Emotional Marketing 101: Connecting with Your Audience

Why do you watch a movie or read a book? You may say for entertainment, and, while that is likely part of it, you consume these stories because they make you feel something.

Whether a movie makes you cry or laugh, it is triggering your emotions. Good stories connect with their audiences based on similar life experiences. Even though you may have never had to run out of a burning building, you have probably experienced a similar sense of urgency in your life. The content and specifics of a plot do not make a movie or novel successful; the emotional connection they provide does.

Stories are powerful. These traditional storytelling mediums hold a lot of the attention of your ideal or target audience, so why not tap into and take advantage of this tool?

“Out of 1,400 successful advertising campaigns, those with purely emotional content performed about twice as well (31% vs. 16%) as those with only rational content (HubSpot.com).”

The good news is that you can carry over the power of storytelling into the marketing world. When you build a connection with your audience through emotional marketing, consumers are more likely to remember and engage with your brand.

Emotional Marketing 101

You are selling a service or product, not trying to entertain someone for two hours. While this may be true, your marketing efforts should be entertaining, engaging, and triggering. 

Emotional marketing is all about connecting with your audience and making them feel something – just like in the movies. These marketing efforts use emotion to encourage your audience to notice, remember, engage, and buy your products or services.

Build an Emotional Connection with Your Audience

Tell a Story

If there is one thing you should have gathered so far, it is that stories are powerful. Harness this power and implement it into your digital marketing strategy. Whatever the emotion – sadness, anger, excitement, or happiness – the emotion portrayed through stories is memorable. Your audience will relate and connect with your brand on a more meaningful and personal level.

As a senior living provider, your community is full of stories. Highlighting residents through blogs or videos can build trust and relate to potential customers going through similar experiences.

Be Authentic and Consistent

It may be hard to believe, but it is okay to be human. In fact, your audience will appreciate this about you. When you are authentic and show your audience that your brand has been developed by actual human beings, you are more relatable and approachable. 

When you have a clear and authentic brand message, your audience will see that. Consistency is key. Once you have established your story and voice, stick to it. Be honest about your mission and values and back these up through your actions.

Connect with Your Audience on a Personal Level

When a customer or potential resident inquires about your community, respond to them directly. Make your audience feel heard and listen to and address their questions and concerns.

A significant part of emotional marketing is this person-to-person interaction. By acknowledging each customer, you are forming a personal connection that will make your brand more memorable. 

Additionally, you can use this to your advantage. When you listen to what your audience is asking for, you can adapt to accommodate their needs and wants. If you ignore their questions, you lose this valuable insight into what could make your brand better.

Understand Content Triggers

Emotional marketing is not about sharing and telling stories just to tell them. On the contrary, this type of marketing is about sharing relevant stories that connect with your audience. Content triggers can be a great tool in helping you figure out what to share.

Pay attention when your customers and residents talk to you.

• What are their pain points?
• For current resident, what made them choose your community?

Once you understand what they want and need, you can use these content triggers to inspire your storytelling. Use your unique and personal experiences to connect with your audience and provide a solution to their problems.

Building an emotional connection with your audience not only makes a good first impression but it will help potential residents and their families make decisions with their hearts.

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At Markentum, we strive to create quality content that establishes a strong connection with our partners’ audiences while staying true to their voice and brand. Let’s connect – reach out to a member of our team to learn more about our digital marketing services!