Balancing Digital Strategy and Human Connection in Marketing
In marketing, we often have to create strategically, while still adding an element of creativity. In doing so, the target audience is, and should be, in mind. While doing all that, we can’t forget the human connection and taking a human angle to everything we do.
The Human Connection in Content
Try to find an interesting human angle to any topic, no matter how boring it may seem. There has to be a way to appeal to some human sense, to make readers connect with the piece, and in a sense, feel you are talking to them. ,
The easiest way to find the human angle is to consider the reader’s point of view when searching for a topic. You can start by asking the following question, “would I ever search for this topic? and why?”
This is important because Google is always following the “searcher’s journey” through other features on search engine results pages (SERP). These features enable searchers to find similar, relevant answers to other questions they might have.
Always thinking ahead…Google is.
As a content creator, it’s critical you find the bigger picture element and use these new SERP features to tell more creative, humanistic stories around the topic matter.
How?
- start by imagining the motivation behind the topic, why are they searching for it? what are they feeling?
- empathize with the reader, acknowledge what they must be feeling and appeal to that
- add urgency and a real-world impact, make it relatable and useful and timely (do it now)
Appealing to someone’s needs by answering the question they had when searching the content is the human angle you should be thinking about. It will help with creating that much needed human connection.
The Human Connection with Your Clients
Though it’s not always easy to connect with clients that live away from your place of work, it’s not impossible. We now live in the world of virtual meetings, where scheduling live video training sessions and breakthrough sessions are possible. This should be done, to build a connection, live human connection with your clients and/or patients.
However, if you are not connecting directly with your clients, how can you truly understand their business, know the dynamics, what is their experience like, what are they struggling with that they might not even realize.
If you are a marketing agency, it’s hard to get an understanding by strictly only analyzing numbers. How can you grow a business without understanding what goes on inside a business?
In-person, real conversations occur, and trust develops. Lead generation can take you so far, but that human connection is what helps people open up and allow you to truly help them.
“I need to see and be a part of the office dynamic in order for me to understand what really happens on a day to day basis. I need to talk to staff, providers, and see how they are interacting with customers. What is the experience like?
Most don’t do this. Most just sit behind a computer and try and analyze based on numbers. Which is fine and it’s needed but to really understand and create a machine that generates “customers at will” you need to understand what goes on inside the business. This is important.” – Bob Mangat
So when you are marketing, growing, or even starting a business, we encourage you to keep in mind the human connection. It’s important both literally and in what you are creating.
To learn more about how to market effectively and grow your business or practice, please contact us directly.
