During this time of isolation, businesses, as much as individuals, are looking to connect. One essential element to building connection is practicing empathy. Businesses and brands alike can benefit from this, as our primary goal is to reach our target audience or consumer. However, to reap the benefits, displaying brand empathy in content marketing is critical. So, what is brand empathy? It’s understanding your audience’s strongest emotions and utilizing them for your marketing strategy, thereby encouraging warm and fuzzy feelings toward you and your business. For example, anger is a strong emotion brought on by a problem a consumer doesn’t have the equipment to fix. Show them you understand their frustration and you have just the tool they need to help! Brand empathy, when done effectively, helps build a relationship through a quick, but meaningful, message. You might be nodding along, but in the back of your mind is the one crucial question: How do I express empathy to connect with consumers?
Tell a Story with Video
Our attention spans are hyper-active these days, so the pressure to make an impact in quicker time is at its highest. How do you touch someone with your message, and express empathy, in the limited time you have the consumer’s attention? Videos! Videos are the best way to tell a story that a user can relate to or identify with in one minute or less. These can be full length minute-long recordings or “micro-moments,” which are quick clips, or montages, that make up about 30 seconds of footage altogether. Your story, and the emotions you want to invoke from it, can still be told visually; It just has to be told quickly to not lose the audience in this new era.
Playing on “The Dream”
Hopes and dreams can be just as powerful as pain points. Your consumers have similar desires and fantasies of the ideal lifestyle. Give them a glimpse of their dream life with well-done creative in your ads. Through high-quality images, you can tell a story of the luxury life they could have with your product or service. Brand empathy can communicate understanding for something bigger and better, or more productive and easier-to-use. Consumers want more time, more energy, more money, a longer and healthier life. By understanding those desires and giving them an image to put their desires onto, it builds connection, which can increase conversions and revenue.
Get Interactive
When planning content, consider interactive sites, ads, and infographics. Interactive materials are the easiest way to connect with your audience because they allow users to become a part of your message, as they have to interact with it. Interactive content is content that moves along, and changes, with the mouse as the user views your ad, site, or graphic. Take a note from grade-school teachers who understand that everyone pays more attention, and genuinely enjoys it, when they are able to be a part of the activity or message. Understanding that your ideal audience would rather interact with you is a key selling point for expressing brand empathy.
Use Your Blog
It’s an oldie but a goodie – start a blog for your website. Buyers want to buy from industry or product authorities, who have the knowledge to help them when needed. A blog is the ideal place to post how-tos, industry or company news, and other relevant tips and tricks to show your business is a resource to your buyers. It’s also a way to show your business is made up of real people, when you share timely news items. Showing that you’re a human-focused business and a business that wants to be there for their consumers during a difficult time is brand empathy at its simplest.
Virtual Events
What better way to reach your audience than directly talking to them? Another way to express empathy toward your buyers and connect with them is to host webinars or video conference events via Facebook or YouTube Live. Buyers don’t buy products or services for the brand necessarily, they really buy into the human element behind the brand. They want the people of the business, not the business itself. Give them face time with the people behind the brand! Allow them to comment during the Live videos and contribute to your message, or leave comments on the platform where the webinar is posted. Hearing the audience tell you what they want and giving them a real human to talk to is premium brand empathy.
Our phenomenal team at Anvil is here for you during this economic downturn. We are your guide and partner in digital to help you with organic SEO, paid media, social media, and so much more. Contact Anvil today to see how we can help you meet your business goals!