Why the Best Marketing I've Done Never Felt Like Marketing
The email that starts off with “Hi There {Name}.”, the social media post that invites commenters by saying “Comment LUCKY and I’ll DM you the link.” The entire campaign built upon a launch date, a promo code, and a sense of urgency that seemed to have been designed artificially.
All of those examples of marketing don’t seem bad. None of it seems terrible. However, none of it has ever stuck.
When I did my best work with a client, all I was thinking about was building a relationship. I wasn’t focusing on creating more content, or working more quickly, although I probably created more and moved faster during this period. I had developed such an intimate understanding of the client (as if it were mine), that whenever I found something new about the company, I’d add it to my board of ideas and let it sit. In essence, it became a character study.
This period of time represented the best marketing I’ve ever done. It was because I was operating from a place of complete focus on listening. I made listening my top priority each and every single day. I set up alerts related to the company, read through the news summaries every other day and stayed involved in every element of the creative process. I wasn’t interested in promoting the company nearly as much as promoting the community surrounding it. For this short span of time, it felt amazing.
Strategic empathy—marketing based on truly understanding your audience's feelings/emotions/needs/desires and behaviors—isn’t merely going to make the work appear more authentic. It will create more authentic work. More authentic work creates more accurate communication. And more accurate communication sticks.
The Field Will Change Your Approach
One aspect of developing a marketing strategy cannot be replicated by any briefing document: being able to personally use the products or services of the company whose message you’re communicating.
I’ve worked with companies whose strategic direction didn’t accurately reflect the reality of the clients’ experiences with the company. This isn’t an insult. Briefs can only provide so many details, and often times there are elements of the story that aren’t included on the pages. But when I’m close enough to the experience that I can literally feel the emotional connection of the work prior to attempting to communicate it, everything changes. Suddenly, I can see what content should be carrying the weight of emotion and what content is hindering it.
Experiencing that helps shape how you articulate all aspects of the project including tone, asset selection, what you expose and what you omit. When you’ve experienced it first-hand, you realize your responsibility isn’t to promote the organization. Rather, you exist to help people connect themselves with the cause/movement/mission while also providing space for the leaders/board members/stakeholders within the organization to share their perspectives and be shown in the light the organization desires.
Every stakeholder deserves to be communicated as intended by the brand. Once you understand this, then the role you play becomes less difficult to emulate, regardless of whether your responsibilities lie in creating visuals/copy/a comprehensive campaign.
Persuasive vs. Positioning
The best marketing isn’t overtly persuasive. It doesn’t attempt to persuade or encourage someone to adopt its point-of-view.
Rather than trying to persuade someone of something, positioning provides clarity regarding who they are/what they do/the very specific area they occupy in the marketplace/and who they are speaking directly to. If executed well, positioning is not an advertisement—it is recognition. The correct individual reads the positioning statement and thinks to himself/herself “that is me” “this is exactly what I need”.
There is great care applied in crafting a piece of work that operates from positioning versus persuasion. Careful consideration goes into every step of development—no rush exists—but deliberation occurs at every turn.
Many marketing strategies become mired in distinguishing themselves from competing organizations rather than identifying how well they meet the needs of individuals in front of them. These two concepts can coexist but only if honesty is exhibited regarding which concept is leading your approach to develop your messaging.
What Makes Authentic Empathy So Different Than Persuasion?
When you really listen to your customers and get to know their needs, you have a responsibility to provide them with the right solution. It could even be seen as a disservice to withhold it. However, the minute your approach shifts from authentic listening to a sales pitch, you run the risk of undermining the very relationship you had established.
I've come to believe that if you truly understand your audience, then your persuasiveness diminishes. Instead of selling them an idea, you show them an opportunity based on the fact that the product, service, or mission has value based on how you framed it.
That is why honest framing — which requires a genuine understanding of your target audience — is the most effective strategy.
How Honest Framing Works In Real Life
Take the time to engage with the people you intend to serve. Be there; attend events and go into the spaces where they spend their time. Read and listen to their conversations on social media (and other channels) when no one is attempting to sell them anything.
Before deciding what message you will deliver, ask the people you're serving to describe their experiences. The difference between what people claim they desire and what they ultimately respond positively to is substantial. A gap exists, but it can be closed by simply observing rather than assuming.
Create content that demonstrates the community as much as possible while highlighting your brand. The more people see themselves reflected back at them through your messaging, the stronger a connection will form. That connection is critical in developing lasting relationships.
If this article has helped spark a thought process or changed how you see things, please post in the comments section. Some of the best articles we write lead into some of the most interesting (and informative) comments.
And if you're currently trying to navigate a marketing or design issue - That is exactly what I am here for. Do you have questions regarding developing your company's branding? Do you need a Content Plan that reflects your business? Or simply a fresh perspective on something you've been staring at for so long? Let's Talk. No obligation. Just an open conversation about where you are now and where you would like to be.
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Lionel Lowery
Marketing Strategist & Creative Lead
Lionel works with small and mid-size businesses and nonprofits across the Triad, including Winston-Salem, Greensboro, and beyond, to clarify their message, strengthen their brand, and build marketing systems that actually hold up. Through LIONEL.MKTG, he brings together digital marketing, social media strategy, and graphic design for organizations that are done guessing and ready to move forward.
