Content marketing is about building a relationship with your customers and your business. But the most successful content marketing isn’t simply made up of dozens of blog posts or consistent emails or well researched keywords; what makes a brand’s content successful is empathy. It’s by how well a brand understands their customers, shares their feelings and finds solutions to answer current issues.
Empathy is a vital tool in marketing, but when a crisis arises, it’s the best way to keep the relationship between customers and a business strong.
Here are a few ways to build empathy marketing that will help your business combat a crisis.
Open Communication is Key
Empathy is defined as the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. Empathy marketing is about putting yourself in your customers’ shoes. And the best way to find out what your customers are going through is with open communication. Businesses who are willing to listen, learn and take action based on what their customers say, will gain support for their brand. Here are two ways to make sure you’re receiving the right feedback from your audience.
Ask Open-Ended Questions
“Yes and no” questions are great for quick surveys but when rough times hit, you need to know more about what your customers are experiencing. Give your customers the room to share their issues rather than assuming you know what they are going through. The more information they give you the better, so don’t be afraid of lengthy responses.
Combine a quick survey with an open-ended question like Society6’s after purchase email follow-up.
Ask for Honest Feedback
Make each customer feel valued and included in the overall health of your business by asking for honest feedback. Good feedback is great for morale, but constructive criticism will help your business to understand what your customers need and the areas open for improvement.
Strengthen Your Relationship with Current Customers
Loyal customers may be the lifeline your business needs during challenging times. So, take the time to research how your current customers are being affected by what is going on in the community.
Revisit Current Pain Points
Pain points can change, especially during hard times. Find out how the pain points for your audience have changed and what solutions they are looking for. If your business doesn’t stay up to date on current issues, you can risk your customers misunderstanding your brand or completely ignoring it.
You may also find a solution to a current pain point that’ll help your brand gain more awareness during a crisis. Earlier this year, when there was a shortage of hand sanitizer, hundreds of distilleries like Freeland Spirits created their own to help their community.
Revisit Current Purchasing & Decision-Making Process
It’s not enough to find out how your customers have changed their purchasing habits, you need to understand why. This will help your business find solutions and answers that will align with your audiences’ needs.
With COVID-19, there are more customers purchasing everyday essentials online rather than in store. Businesses, like Bearlic Beer Co reacted by starting fast, free local deliveries or curb-side pick-up options.
Be What Your Customers & Community Need
Let your audience know that as a business you understand what they are going through and find a way to be a source of value. It may mean branching out and trying something new. Brands who take the time to understand and learn from their customers will build long lasting relationships that will help the business stay afloat during difficult times.
Empathy in content marketing is key to building that long lasting relationship between your customers’ and your business. It’s only when we put ourselves in others’ shoes that we can understand the challenges they face and think critically to find solutions to help. Empathy marketing is a strong tool that not only will help your business survive a crisis, but will help your brand earn that lasting relationship marketers are always striving for.
Sophia Brady is a writer and SEO & Marketing Specialist at Northwest Media Collective, a full-service digital agency. To learn more, visit https://northwestmediacollective.com/.
