These facts and figures, which form the basis of our marketing plans, are thoroughly studied and stated with utmost certainty, defining the choices taken by marketing teams and businesses alike.
We are continually submerged in a sea of statistics, metrics, and algorithms due to the volume of information at our disposal. Although data-driven strategies provide insightful information, it’s important to never lose sight of the human factor, which is the most important component of marketing.
A thorough understanding of your target market’s particular needs, wants, and emotions is necessary for creating a successful marketing strategy. It’s important to engage with individuals personally, create memorable experiences, and establish enduring relationships rather than just achieving a KPI.
Prioritize your audience
People generated 2.5 quintillion bytes of data daily in 2021 alone. We have a never-ending list of KPIs to use as benchmarks for success since there are more numbers arriving at us than before.
The issue? By doing this, we completely ignore human behavior. Ultimately, these complicated emotions influence consumer decision-making.
The ultimate decision for the bride to buy a wedding dress simply boils down to whether or not she feels that this is her dream dress. For instance, a wedding dress shop can evaluate all the numbers and do everything perfectly to drive a woman into its shop.
Companies need to view these figures through the prism of exactly what they are measuring: human behavior, if they want to see long-term success in their marketing campaigns. To do this, market research must be done to determine demographics, preferences, and behaviors. It also entails communicating with your customers and incorporating their comments into adjustments. You may then craft your marketing messages to appeal to them.
Balancing human ideas with data
I’m not here to persuade you to throw out your spreadsheets because data isn’t important. In fact, I’m here to encourag you to use your data and the emotions of your clients to develop effective marketing campaigns. You can utilize this combined knowledge to develop advertisements that cause people to pause their scrolling and pay attention when you study the data and keep an eye on how your audience is feeling.
Try adding qualitative research to your data to leave a lasting impression. In this manner, you adopt a multi-faceted viewpoint as opposed to a biased one.
Go beyond numbers
Exploiting human emotions and appreciating their influence on customer decision-making is one of the best methods to avoid relying too heavily on data. You may evoke strong feelings in your audience by including storytelling into your marketing campaigns. Use empathy and personalisation to differentiate yourself in a crowded market. In order to earn their trust, you must address their particular pain issues.
We turn to emotion while trying to connect with people — fear, hope, happiness, trust, inspiration, etc. The rest depends on the brand’s ability to connect with people by appealing to this heart-centered emotion that motivates behavior. Data can identify a need or hint at an opportunity to tap into this emotion.
Similar strategies were used by Apple Watch and Ring camera to advertise their products to customers: they first played on consumers’ fears before offering a solution. In a recent Apple Watch commercial, a person is involved in a terrible and stressful vehicle accident. The Apple Watch immediately dialed 911 for assistance. In this case, Apple Watch not only tuned into this unpleasant feeling, but also offered a helpful resolution. Similar to this is Ring, which capitalizes on people’s fear of invasion to promote security and safety.
Nike is a company whose brand has long been fueled by inspiration, aspiration, and optimism, proving that not all marketing is motivated by negative emotions. In order to motivate entire generations to migrate, the company uses the current cultural zeitgeist in all of its marketing. Nike moves by leveraging the human emotions of leadership, hope, and a deep connection with its customers, showing them that they are not only culturally “on-brand” but also capable of becoming like the greats of their day.
Observe how content producers operate.
People’s need to connect with others is one reason why the number of content creators has increased. Not merely through paying influencers to promote your business, brands can learn from this.
When businesses collaborate with content producers, what they’re actually doing is using the natural human sentiment of trust that influencers have with their audiences in order to engage with them. Understanding their audience and using that knowledge to foster a genuine, emotional human connection is what content creators excel at doing in this situation. And when they first start out, they frequently focus more on how many people are viewing their work and what interests them rather than on their following and views as data.
They listen, then act as you would in the actual world. This fosters a connection based on trust, which is where businesses typically fall short because people often perceive brands as being intrusive. Not yet sold. Look at the statistics – businesses don’t even make it into the top 500 most followed YouTube accounts!
What can companies do to combat this? They can begin to see the data for what it truly is: information about people.
Modify your success metrics.
Combining data and human emotion necessitates a change in approach from earlier methods. Consider criteria other than ROI, such as customer satisfaction and loyalty. Find techniques to assess the perception and reputation of your brand over the long term.
Start tracking qualitative indicators by keeping an eye on online discussions and comments on social media. Instead of depending solely on reach or impressions, use this consumer feedback to evaluate the success of your advertising. Taking a more inclusive stance enables you to gain a deeper comprehension of your clients.
Put the human element first.
It’s simple for marketers to fall victim to the attraction of technology’s promises and data-driven plans. However, people, not just data, should always come first when creating a new marketing plan. In order to establish genuine relationships, foster trust, and encourage meaningful involvement with your target audience, it is essential to keep in mind the human element.
You can make informed decisions while embracing creativity and intuition by balancing data with human insights. Building enduring customer connections, encouraging loyalty, and encouraging advocacy all depend on sincerity and trust. By putting people first in your marketing strategy, you can create memorable experiences that set your company apart from the competition.
Remember that understanding, relating to, and servicing the actual people behind the numbers is just as important as comprehending data and algorithms as you set out to design your new marketing strategy. A lasting impression of your brand may be made by striking the proper balance between data and human insights, which can result in more meaningful and successful campaigns.