There are plenty of family-centered businesses that need to be marketed in ways that are non-archaic and relevant to the cultural moment. We live in a time when traditional gender roles are no longer being adhered to or encouraged and when the meaning of family is being changed every day. All this and more are reasons why brands need to be inclusive and cater to every possible segment in their markets.

If your business is based on reaching families and promoting close-knit relationships among family members, here are some tips for using social media to reach and engage them.

Establish a compelling brand narrative

Why did you start your business in the first place? There must be a reason other than to make money, although that is the biggest motivator for any profit-generating endeavor. Suppose there is a compelling history behind your business. In that case, don’t hesitate to use it as the overarching brand narrative behind your company-especially if your business was born out of love for your family. Here are some examples:

If family values and your love for them are some reasons that motivated you to build your business, don’t hesitate to use that background to propel your brand forward. It is uniquely yours, and it will compel your audiences to engage more if they know that there is a heart behind the facade of the business.

Don’t hesitate to partner with marketing agencies who also understand this vision. For example, if you are running a home care facility, employ the services of a team that offers home care marketing solutions to ensure that the people you’re partnering with have a proper understanding of where you’re coming from and what you are planning to do.

Be inclusive in your language

Do not assume that in today’s world, a family means a mom, a dad, kids, and maybe some pets. Avoid using gendered terms to refer to the parents of the family-use more neutral words like parents or guardians to honor and refer to all adult caregivers who exist to take care of children. The same goes for kids who are taking care of their parents, so avoid using terms like sons and daughters if you can help it. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with using gendered terms, it’s just generally safer and more inclusive to use neutral words and pronouns.

The term families also may not necessarily refer to biological members of a family. It can be chosen, circumstantial, and non-biological. Family members can be connected through more than just blood and marriage. They can be related through languages, cultures, shared experiences, traditions, mutual support, and emotional commitment. Understanding what kind of family you’re marketing to is also key to knowing what kind of nomenclature and terminology you will use moving forward.

Understand your key demographic

You need to understand some things about the kind of families you are trying to engage and why they are on social media. For one, you need to know why the parents are using social media in the first place. Here are some questions you need to find answers to:

Understanding why they are on social media and how they behave on these platforms will help you come up with content that is relevant to their needs and day-to-day browsing habits. Let their purpose and habits shape the kind of content you will put out there.