Personality Matters: Attracting More Merchants

Have you ever walked into a retail store and completed an entire shopping trip without ever interacting with a single store employee?  If so, you know how impersonal this feels and how it can cause you to have a more negative impression of that store.  On the flip side, there are plenty of businesses out there who make a point to go the extra mile in their customer interactions and do a really great job of creating a more personal consumer experience.  While it may seem that personality is only important in retail experiences, this couldn’t be farther from the truth.  Even financial institutions and B2B payments industry companies can benefit from an established brand personality.

Understand Your Audience

Before you can decide your brand’s personality and how you should display it, you should know who is most likely to interact with your brand.  You should make sure you understand what your audience is looking for and how your brand could benefit them.

Know the Landscape

Another very important part of establishing a brand personality that will help your business succeed is knowing the industry you’re operating in.  For payments industry and fintech companies, staying up to date on what is happening and what competitors are doing is crucial to remaining relevant in the ever-changing environment.  Being able to stand out among other companies is critical to winning with merchants who might be objected to change.

Create a Culture

Your brand’s personality relies heavily on the people at your organization.  Everyone that works at your company should be on board with the principles that will help the business grow and continue to thrive.  The people at your company should be an extension of your brand’s personality and voice.

Be Open

With the influence of technology and social media, people all over the world are more connected than ever.  Even in traditionally B2B industries, like the payments industry, people appreciate companies that are willing to share some of the inner workings of their business.  People enjoy brands that aren’t afraid to have personality and highlight what makes their company great publicly.  This could mean employee feature posts or even a little humor in marketing pieces.

Keep It Consistent

Once you’ve established a personality, voice, and image for your brand you should ensure that it’s present and consistent in everything that you do.  Choose images and copy that correctly represent your brand’s personality so that customers become more connected to the company and easily recognize the brand.

Craft Pleasant Experiences

Whether a person is looking for new sales reporting software or a new jacket, they want to have an enjoyable customer experience.  With a brand personality that not only makes sense but is also personable and pleasant.  While technology is critical in the payment industry, merchants still want to know that they are engaging with a brand that genuinely cares.  At every touch point, your brand's personality should be present and enjoyable.