DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION : How to build empathy with your customers

The digital age demands marketers and brands to critically think of their products or services because consumers quickly change behavior, thinking, and reasoning. Lately, they have developed emotions attached to a particular business.

Consumers are not only concerned about their well-being while accessing your products/services but also ideals or values your business stands for. The superiority of your business doesn’t necessarily matter in the 21st century, it is a subset of a larger component, which is emotional content marketing.

Consider for instance, how a customer gets to know your business. This is the first and crucial point where it demands attention. Then the next steps would probably be; customer’s interaction customer’s purchasing decision and customer’s loyalty.

In every step, your content strategy must be built to create empathy that will connect you and your target audience.

So, how would you start mapping out areas, to begin with?

Begin with understanding your customers or audience. Dig deep by understanding what they mean to your business and what you mean to them (relevance). You can develop different profiles that will help you come up with a valid strategy. Use social media to gather consumer’s feedback, Google analytics could also help you understand their behavior and hanging out areas.

Go further by pulling out your customer relationship management data (CRM) that will show how they respond to your customer service and business entirely. Consumers keep evolving, therefore, doing research will enable you to come up with concrete and flexible content marketing ideas that connect with them. Build your story from them by talking to them through interviews, questionnaire or surveys. Let them tell you how they perceive your brand. These are powerful testimonials that collect more information that accumulates to your emotional content marketing strategy, they also serve as a unifying factor between you and your customers.

While interviewing your customers, watch out for unique keywords/phrases they say to your business such as; maybe, am not sure, I don’t know, perhaps, it’s fine, no, yes and so many others. You can also pay attention to their emotional levels that include; joy, happiness, laughter, mad, cautious, surprised, fearful and many more.

Persuasion can tough sometimes that’s why you also need influencers who will craft trustworthy stories that connect.

The best way to having your message cut across the noise out there is to build your own influencer if you are building a new brand. Look no further, empower one of your favorite fan or customer to push your message. Invite them in to discuss marketing strategy and implementation. Ultimately, this will strengthen word of mouth that will amplify your business at the same time. If you are seeking an outside influencer then don’t choose randomly. Pay attention to their ability to influence and command authority to the audience. Do intensive research before you begin implementing your influencer strategy, ask them if they understand the company’s vision, have they used your product/service?

Integrate and invite influencers in your content marketing program such as; live online sessions or brand’s events. Customers have a right to hear about your business from influencers ground, therefore, allow them to share insights of your business to them. This will only be successful if an influencer understands the business and content marketing strategy.

Success will not come overnight, that’s why it is very important to keep on reading and analyzing your customer’s behaviors throughout their purchasing journey. You can take time for a while to cement and personalize relationships with existing ones before going for new ones. Let them know you are always there and you care.