Relatability is a key trait that makes someone or something easy to connect with. It’s why most (if not all) of these memes can hit home for many of you readers. They can speak to you in a way that triggers an emotion or resurrects a memory.
Being relatable is a top goal for many people, whether it’s a business establishing its brand or a person in a new environment trying to make friends. As digital media expert Ephraim Cohen puts it, “The phrase ‘I can relate’ speaks volumes.”
“Relatability is potentially the most potent force in building trust, shaping perceptions, and driving behaviors,” Cohen wrote in an article on LinkedIn.
With relatability also comes the power of persuasion. The more people can connect with you as a person or a brand, the more you can persuade them to listen to what you have to say. It’s why entrepreneur and philanthropist Wayne Elsey describes relatability as “the art of connecting with others on a personal level.”
“When your brand is relatable to your target audience, and when people see what they value in your brand positioning, they no longer view you as just another business,” Elsey wrote in an article for Forbes.
Of course, being relatable means showing your authentic self. Whether you’re a person or a business, creating connections would be impossible if you’re walled up and hiding a part of your personality.
“To connect with others, we can’t hide large parts of ourselves,” clinical psychologist Ellen Hendriksen wrote in an article for CNBC. “We have to be willing to reveal, to some extent, what we think, do, and feel to give our conversation partner something to work with.”
So, how can you, as a person, become more relatable? Hendriksen advises creating a “conversational doorknob” that aims to create a conversation and break down barriers. And it could be as simple as sharing with a colleague how your weekend went or what interests you.
“Telling your conversation partner about yourself sharpens their picture of you with ever-finer pixelation, which makes you more relatable to them,” Hendriksen wrote.
Brands and businesses can do a similar approach through storytelling. As Elsey explains, sharing behind-the-scenes sneak peeks of projects you’re working on is a way of pulling the curtain back, as if you’re letting your audience in on a secret. Then, there is listening and showing genuine interest in your customers.
“By actively listening, you can gain insights and offer thoughtful responses,” Elsey wrote.
