it, right now, not many hearing care businesses are doing it, which is further cementing the stale image the hearing care industry has.

Speaking of which …

 

You Might Want To Hold Off Calling People Patients

One of the challenges private hearing healthcare practices have is getting people to recognize and prioritize their hearing, as it’s typically not seen as “important” as say, teeth or eyes. It’s one of those things people put off getting checked out, as it’s seen as an “older person’s thing” and a nuisance.

This means that private businesses like yours may struggle to attract people, as it’s all just a bit stuffy.

… Well, there’s one reason why that could be the case: you call people patients instead of people.

Okaaay, so what’s wrong with that?

Well, by referring to people as patients, you’re immediately taking your practice out of business mode and into medical mode, which people won’t exactly flock to voluntarily.

The term “patient” can infer something’s not right, is broken, ill, or even worse, it further cements this idea that hearing loss is an age-issue. For many people with a hearing care challenge, this isn’t actually how they see themselves, so it’s no wonder they’re less likely to be proactive about getting in touch.  

The key thing here is to view your private practice through a different lens, one that’s a little less formal and perhaps more appealing to people who don’t consider themselves to be patients.

By calling people people and not patients, you’re automatically adding personality to your digital presence and communicating in a much more human-to-human way.

Small change to make but potentially a bit impact.

 

It Starts With Knowing Your Own Values

OK, so now you know why it’s a good thing to think about adding personality to your digital presence, but what if you don’t know what your personality is or how to transfer that into words?

It starts with understanding your own values and what feels authentic to you.

For example, you as a person might consider making people smile to be one of your own personal values. If that’s the case, then why not try to include a little pun in your copy? It doesn’t have to be heavy, but even a suggestion of lightheartedness can have a big effect on people who are making their first impressions of you.

There is a pitfall to watch out for here, though…

Now, you might consider “trust,” “professionalism,” and “expertise” to be firm values of yours, which is absolutely great …

… but, they’re what people expect, and, let’s be honest, they don’t make for exciting reading.

Of course you can show and even talk about your trustworthiness, professionalism, and expertise, but this is about teasing out the other bits of yourself that you wouldn’t usually expect a hearing care professional to show (within limits!).

 

Brand Layering Might Be A Good Place To Start

If you’re someone who doesn’t feel comfortable switching up the copy on your website, but you agree you could do more to “personify” your business, then consider brand layering.

Brand layering is where you show more of your brand voice (personality) the further people get in their interactions with you.

So, for example, a typical customer journey would be: website -> call -> email -> appointment -> social media -> newsletter.

So, where you might feel more comfortable having a very formal website, you could then add a touch of personality into how you answer the phone, the follow-up email you send, your social media posts, or even your newsletter.

Also, don’t forget that people love to see typically “mundane” things “unmundaned.”

 

Where To Add Personality

Finally, you might be thinking, OK, so where do I add personality to my existing business?

Well, here are a few places for you to consider:

  • Website
  • Social Media
  • Blogs (and blog artwork)
  • Emails (either bulk or personal)
  • Signature greetings/sign-offs
  • Marketing literature within your clinic
  • Printed signs within the clinic
  • The cookie jar!
  • Feedback forms
  • Mailers

Do any of those create sparks for you?

Fundamentally, your patients are people and even though you’re in a medical industry, it doesn’t mean that you can’t show a bit of personality, as that could be the thing that makes someone choose you over another.

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