No matter what marketing fads come and go, empathy should always be the backbone of every campaign. Empathetic marketing is that one extra step you can take to put yourself in the shoes of the public. It’s understanding their wants and needs, remembering that they’re human beings just like you, and learning how they like to be marketed to using collected data and lived experiences. Face it: If you lose sight of empathy, you lose sight of it all. There is every chance you’re letting your empathy fall by the wayside. Let’s look at what you can do to change course and feel for your customers like you used to.
Listening Goes a Long Way
More often than not, your customers are going to tell you exactly what it is they want out of your organization. Where
you’re getting tripped up is thinking that you know best, no matter what they say. Here’s the thing: you may very well know best! They might want one product when another product or service you offer is more in line with what they need. The thing is, you need to bring them in before you can adjust their perceptions, and that means meeting them where they are at the moment.
The customer will never miss an opportunity to tell you exactly what they’re looking for. It can come directly from social media comments, emails to your customer service department, and other direct methods of communication, or it can come from the data you’re already gathering. Page actions, form fills, A/B testing, and other tools you’re already set up can feed directly into your strategy, and show you what your customers find to be important. Don’t let those voices go unheard. They’re exactly what you need to bring people in.
Data Is Great, But People Are People
The information you gather from your data is always going to be valuable and important, but you’re shooting yourself in
the foot if you over-rely on your Salesforce dashboards. Remembering that your audience is more than a number is going to be a cornerstone of your empathetic marketing strategy. They aren’t just numbers, and they aren’t just email addresses. They’re a person not unlike you, and when you remember that fact, it allows you to better build connections with them, and correctly assess their needs.
Trust Is A Bridge Worth Building
A majority of consumers believe that they’re accurately able to determine when a brand is being dishonest. If they sniff
out anything of the sort, then whatever strategy you have going is forfeit from that point on, and you’re going to have to work ten times harder to get that prospect back. Being trustworthy as an organization isn’t terribly difficult, but it does have steps that a lot of organizations have deemed superfluous. Interacting with people authentically on social media can be huge for that. Really, good and prompt customer support, in general, is a great idea. Another great way to build trust is to show that your organization cares about the world outside of itself. Showing you care about social causes not only gives your customers something to relate to, but also has the potential to give them a glimpse as to where their money is going. Don’t underestimate the number of people who want to support ethical organizations. There are plenty of outright evil ones, and people are tired.
You Need Only Ask
Here’s the thing: you can be cunning and clever with how you gather your information and data, but a lot of the time,
you won’t need to. When you post publicly or send an email blast out to a list of prospects, don’t underestimate the power of asking what your audience wants and needs. Sometimes being direct and showing that you care about their needs can do wonders for building trust, and for shaping your marketing going forward. Maybe send out a survey, even! Remember that data you gather this way can be compiled into things like infographics and can become a resource for others in your field! That’s content that can be leveraged to generate even more leads. See? The strategy is already building itself, and all because you decided to listen.
