Meet and greet

Your marketing plan likely includes SEO keywords, a content calendar, advertisement schedules and perhaps a list of influencers to contact. But is your greatest asset — your employees — part of that plan?

I’m not talking about a stale paragraph in the “about us” section of your website. Plus, those often only include ownership and management. Instead, think: a section on your site, mentions on your social channels or spotlights in your newsletters that introduce individuals on your team and allow your customers to get to know them better.

From their responsibilities and contributions at work to their hobbies and aspirations, there are so many stories to tell within the walls of your organization.

NatureSweet, based in San Antonio, Texas, takes this concept to heart. Part of its mission states, “Our Associates understand they’re capable of anything and anything is possible. As a business, we grow tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers, but our higher calling is to unleash the power of people and to help them truly shine.”

The company highlights employees on its product packaging and provides a way for consumers to send them a message. A section of the NatureSweet website highlights employees, with a quick video message from each one. Two of the messages collected for Gloria Ruiz read, “Hola Gloria! I loved watching your video and am very appreciative of the hard work and efforts by you and your team! Thankful for all that you do! Greetings from Gloucester, MA” and “Hi Gloria! Thank you to you and your team for working hard to bring fresh food to our family’s table in Ohio!”

Consumers revealed in the 2024 Food and Health Survey by the International Food Information Council that one of the factors influencing their decision to purchase a food or beverage is “knowing that the workers who produce, distribute or serve the food (e.g., farm workers, factory workers, retail and foodservice staff) are treated in a fair and equitable way.”

If you’re contemplating this approach, you don’t have to make it all about someone’s job responsibilities. What about their life away from work?

Perhaps you have an Ironman competitor in your midst; a Meals on Wheels volunteer; a woodcarver that creates animals from felled trees; an ’80s hair band fanatic who’s been to more than 375 Def Leppard concerts; or someone with a heart-shaped rock collection. Tell their story. Show their faces. Share their interests.

Your suppliers, customers and potential customers want to see the human side of your business, and telling these stories could be the tipping point on whether they do business with you instead of your competitor. It may also help you hire qualified and caring people.

By the way, I put myself in one of the examples above. Care to make a guess which one is me? I’ll give you a hint: it’s definitely not the Ironman scenario!

Once you start sharing the stories of your team members with the public (or if you already do), share that link with me so I can get to know them, too.