One of the ways a business builds its brand is to tug at the emotions of their audience. Your brand will help your client when they identify with you and build the know, trust and like factor. This is why everything you put out there, from business cards to websites, blog and social media posts, is important. You want to reach them and start a relationship.
The way a customer and client work together and communicate can build long-lasting, meaningful relationships that turn clients into fans, and fans into clients. Think about it, when you read or see something that you can relate to, do you feel connected? Do you dive deeper to learn more? It doesn’t matter if it is a person, a place or a thing, you want to know more. You may follow them, like their page, or buy their product that is the start of a relationship. The same is true for YOUR business. You can actually set out to build these relationships by using emotional marketing techniques.
Show Them That You Know Them
The more research you do into the needs and desires of your target audience, the more your audience will be able to tell that you’re interested in them. What is it that they need help with? What can you share that they may enjoy? When you show interest in them, it will make them interested in your business and you. When you discover something about your audience, let them know through your content and your actions. It can be a simple as sharing a tool or program that may save them time, or a discount you have found. This creates a connection.
Treat Them Right
So many times business owners have sales and special events to get new clients. What about the clients you already have? Remember the old saying, “a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush”? In other words, keeping the client you have (the sure thing) is far more important than getting a new client or two as they are only potential clients. Not to mention less costly too! So do something special for your existing client or fan base that shows them that you care about them. Give them a discount, or a special freebie, or something else that attaches them to you in a special way.
Be Transparent and Honest
One way to endear yourself to your audience is to always be transparent and honest. If you make a mistake, own up to it, we are only human! If you cannot meet a deadline, say so. If you change your views on something, it’s okay to admit it. Doing so will endear you to your audience. Knowing that you are trustworthy and will be upfront with them will build their confidence in you deepening the relationship.
Put People before Numbers
While you do things to help promote your business, it’s important to keep your morals and remember that people are more important than numbers. No one wants to be just a number, so put people first in your business, including yourself, you’ll find that you naturally improve your bottom line. The more people trust you, the more they’ll buy from you.
Be Fun When Appropriate
No one wants to feel as if they’re communicating with a robot or someone who is not real. Be yourself. Be interested in them and their lives. Be funny when it’s appropriate so that you can show your humanity. Your humanness will shine through when you add some humor and fun to posts, emails, and even sales pages.
Be Responsive
This would seem like a no brainer. Obviously, your customers expect to get an answer when they have a problem, and they expect it to be quickly. Provide many different ways for your audience to contact you. Be clear with what they can expect in regards to your response time. Should they expect to hear from you only during posted business hours or will you respond on weekends? It is also very important to advise them when you will not be available, say for a conference or vacation. Let them know what they can expect during your absence. Then follow up and do what you said you would do.
Engage with Your Audience
Find ways to engage with your audience by asking their advice or ideas when it comes to a new product or service you’re going to launch. Perhaps they can help name it, help define what should be in it, maybe even how much you should charge for it. It is important to remember, your audience can also be your best source of word-of-mouth marketing, so give them a reason to be excited to share.
Consider the Communication Format
It is important to try to get an understanding of how people communicate within their business. Communication online in chat, instant message, or email, is far different from communicating on the telephone or in person. It’s imperative that you determine what type of communication they’re most comfortable with and prefer using. Work that into your routine. I would suggest regular check-in calls no matter what else you use, this allows for a more personal connection to be maintained.
In Conclusion
The key here is building customer relationships that last. No one wants to be on a constant quest for the next client, we want to work with them long term. That is why relationships are a large part of the goal of emotional marketing. When you’ve formed a strong attachment with your audience and clients, they will stick with you for years – through price increases, trials and tribulations, and more.
So, take a minute and make sure you are invested in your audience and clients. You can’t go wrong with building those relationships, everyone wins.