Soapbox: The best way to serve your audience? Use empathy

You hear about this word a lot: empathy. It’s not quite sympathy, AKA feeling bad for someone. It’s about putting yourself in the person’s shoes — really trying to understand what they must be experiencing.

For example, if your target audience is people who need car maintenance, you can feel bad that they’re in a frustrating position. Or you can empathize by asking yourself, What would I be feeling in the same situation? Worried about the hit to my budget? Stressed because I have no way to get to work?

Empathy is a practice that serves us all well in life, but it’s also something every single marketer should do with their target audiences.

Take some time to ask yourself when you’re using empathy in your marketing. Can’t remember the last time? Then incorporate it into every planning aspect of your marketing strategy. 

Examples:

• You’re revisiting your audience personas to see if they’re accurate and up-to-date
• You’re doing keyword research for your next batch of on-site content
• You’re ideating to create a link-worthy piece of content
• You’re deciding who to engage with on social and why
• You’re figuring out what to highlight in a new email drip campaign

Empathy is applicable to (and necessary for) every aspect of your marketing, because if you’re not fully grasping the challenges, fears, worries, and needs of your audience, then you’re exponentially less likely to do your job right.