Ways to Embrace Technology Without Losing the Human Element

Technology fuels businesses, but it isn’t the only ingredient for success. Keeping the human touch alive is key to standing out. Yet, companies can drift away from this human touch. Without a conscious effort to stay relatable, they can turn into cold, profit-focused entities.

With AI and automation taking the center stage, how can you integrate these tools in your business without losing your human touch?

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Main Points

• Adopt a human-first strategy
• Prevent tech from overshadowing your humanity
• Utilize tech to enhance human-centric activities

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Let’s explore some of the most effective ways companies can leverage cutting-edge tech without losing sight of the human experience.

1. Adopt a human-first strategy

In the world of digital, marketers use tactics like keywords and backlinking to drive organic traffic to their websites. But it’s important to remember to keep the reader at the heart of content creation. Prioritize your audience first and search engines second, even us accountants know this.

This principle applies to all aspects of business technology. Tech tools should never be an end in themselves. Instead, they should provide a clear benefit that helps you serve your target audience better.

In marketing, this is often called human-to-human marketing. In customer service, a consumer-centric approach is vital. And I really mean vital!

During the pandemic, when companies were using tech tools to maintain their connection with customers, a survey was conducted. They wanted to find out how consumers were coping with online customer service interactions.

The findings were insightful. Over a third of respondents indicated that having a human element in the interaction was not just important, but a top three requirement for a satisfying interaction.

To blend tech with the human touch, always prioritize the customer over the technology.

2. Prevent tech from overshadowing your humanity

Technology can be used in countless ways. From speeding up invoicing to tracking customer profiles and forecasting sales cycles, the possibilities are endless. However, tech should never be a means to avoid problems, like dealing with a dissatisfied customer.

In fact, nearly half of the respondents in the survey mentioned earlier wanted brands to make it easier to access human help. They didn’t want to navigate through automated customer service systems.

Tech should always enhance the customer experience, whether directly or indirectly. If tech hides your brand’s humanity, you need to find a better solution.

3. Utilize tech to enhance human-centric activities

One of the best ways to effectively incorporate tech is to use it to optimize “human touch” business activities. For example, a branded podcast is an excellent way to display a brand’s humanity. However, podcasts require a lot of work. This is where tech can assist in numerous ways.

AI and automation tools can streamline the podcast production process. For example, AI can automate transcription services. Post-production can also be improved with AI, such as removing background noise and fixing sound level irregularities.

Furthermore, an enhanced marketing tool can create a more detailed blog article based on a podcast episode. This can dive deeper into a topic, expanding your reach. Despite the tech involvement, a human editor should still review the content.

Technology and humanity don’t have to be separate aspects of business. With thoughtful planning, the two can overlap beautifully.

Embrace a human-first mindset, and evaluate tech to ensure that it is helping rather than hiding your brand’s human touch. If you can maintain that mindset, you can find endless ways to use tech to gain a competitive edge in your industry.

Source: Entrepreneur Magazine