This is not new: the emotions we feel every day interfere in our choices in an unconscious way. No wonder advertising and marketing have been playing on this phenomenon for decades. Generating the right emotions at the right time and in the right person can make it easier for a brand to grow its business and sell its products. Why? What are the emotions to focus on? And how to adopt emotions in a digital marketing strategy? Point.
What is emotional marketing and why adopt it?
According to the book how customers think, written by Gerald Altman, Professor at Harvard Business School, 95% of customers decide to buy a product or service unconsciously, thanks in part to the emotions they feel. Marketing and advertising have understood this well, and play on emotions to intervene in these decisions. This marketing technique also aims to associate a brand with specific emotions so that the consumer develops a feeling of sympathy towards the brand and is loyal to it. Emotional marketing therefore has many benefits for a brand.
Stand out from the crowd
Internet users are overwhelmed by content on a daily basis. For a brand, it is difficult to stand out unless it integrates emotions into its marketing strategy, and web marketing in particular. Communicating while playing with emotions makes it possible to stand out from the competition by attracting the attention of Internet users. If the content does not thrill the audience, they will quickly turn away from it, and with them the chances of positioning themselves above the flood of information will disappear.
Make content viral
Playing on emotions in marketing can make content viral, especially on social networks that promote instant sharing. When any content (image, video, text, etc.) makes an audience feel emotions, it is more likely to be shared. The fake news are a great example because this kind of content up almost solely on emotions to spread their messages.
Create a lasting link between an audience and a brand
Emotions leave a lasting mark on an individual. We often remember times when we were particularly happy, evenings when we laughed and movies that made us shiver or cry. The emotion generated during these moments is associated with what activated it. In the case of marketing via Wikipedia Page Writing Services, the audience will remember a brand for the emotion it has made them feel through an article, video or music. A feeling of attachment to the brand thus develops, a lasting affection if the adopted strategy is long-lasting.
Push the target to act
An emotion can also cause the person feeling it to take action. In marketing, it can be simply to like a page on social networks, to share content with those close to them and thus develop the aura of the brand, or even to buy a particular product.
What emotions to arouse to create engaging content?
In marketing, the main emotions that must be appropriated are the following.
- Happiness
including happiness in your marketing strategy is obviously a smart choice. The content then created emanates a positive feeling with the target, at the same time promoting sharing and engagement. - Anger
Anger is undoubtedly one of the most powerful emotions, especially on social networks. However, we must not simply rely on anger to create content, but ensure to provide constructive and argued content to increase virility. - Fear and Anguish
these two fairly similar emotions are quite delicate to use in an editorial web marketing strategy. However, they can promote significant sharing, if they are intelligently integrated into the strategy. According, anxiety-provoking content from The New York Times has a 21% higher share compared to that of other content. These two emotions come right behind happiness and anger. - Sadness
Another rather delicate emotion to use in communication, sadness nevertheless makes it possible to generate empathy in the audience and can trigger an action in them. To be handled with care, therefore, according to the sectors of activity which lend themselves to it more or less. - Surprise
Surprise your target is a good way to continue to amaze them continuously and therefore to retain them. Original and surprising content is more likely to captivate an audience that is constantly flooded with content. - Curiosity
“You will never guess what Meghan Markel said to the Queen of England”, “The crazy theory behind Inception” … This kind of titles often qualified as “clickbait ” arouse the curiosity of whoever reads it and invites him to click to learn more.
How to use emotions well?
Knowing that emotions play an important role in marketing is one thing, but being able to integrate them correctly into a web marketing strategy is another. Follow these few tips.
Know your target
To know which emotion to use in your web communication, you have to start by defining your target and knowing it well. If you’ve designed your editorial strategy carefully, you need to know who your target is and how to address them. Put yourself in her shoes: what does she want to know? What is she looking for? How does she want to have the information she is looking for? By answering these few questions, you are able to identify the tone and style to use in your web communications.
Choosing the right emotions to use
In connection with knowing the target, the choice of emotions is not made lightly. Press at the right time on the right emotion to trigger the action of your target. If you’re looking to distract your audience, use humor. On the other hand, if you want to inform your target on a serious and important subject such as health, fear can be an interesting lever to activate.
Focus on authenticity
When the goal of editorial strategy is to build a long-term, stable relationship with an audience, one of the keys to success is trust and authenticity. If the brand is authentic in its communication, it naturally arouses a feeling of trust in its community. Using emotions does not mean playing with them to gain visibility. Your audience will realize this and will no longer trust you. Be yourself and the rest will follow.
Do not disappoint your target
Emotion can help make content go viral, as long as it is what your target expects to find. If you’ve played on curiosity with a catchy headline but the content itself is disappointing, all of your efforts to engage your target will have been in vain. Don’t use emotion just to attract a target.
Vary the types of emotions
Don’t limit your digital communication to just one emotion. If your content arouses only one type of emotion, it will appear artificial and, remember, your audience is looking for authenticity above all. Note the different emotions that can be useful in your communication and choose the most appropriate emotion for the message you want to send to your target.
Play with colors to get the right message across
Colors also play a role in the emotions of those who see them. So, if you decide to create engaging visuals, don’t choose their color at random. Here’s a quick recap of each color and the positive and negative feelings it evokes.