Realtors have been doing it for years: Putting their faces on all their marketing materials, from business cards to billboards. Why do they do it? Are they so full of themselves that they believe we all want to see their smiling mugs?

No. They do it because they know that a buyer or seller wants to deal with a human, not a company. They are trying to connect with their prospects on a more personal level.

In today’s competitive market that’s your edge: Humanize your organization to deal with, well, humans. We all want to connect; that’s the draw of social media, to connect. It’s also a powerful tool for your business. It gives you and your company the opportunity to interact with your customers. Interaction is an experience and a good, or bad, experience has a greater impact than a canned slogan or catchy logo. (Not that these elements are not important.)

Add pictures of you and your staff to your website or Facebook Fan Page. Send out a couple of blasts a week from your page, and they don’t always have to be selling. Send out links to articles of interest in your business. Do you sell building supplies? Send out links to DIY articles. Become a trusted friend and expert in your field.

The point is you’re building a relationship with those fans. You’re becoming a friend and people like to do business with friends. It’s comfortable and safe, and that’s what will build customer loyalty.

So, put your “mug” out there. Connect with your customers. The Internet has evolved from making things more impersonal to helping people connect with people. Use it and grow your business.