The Secret to Empathy in Marketing
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“We want our marketing to be more empathetic.”
Plenty of companies have told us some version of that in the last so many years.
It makes sense as to why.
Empathy is in. Empathy connects. Through that, empathy sells.
But, empathetic marketing, at its best, is something you work towards. It’s not so much a decision as it is an exploration.
Specifically, it’s an exploration of your prospective customer’s life.
What they’re thinking, what they want, what they’re looking for — this is often described by the phrase “putting yourself in their shoes.”
That’s probably the easiest, best place from which to start empathetic marketing. Our lawyers SEO company can certainly help you to develop it and then to get the most from it.
Not Just What They’re Saying, What They’re Thinking
When many marketers and business owners think of “putting ourselves in our prospective customer’s shoes,” they tend to make the same error.
They only step into the prospective customer’s shoes, so to speak, in regards to their relationship to the product/service.
So, if the company sells shoes, they’ll only “step into the customer’s shoes,” in terms of how they feel about shoes.
(Sort of have shoes on the mind here.)
To continue the analogy, the company might think about how the prospective feels about the shoes, what kinds of shoes they’re looking for, what sorts of use they might find for the shoes, etc.
But, to make the best empathetic marketing, think about the rest of the prospective customer’s life. Who they see, where they go, their family, their jobs, and perhaps most importantly, what problems they need to be solved.
Then, with all of that, you can better craft a more empathetic message that really speaks to them.
Too often, we see brands/marketers/business owners put out content that very well could solve the prospective customer’s problems.
But, it’s designed in such a way that it’s not easy to access or understand.
Empathetic marketing solves a person’s problem while doing so in a way that really and truly speaks to them.
Remember, the Customer Doesn’t Need Content Marketing
That’s something that can be difficult for some marketers and business owners to hear.
Content marketing is, well, marketing.
It promotes a business.
Sure, great content marketing can be a joy to watch and experience, but it’s not something the customer needs. It’s something the business needs.
The key, then, is to make the content marketing something that the prospective customer truly does need.
Again, this is one more area where empathetic marketing can be the right tool for the job.
The best content marketing solves actual customer problems.
It provides real value.
That word, “value,” can be a little intimidating.
I know it certainly was for me when I started writing content.
I had this feeling of: “Oh geez, I have to be able to solve everyone’s problems with this five hundred or so word blog.”
No.
Providing any bit of true, helpful information can be more than enough.
Once folks see you as a resource, someone they can trust, someone who’s helpful, then they’ll see you as someone they can do business with.
For help with this and just about anything else related to marketing, you can reach us at (888) 477-9540.