3 ways to pivot content marketing and PR strategies
Empathy is a core aspect of humanity. The world has changed dramatically over the last few years. To name just a few, there’s been the adoption of hybrid and remote work, rapidly changing technology, higher cost of living, mass layoffs, and multiple wars. The one word on everyone’s mind during these changes is ‘empathy’.
But there’s another buzzword that businesses need to be aware of ’trust’. Empathy and trust now go hand in hand in the world of content marketing and PR. This has drastically impacted the way communications professionals execute strategies.
Customers expect a level of authenticity and transparency from brands, more so now than ever before. With the serious cybersecurity threats of the past few years, this change is unsurprising. Nevertheless, it isn’t an easy adjustment for many brands.
As businesses continue to strive to improve sales, boost brand awareness, and increase customer loyalty, empathy and trust must be the driving force behind marketing and PR campaigns. A recent Oracle survey found that 91% of customers only purchase from businesses they trust.
Below are our top 3 ways to pivot your marketing and PR strategy to build empathy and trust in clients and customers.
1. Highlight positive content
By now, we’ve all encountered the term ‘doom-scrolling’. Defined as an act where “a person actively seeks out saddening or negative material to read or scroll through on social media or news media outlets”, doom-scrolling is known to cause anxiety and sadness about the future.
There is a great deal of negative content online. Average daily social media use is nearly two and a half hours, during which time, bad news is inescapable.
While negative stories generate more attention online, what customers want now is hope. Seeing other people’s kindness has been shown to replace feelings of cynicism with optimism, according to a new study.
Smart marketers will realize that now is the time to create positive content that demonstrates empathy and creates trust and loyalty with target audiences. Don’t sell your products and services–show customers how your product can help them and their community.
2. Tell genuine stories
Human beings love stories. We’ve grown up listening to our parents tell us stories. We read stories or watch them. We listen to the stories our friends and family tell us. This is why brand storytelling is so important, especially in the current atmosphere of lack of trust.
Brand storytelling is a crucial tool for demonstrating authenticity to audiences and building trust. And numerous platforms are geared towards storytelling. Instagram Stories and TikTok are particularly popular for storytelling. All a brand needs to do is put a spokesperson in front of a phone and have them tell a story. Putting a face to a brand instills trust, and a genuine story that is relevant to your audience showcases brand empathy.
3. Be customer-centric
Your content and PR are focused on one end goal–engaging customers. But if your content isn’t customer-focused, then how can you engage them? Customer-centricity in marketing is linked to increased customer trust and business growth so it should be a business priority.
Being customer-centric is also tied to improving customer experience. Latest trends include championing sustainable causes, and data privacy, which speak to a strong need for empathy for the planet and enabling trust in business-customer relationships.
Understanding your customers by surveying them and asking for feedback will help businesses tailor their messages and personalize the customer experience. This is a great way to demonstrate your brand’s desire to build trust in customer relationships.
Trust and empathy can’t be discounted
To adapt to these challenging times, brands need to provide reassurance to their customers through timely and strategic content that is positive and personalized. The secret ingredient to embracing empathy and building trust is being authentic and gaining deep insights into what customers want.
At Magnolia, we believe in not just building brands but most importantly establishing TRUST! Consider implementing an empathetic marketing and PR strategy to your target audiences in the most authentic manner. Learn more about our PR services.
