Think about some of the most memorable moments in your life. More than anything else, you’ll probably associate those memories with strong emotions. This is because emotion is what distinguishes great experiences from just any other day.
The same logic is true for marketing. When you’re developing an advertising strategy, you want it to stick in the audience’s mind long after they’ve stopped directly interacting with your marketing materials. To do that, you will want to make your marketing emotional.
But just why are emotions so effective as a marketing tool? And how can you develop an emotional marketing strategy that actually works? Read on to find out.
What is an emotional marketing strategy and why does it work?
You might be thinking that all marketing campaigns are emotional. To an extent, that’s true – but an emotional marketing strategy is one that focuses on leveraging the audience’s emotions to have a longstanding impact.
Let’s consider an example. A marketing email could be titled ‘buy domain Singapore’ and include a list of the advantages of taking such an action. However, if these advantages are just described in unemotional, dull terms, it’s unlikely that the reader will be encouraged to make a purchase.
An emotional marketing strategy, on the other hand, would focus on a specific emotion linked to investing in a new domain, such as excitement at the possibility of business growth in a thriving location such as Singapore. Every part of that marketing campaign would aim to ignite feelings of excitement in the audience.
Emotional marketing works because humans are emotional animals. With emotional marketing, you can develop your connection with your audience and become more than just another brand. This can encourage your customers to share your marketing materials, while also making them far more likely to buy from you.
What’s more, emotions can be a vital part of any form of marketing, from TikTok ads to email campaigns. If you want to drive customer loyalty, increase sales, and grow your brand, emotional marketing is the way forward.
Developing an effective emotional marketing strategy: Top 4 Tips
The advantages of basing your marketing campaigns around emotions are clear. But simply recognizing that doesn’t mean that you’ll be able to create an effective emotional marketing strategy. In fact, getting emotional marketing wrong can leave your campaign appearing confused or trashy. Here are some important guidelines for developing your strategy.
Start with your audience
Any marketing campaign starts with a solid understanding of your audience. While you’ll probably have access to lots of demographic data, you might want to consider doing some direct market research – using a tool such as a VoIP phone service can help you contact members of your audience.
It would be best if you focused on the emotions that drive your audience to make decisions. You can then consider where your typical audience member will be on their emotional journey when they encounter your campaign. This will enable you to find an emotion to build your campaign around.
Design a strategy around one emotion
It’s important not to let your emotional message get diluted. This means that you’ll benefit from sticking to just one emotion in your marketing strategy. You’ll want to choose which emotion to focus on early in the process, using all that you know about your audience.
Most campaigns use positive emotions, such as joy or excitement, which means that your audience will associate your brand with those positive feelings. In a brand video production, for instance, you could combine bright colors with an upbeat tune and smiling actors.
That’s not to say that you can’t just as effectively use negative emotions. FOMO – or Fear of Missing Out – is also a strong emotional feeling and tapping into that can be a great way to encourage customers to make a purchase.
Focus on storytelling
You don’t cry at the end of a romantic film just because the emotions automatically appear in sync with the closing credits – you cry because you’ve been following an emotionally charged story. Stories are a great way to create a campaign that emotionally resonates with your audience.
If you want to build an effective story, consider using customer testimonials. In order to center an emotion like happiness, you could focus on how a product has changed a customer’s life for the better. These real-life stories will make your audience far likelier to make a purchase.
For example, let’s say you want to increase .il domain registration among small business owners in Israel. A traditional marketing campaign might simply explain the reasons for choosing a .co.il domain over a .com one, using a voiceover to list the benefits while using generic slides and stock images. Boring, right?
On the other hand, an emotional marketing strategy might craft a story around Israeli culture, depicting real people with real businesses who have had real success. By adding a human touch, you show that your brand is genuine and showcase how something as simple as a local domain can foster a community centered on both consumers and businesses.
Make the most out of humor and nostalgia
Some of the easiest triggers of emotion are humor and nostalgia. Focusing on making a funny ad can be effective for certain audiences, especially if you’re targeting Gen Z in your materials, while also encouraging emotions such as joy and excitement.
Alternatively, nostalgia is a brilliant way to elicit an emotional reaction from older audiences. Reminding your audience of times such as childhood, perhaps through an old song, is a surefire way to create an emotional impact.
Make your brand stick with emotional marketing
Feelings of joy, excitement, or even jealousy are key parts of being human. They shape all of our experiences – so it’s obvious that they’re a great way to make sure that your marketing campaigns have a lasting impact. Emotional marketing strategies are more likely to be shared, encourage a purchase, and develop brand awareness.
If you want to develop an emotional marketing strategy that is effective, however, it’s important that you follow the guidelines outlined in this article, from focusing on a core emotion in each campaign to making sure that your brand is associated with a limited set of emotions.
Building marketing campaigns around emotions is a surefire route to success – start elevating your brand’s marketing presence today!
