Empathy is the understanding of somebody else's needs, and the ability to speak to those needs. As marketers we are often talk to survey our audience and ask questions to better understand what they want so that we can provide it. Madison Avenue is really great at doing this… and it was, In fact, the advertising agencies of the 1950s and 60s who were responsible for many of the biggest selling products being developed in the first place. Many of these products, of course, we're developed for housewives all pitched throug a supposed empathetic understanding of their needs.

Even without surveying my audience, I am able to and cuts with them. I work hard to communicate my understanding of their fears, phobias, and struggles. One of the ways I do this is by visiting forums and Facebook groups where my audience hangs out. I ease drop on there posts to get a better understanding of what they need.

Once I understand these needs, I find ways to incorporate the questions and discussions I read into the content that I produce.

Empathy with an audience is clearly a valuable tool for any marketer to be successful. Speaking tools, this chart, called a needs wheel, can come in pretty handy as well. It was developed by the Center for Nonviolent Communication, which was founded by Marshall Rosenberg.

Rosenberg spoke continuously on the subject of empathy as a key element in the way we understand one another... and an important part of helping each other was all problems and face challenges. Here is a great audio clip of Rosenberg speaking about empathy:

 

So as you develop your own marketing communications, be sure to incorporate an empathetic ear and an empathetic voice as a central part of what you do. Put yourself in the shoes of your audience. What are their needs? Make sure you speak to them.

The more you are consitently empathetic, the better and more effective yojur marketing will be.

Marketing doesn’t have to be so hard. But most of us never went to school for to learn how to do it right… and when we became business owners, we usually had other priorities. Well if you are ready to stop throwing money away and put a marketing system in place for your business that actually works… JOIN ME TODAY.