Website design By BotEap.com3 Ways to Use Empathic Content Marketing
Website design By BotEap.comWhen I say the word “empathy”, what do you associate it with?
Website design By BotEap.comKindness to a family member who is going through a difficult time? Support your partner when they have had a bad day? However, does a business-related example come to mind?
Website design By BotEap.comI guess a lot of people don’t associate “empathy” with buying or selling.
Website design By BotEap.comUnfortunately, not many brands either!
Website design By BotEap.comBut as we move on from COVID-19, empathy-based marketing isn’t just the right thing to do, your customers now expect it.
Website design By BotEap.comMany studies conducted during the pandemic show that people want brands to be more empathetic and aware of the long-term impact it will have on their lives.
Website design By BotEap.comHopefully, you communicated authentically and empathetically with your clients during this time, and you will need to continue to do so!
Website design By BotEap.comSo now that we’ve established that being an empath is important, let’s define exactly what it is.
Website design By BotEap.comBasically, it is about putting yourself in the shoes of your customers to provide them with a better service. And unlike sympathy, which is feeling compassion, empathy means imagining yourself in someone else’s situation.
Website design By BotEap.comExamples of Brand Empathy
Website design By BotEap.comLet’s look at a real world example: IKEA recently created a video with images taken by employees, capturing moments at home.
Website design By BotEap.comBy thinking like its customers, the company showed solidarity and connection during the COVID-19 crisis, reminding people that maybe they should spruce up their space.
Website design By BotEap.comHere are a couple of ways a small business owner could use empathic content marketing:
- Make a DIY blog or video to show people how to create something using your product. Whether it’s growing herbs, updating your wardrobe with a few key pieces, crafting, or keeping track of your finances, this could be a great way to provide something useful to clients or social media followers who are spending more time at home.
- Give a portion of your profits or donate products to a charitable cause. During the pandemic, one of our clients, Malarys, has been very active in the community, donating several face masks to healthcare workers. People will look to brands to continue these charitable efforts post-pandemic.
Website design By BotEap.comNo matter how you approach empathy-based marketing, make sure you offer something of value to your audience.
Website design By BotEap.comAccording to 2019 Forrester research, 65% of consumers say they already receive too much material from marketers, and nearly that many think they are receiving useless content.
Website design By BotEap.comBeing an empath is not your excuse to sell bullshit or lose sight of giving people a real solution.
Website design By BotEap.comHow to use empathy to improve marketing
Website design By BotEap.com1. Take advantage of emotional triggers.
Website design By BotEap.comYes, your product or service offers a solution to buyers, but that’s the logical side of the equation. That
emotions drive the behavior of your customers?
Website design By BotEap.comFor example, one of our clients offers financial therapy services. Rather than just focus on numbers and figures, Wendy Wright dives deeper into the
because of financial decision making.
Website design By BotEap.comShe talks about her past struggles with money and the importance of looking at finances with “compassionate curiosity” to empathize with her clients, who often feel shame or anxiety about debt or savings.
Website design By BotEap.com2. Listen to your customers
Website design By BotEap.comA 2018 study by M&C Saatchi looked at how well 34,000 customers’ actual experiences with brands aligned with their promises. They found that 18% of consumers had stopped using a brand in the last 12 months due to a broken promise.
Website design By BotEap.comTwenty-seven percent believe that brand experiences are getting worse, not better.
Website design By BotEap.comAre you delivering the quality and service your customers deserve?
Website design By BotEap.comI’ve talked about this many times before, including the importance of dealing with negative customer reviews. The core of brand empathy is how you treat your customers when they provide negative feedback.
Website design By BotEap.comFor example, when a customer accused Airbnb and a great deal of racial discrimination after being denied a reservation and then accepted after using a fake profile of a white male, Airbnb responded quickly.
Website design By BotEap.comThey launched their ‘Open Doors’ policy, which places any guests they feel are being discriminated against elsewhere, whether it’s another Airbnb property or a hotel.
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Website design By BotEap.comREAD: “How to evolve your business model as times change” on our website.
Website design By BotEap.comAs we emerge from the coronavirus pandemic, it’s obvious that some things are forever changing. In a recent survey, 81% of Canadians agreed that the crisis will create a new normal and have a lasting impact on society.
Website design By BotEap.comIt’s time to take a look at your marketing and assess whether it still makes sense to your target audience. I share some great tips for defining and meeting customer needs for your future success!
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Website design By BotEap.com3. Remember and respect differences.
Website design By BotEap.comNo two customers are the same, even if they both belong to your target audience. People of different geographic locations, generations, and genders are not necessarily going to want the same thing from you.
Website design By BotEap.comWhen you’re creating your empathetic content marketing strategy, start with some deep research into the customer’s personality. A marketing persona defines a segment of your audience, for example, “tech-savvy millennial” or “thrifty young mom.”
Website design By BotEap.comTo design these useful marketing tools, you can look at your demographics, survey and/or interview your customers, and listen on social media.
Website design By BotEap.comBy developing these marketing personas, you’ll have a much better idea of how to approach and engage your audience by offering them relevant content that they’ll appreciate receiving from you.
Website design By BotEap.comChances are, you’ve had to change your marketing strategy during the pandemic, but that doesn’t mean you’ll be back to business as usual now.
Website design By BotEap.comIt’s time to walk a mile in your customers’ shoes. So be kind, understand the emotional level your customer is on right now, and provide valuable content that is relevant to them as we all do our best to move forward stronger than ever.
