What is Empathy-based Marketing?

Empathy Mapping
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Successful marketing is all about striking a chord with your target customer base. You can work hard, publish endless content and pour lots of time into your marketing campaigns. But unless you can connect with your audience’s emotions and motivations, you’re likely to end up frustrated with the results.

So, it’s time to take a different approach, and this means really getting under the skin of your customer.

 

The principles of empathy-based marketing

As a concept, empathy-based marketing is very easy to get to grips with – although doing it effectively is another matter entirely. It’s all about understanding how your buyers feel, and the link between emotion and decision making. While rationality does come into it, every purchase decision is motivated by emotion in some way.

This kind of marketing involves:

  • Empathising with your target customer’s life experience
  • Thinking like your customer in order to solve a problem – how would they approach it, and what steps would they follow to find a solution?
  • Providing value-adding content to customers that offers practical help and expert advice
  • Looking for ways to make your customers lives better
  • Understanding what motivates your target buyer, so you can give them exactly what they want
  • Empower consumer-facing members of your business to provide a richer, more personalised customer experience.

So, in a nutshell, it’s about getting as close as possible to your target customer’s perspective.

 

How to Move Towards a Customer-centric Marketing Approach

If you feel you’ve hit a plateau with a rational marketing approach that isn’t delivering the results you want, it’s time to switch things up. To get those conversions, you need to build that emotional connection and trust with your customer base.

Here’s where to start:

 

  1. Ask “How can I help?” rather than “What can I sell you?”

Great things can happen when you put your customer’s needs first. Rather than showcasing products and trying to impress your clients, listen to them and understand what they really want. It seems counter-intuitive when you’re trying to make a sale, but a helpful, proactive and empathetic approach will always pay off in the long-term.

 

  1. Map out buyer motivation

Just because we’re focusing on empathy and emotion, it doesn’t mean that this approach can’t be analysed scientifically. You can map out your customer’s motivations and their buying journey using all kinds of data. Start with survey and other feedback data, but make sure you speak to customers and get out in the field to meet them face-to-face. Remember, it’s all about observing and understanding the world of your customer.

 

  1. Develop conversations, not campaigns

To make a deeper connection with your customers, talk to them rather than at them. Think about how your content can extend an invitation to engage your customer base, listen to their feedback and offer help and advice.

 

Need expert help to develop marketing campaigns that really speak to your target customers? Work with our IT marketing specialists here at IT Focus – call us on 0330 058 0100 or email info@itfocus-tm.com to get started.

Get In Touch

Call us on 0330 058 0100 to find out how we can help you.

Our goal is to develop a thorough understanding of the technology that underpins the message you want us to deliver. By doing this, we can communicate your value proposition in a clear and concise manner to the people that are important to you: your future customers.

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