How Brands Can Create Relatable Content for Their Audience
In today's digital landscape, connecting with your audience on a personal level is more important than ever. One effective way brands can do this is by creating content that feels relatable, authentic, and relevant to their audience's everyday experiences. A popular example of successful audience engagement is Daniel Mac’s viral "What do you do for a living?" interviews, which highlight the lifestyle of supercar owners. While this approach attracts curiosity from a broad audience, brands can take this further by tailoring their questions and content to resonate with their specific target group. This article will explore how to create content that’s both relatable and impactful for your brand’s audience.
1. What Does Relatable Content Mean?
Relatable content is any form of media that speaks directly to the interests, concerns, or experiences of your audience. For brands, relatable content is about going beyond simply showcasing products or services—it’s about sharing experiences, asking questions, or presenting stories that make your audience feel seen, understood, and connected.
For example, Nike’s "Just Do It" campaign goes beyond selling shoes and apparel. It connects with their audience on a deeper level, encouraging them to overcome personal obstacles and strive for greatness. This is relatable because it taps into a universal human desire for self-improvement, making the message resonate across diverse groups.
Key Characteristics of Relatable Content:
It aligns with the values and experiences of your audience.
It speaks in a language they understand.
It offers value, whether through entertainment, education, or empathy.
By producing relatable content, brands can foster trust and build long-term relationships with their audience.
2. Why Relatable Content Matters in 2024
As we move into 2024, consumers expect more from the brands they follow. They want to feel like brands understand their needs and struggles. According to recent studies, 71% of consumers are more likely to engage with content that feels relevant to their lives. In a landscape where authenticity is king, relatable content offers brands a way to break through the noise and connect on a personal level.
This is especially true with the rise of short-form content on platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts. Audiences are bombarded with videos, and only those that offer quick, relatable insights hold their attention.
3. The Power of Questions: Learning from Daniel Mac
Daniel Mac’s viral interviews, where he asks supercar owners “What do you do for a living?”, have captured the curiosity of millions. The simplicity of the question paired with the extraordinary context (supercar drivers) creates a hook that grabs attention. But why does it work?
Curiosity: The question taps into the audience's natural curiosity about wealth and success.
Aspirational: The content gives viewers a peek into a lifestyle they might aspire to.
Universal appeal: Everyone wants to know the answer to "What do you do for a living?" when presented in such a unique context.
While this format is effective for a broad audience, brands must adapt this approach to ask questions that reflect their audience's interests. A question like “What’s your daily routine like?” might not resonate if your audience is looking for quick tips on time management or industry-specific advice. To connect deeply, the content must mirror the audience's world.
4. Adapting the Formula for Your Brand’s Audience
To make content truly relatable, understand your audience first. Dive deep into their habits, preferences, and challenges. Whether you're using social listening tools, surveys, or engaging with followers directly, gathering data on your audience is essential.
Example 1: Fitness Brand
For a fitness brand targeting busy professionals, asking, “What’s your go-to workout when you’re short on time?” makes much more sense than asking a generic question like “What’s your favourite exercise?”. The former speaks directly to a time-conscious audience looking for practical solutions.
Example 2: Tech Company
For a technology brand, a good question could be: “What’s the biggest tech challenge in your business right now?”. This question not only engages the audience but can provide valuable insights for future product development.
Pro Tip: Use tools like Google Trends or keyword research tools to identify the specific interests and concerns of your audience【16†source】.
5. The Role of Short-Form Interviews in Engagement
Short-form content, such as interviews, is one of the most effective formats for capturing attention quickly. Platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels have made short videos the go-to format for audience engagement. Studies show that attention spans are shrinking, and brands need to grab interest in the first few seconds.
Why Short-Form Works:
Brevity: Short videos pack a punch without requiring much time from the viewer.
Easy to consume: In a fast-paced world, people want quick, digestible content.
Interactive: Asking direct questions can encourage viewers to comment with their answers, increasing engagement.
While long-form content still has its place (e.g., blog posts, podcasts), short-form interviews help brands build a real-time connection with their audience. If done right, these bite-sized videos can be shared widely, reaching beyond your immediate following.
6. Localisation: Ensuring Content Stays Relevant
There’s nothing more frustrating for an audience than encountering content that clearly wasn’t created with them in mind (Tooth Paste Brands, I’m looking at you). For example, seeing a car ad with the steering wheel on the wrong side or a voiceover poorly dubbed into another language can feel alienating and irrelevant.
Yes, global brands often try to reduce costs by reusing content across multiple regions, but failing to localise content can result in it losing relevance. It sends a message that the brand didn’t consider the local audience when creating the content, which can lead to a lack of connection and engagement.
For example:
A car ad targeted at an Australian audience featuring a left-hand-drive vehicle will immediately appear disconnected.
Dubbed ads where the voice doesn’t match the cultural context of the country create an awkward viewing experience, diminishing the ad’s impact.
In social media, where content is consumed rapidly and often shared across regions, it’s even more critical that brands take the time to localise their message. A small detail like a steering wheel on the wrong side can alienate entire sections of your audience.
Example: Run Pōneke
One of TAG’s clients, Run Pōneke, a Wellington-based start-up, is a great example of effective localisation. Instead of relying on polished long-form content or highly produced imagery, Run Pōneke focused on creating simple, relatable running clips that resonated with the local community. These clips featured the founder asking people, “Why do you run?” while they were actually running along the Wellington waterfront.
The content was intentionally rough and ready, shot with a handheld camera, and featured windy conditions, as is typical for Wellington. The grassroots focus helped Run Pōneke build a strong connection with their audience, keeping it authentic and relevant to the local running culture. This approach showed that the brand wasn’t over-engineering its message but rather capturing the genuine passion of runners in the area.
By embracing the local environment and not over-polishing the content, Run Pōneke showcased that relatable, localised content can drive strong engagement by aligning closely with the audience’s real experiences.
Why Localisation Matters:
Cultural Relevance: Different regions have unique customs, values, and expectations. Ensuring your content reflects these factors shows respect and understanding.
Audience Engagement: Content that speaks directly to the local experience resonates more and invites stronger engagement.
Brand Perception: Failure to localise can make your brand appear out of touch or disconnected from the audience’s reality.
While global brands may want to streamline production, it's important not to compromise on localisation, especially in social media, where the immediacy and relevance of content can make or break audience engagement.
7. Tips for Creating Highly Relatable Content
Now that we’ve covered the theory let’s dive into some actionable tips that can help your brand create content that’s deeply relatable:
1. Leverage Data to Understand Your Audience
You can’t create relatable content without knowing what your audience cares about. Use analytics, social media insights, and audience feedback to fine-tune your understanding of their interests and preferences.
2. Ask Questions That Matter to Them
Borrowing from Daniel Mac’s approach, ask questions that will spark meaningful responses from your audience. Instead of broad, open-ended questions, make them specific and aligned with their lifestyle.
3. Create Short-Form, Shareable Content
Short-form videos are powerful tools for engagement. Use platforms like TikTok, YouTube Shorts, or Instagram Reels to create quick, punchy videos that your audience can easily share.
4. Use Real Stories and Testimonials
Nothing is more relatable than hearing from real customers. Incorporate testimonials and user-generated content (UGC) to showcase real stories. These add an extra layer of authenticity to your brand.
5. Be Authentic and Genuine
Authenticity is key. Don’t try to fake relatability—it’s easy for audiences to see through it. Be genuine in your approach, whether it’s through humour, empathy, or shared experiences.
8. Final Thoughts: Creating Content that Resonates
Relatable content is a powerful tool that can help brands build trust and loyalty among their audiences. By asking the right questions, creating short-form engaging content, and staying authentic, brands can connect with their followers on a deeper level. Take inspiration from viral formats like Daniel Mac’s interviews, but always remember to adapt them to fit your specific audience.
Don’t forget the importance of localising your content to ensure it feels relevant in every market you target. By making sure your content reflects the real concerns, interests, and desires of your audience, you position your brand not just as a service provider but as a trusted ally in their journey.
