Okay, being the empathetic (see what we did there?) souls that we are, we understand that you may not have time to read through all this right now, so the short answer is: Absolutely!
But here’s the longer answer (we’ll still try to execute some semblance of brevity.)
Empathy is something that most people wish others would have more of in everyday life. But emotion can play a pivotal role in marketing strategy and execution too.
Simply put, empathy in marketing is putting yourself in your customers’ shoes and considering how they feel about your message, product, service or brand. But there’s a little more to it than that.
Making Genuine Connections
People want to work with people, not some distant, robotic, impassive company. They want to interact with others who understand and value them and can help them succeed. Isn’t that what life’s all about, after all?
Looking at a product, advertisement, or story through the lenses of your customers allows you to not only shape your messaging in ways that get their attention, but it opens a pathway to align with them on many levels.
People also tend to connect more naturally with how something makes them feel. That’s why building relationships in this genuine way carries a lot of weight, and to do that, the human touch is a necessary factor (take that, AI copywriters!) Showing customers that you are treating them like living, breathing human beings through your marketing efforts goes a long way to making people feel valued.
Marketing Sympathy vs. Empathy
Of course, there is a business side to every business. The idea isn’t to ignore that, but rather to recognize the difference between understanding customers’ situations (your sympathy) vs. imagining how they feel and valuing their perspective (your empathy).
Sympathy is somewhat innate in marketing; there’s always a problem to solve, a brand to elevate or something to promote. To accomplish any of those, you must have a solid understanding of your audience at a high level. Many companies, however, stop there in their marketing efforts and don’t explore the whys and hows of a situation to help find the best outcome(s).
The human side—asking yourself, “if I’m my customer, what would I want? How can I solve this? Why would I solve it this way?” gets those empathic synapses firing. Answering these questions can lead to more focused marketing messaging, stronger connections, better-nurtured relationships and ultimately, improved solutions for your customers.
Looking for assistance in tapping into this emotional aspect of marketing to better connect with your audience? We know how you feel. We’ve been there. That’s why the experts at DeanHouston+ are always willing to help.