One of my go-to organizations for helping me find safe products and food is the Environmental Working Group (EWG). Instead of looking for the “Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval” that used to be the reigning symbol of product trust, I search for the EWG seal of approval on the products I buy for my home and personal care. (By the way, I have no financial affiliation with them, so my opinions are unbiased). Since 1993, EWG has advocated for public health by researching ingredients and chemicals used in everyday products, and then alerting the public (and beyond) so we are more informed about what we ingest.
I mention them because when it comes to emotional connection between an organization and their audience, our health and the environment affect probably the deepest emotional response.
Having an emotional connection with our audience shows them we understand their needs, we “get” them. And not only that, we also want to provide solutions to those problems.
When we are emotionally connected, the bond is deeper and impactful. Our audience is loyal and desires to stand with us and support what we are trying to achieve.
Being authentic with our emotional connection is important to build trust with our audience. So how do we do this? What questions do we need to answer to make sure we are moving closer to our audience and meeting our objectives?
Relating to our audience’s needs
One of the biggest hurdles to emotional connection is understanding that we must be relatable. We must be real, human, and authentic.
We appeal to our audience when we show them through our actions that we “get” them because we’ve been there. Understanding their needs means we at one time (or maybe still do) had the same needs, searching for the same solutions to whatever problem we faced.
Your brand story shows your audience that you have had the same fears, the same losses, the same frustrations that they have. And you are showing them that there is a better way, and you have discovered it. Or at least, you are doing the heavy lifting, so their load is lighter. In this way, you are relating to their needs on a human level.
Being authentic in our story
Being authentic in the story of our journey means we are honest about our challenges. We share the obstacles we overcame. And we explain the lessons we learned in our search for answers.
Honesty about our mistakes is not a weakness; in fact, it shows others you are human too. We like to know that the people behind incredible companies and organizations are not perfect. If anything, they might have discovered the solutions by accident. But they did not quit; they persevered, and the audience is ready to support them.
Still, we need to maintain balance with our authenticity. While it is good to share your challenges, make sure you share the solutions. A sob story has limited impact. The real impact stems from the discovery that turned a sad story into something amazing. That is what people want to relate to.
Sharing your “aha” moment
Call it an “aha” moment, a revelation, or a light bulb turning on, it is the moment your organization’s purpose and reason for existing suddenly made sense. All the answers to your own questions clicked. You finally knew what you had to do, why you had to do it, and for whom.
Your audience thrives on those revelations. Just like you, they too, have been in search of the solution to whatever problem they face.
It is that pivotal moment where the real emotion lies because that revelation becomes your passion. And it is that passion that feeds into others’ relatable emotions.
Your passion is also your “why” you do what you do.
When you are sifting through how you can authenticate your emotional connection to your audience, ask:
- What are the needs of your audience and how do you relate to them?
- What obstacles did you overcome?
- What lessons did you learn?
- What are your solutions?
- What was your “aha” moment?
Your answers will help you in creating that connection to build trust with your audience.
Understanding our audience’s needs is important for us to relate to them and create a supportive and loyal following. Being authentic with our emotional connection is imperative to build trust with our audience. We do this by sharing the obstacles and challenges we overcame to realize the solutions and our “aha” moment that led us to our passion and our organization’s reason for existing.
(Photo by fauxels from Pexels)
Need help telling your business or author story? My brand storytelling training helps you recognize your story and how to effectively use it to build better engagement and increase sales. Find out more here and book a call with me!
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