Within marketing, there is a common misconception that Business to Business or B2B marketing is serious and logical, while Business to Consumer or B2C marketing is fun and creative. This also leads most to believe that B2C marketing is more emotional when in fact B2B marketing is just as emotionally charged. Here are some insights surrounding emotions and B2B marketing:
Emotions in B2C and B2B Marketing are the Same
Although B2B and B2C marketing have very different audiences, they do have one thing in common: the user at the other end is a human being. While levels of emotion vary person to person they still are the driving force behind most of our actions, no matter the industry. B2B marketers shouldn’t shy away from creating an emotional connection if anything they should create campaigns that are equal parts emotion and logic. Implementing a marketing automation platform like Sharpspring gives you the tools necessary to track and analyze which elements resonate more with your audience, allowing you to improve your strategy at any point.
Different Points of the Customer Journey Should Evoke Different Emotions
A lead’s journey through the sales funnel is one that is filled with different emotions depending on what stage they’re at. While logic always plays into the decision, it is important to note that emotion is what drew the lead into the sales funnel in the first place. Jonathon Kahn, co-founder and creative marketer at JM Consulting says “When you’re talking about getting people interested in learning more about your solution, you’re really going for emotional marketing, because logic changes from person to person, but your emotions, for the most part, are pretty much the same.” Key emotional moments are at the top of the funnel, where emotional messaging around a known pain point will help to draw the lead in, and at the end where there is emotion surrounding the decision. However, there are points in the funnel when logic is preferred-especially when describing your product or solution.
The Emotional Response You’re Aiming For and The Emotional Response You Get Could Be Completely Different
Once a product or service is released to the public, the audience can perceive it however they want no matter your original intentions. It is through their perception that the product or service is defined, not yours. This is not always a bad thing. Your audience, comprised of many different individuals may pick up on something that you might not have intended to be the initial focus but now opens your product or service to a wider audience.
Always Go Positive
There are specific industries such as security or fraud detection, who choose to send out messages intended to instill fear in users, but this is not always the best approach. Evoking negative emotions in your audience may increase their sense of urgency, but nothing is more effective than creating and fulfilling a need. By choosing a positive approach, you target customers who are in it for the long haul, and who will assign a positive association to your product instead of a negative one.
The emotions that customers associate with your brand are crucial, ultimately it is what defines you. If you have any questions about adding emotional elements into your marketing campaign, click on the banner below to schedule your free 30-minute consultation with us today.
