The Power of Empathy in Your Content Marketing Strategy

It’s no secret that content generation has grown to be one of the most exponential modules of small business marketing. The weight of content in any business’ marketing plan is, or should be, heavy. However, 85% of marketing leaders fail to produce content that effectively connects with consumers. If you’re consistently finding yourself in a content-based rut, are you finding yourself wondering what your strategy is missing?

Chances are the answer to this question is: emotionally charged content. More specific, it may be lacking empathy. As defined by Mirriam-Webster, empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. Bottom line is that you want to understand your audience and what they need, so you can answer those needs. The best way to do this is through effectively appealing to their emotional side, and sharing those feelings.

In a study conducted by BuzzSumo, the most popular emotions evoked by marketing experts are awe, laughter, and joy. These three emotions account for 57% of marketing content leading to conversions. All three of these should certainly be a focus point in your strategy planning simply because you want to associate your brand with positive emotions. If people feel good when they engage with your brand, they’re going to come back for more. The whole point of having solid brand messaging is to make your customers want to come back for more.

A statement that spoke to us while we were at Dig South was that our job as content marketers is to “evoke the feelings we want them to feel, so they take the actions we want them to take.” We found this to be extremely insightful, because emotion is what will transform a B2C transaction into a trusted relationship, resulting in a happy customer – and happy business.

It’s difficult to reach the results you want if you’re not taking the time to feel with your customers. The story being told needs to be an emotional experience for all parties. For example, most recently, we probably felt all of the things while experiencing Mother’s Day ads. Check this one out:

I mean, come on. Can someone hand me a tissue? Everyone’s mom deserves a Macy’s purse.

If you’re a savvy marketer, you know the power of emotional appeal and will be able to make an impact on your customers through sharing and understanding how they feel. Having trouble pulling the heartstrings of your consumers? We can help with that.