<p>Imagine scrolling through your feed when you stumble upon an ad. Within seconds, it grabs your attention, makes you smile, laugh, or perhaps it pulls at your heartstrings. By the time it’s over, you’re not just aware of the brand, you feel a connection towards it. That’s the magic of emotional marketing. It isn’t just a clever marketing tactic; it’s an experience. And when done right, it can transform your casual viewers into loyal fans. Let’s dive into how you can harness this powerful tool. </p><h2>What is Emotional Marketing?</h2><p>It’s all about tapping into feelings to create an instant connection between a brand and its audience. Emotional marketing isn’t just about what the brand says, but how it makes you feel. And guess what? People don’t always remember the exact words in an ad, but they&#39;ll always remember how it made them feel.</p><p>Think about the last time you shared an ad or a post. Did you share it just because you liked the brands logo? Probably not. But what about that one ad that made you cry? Or the hilarious reel you just <i>had</i> to share? That’s emotional marketing working its magic.</p><h2>Why Does It Work So Well?</h2><p>Because feelings are deeply personal, they have a powerful impact on our decisions. When something makes you laugh, cry, or get goosebumps, it leaves an impression. That emotional response becomes a memory, and that memory forms a bridge between you and the brand. This connection is what builds loyalty. Just like you keep returning to your favourite comfort food because it makes you feel good.</p><p>Emotions are a secret weapon in marketing. Whether it’s excitement about a new product, nostalgia for the good old days, or a little bit of FOMO (fear of missing out), emotions influence decisions far more than we realise. We like to think we’re rational, but feelings often run the show.</p><p>This is why emotional marketing is so effective: people remember how a brand makes them feel, not the bullet points on a brochure. Emotions create lasting memories, memories build strong connections, and connections breed unwavering loyalty.</p><h2>Is Emotional Marketing Ethical? </h2><p>You may feel that emotional marketing crosses the line in terms of ethics. The line between influencing and manipulating can indeed be blurred, especially when emotions like fear or guilt are exploited. For-profit brands targeting vulnerable groups or using sensitive topics for financial gain cross is deeply unethical.</p><p>The good news? You don’t need to manipulate to succeed. Brands that evoke positive emotions like happiness, inspiration, or connection, build trust and long-term loyalty. Stick to authenticity and positivity, and your emotional marketing will remain both effective and ethical.</p><h2>How To Create An Emotional Marketing Strategy</h2><p>So you&#39;ve decided emotional marketing is right for your business! Wise move. There are just a few key decisions you must make in order to implement this strategy.</p><h3>1. Choose an Emotion</h3><p>When making decisions about your marketing piece or campaign, choose the emotion you want to evoke first. You must choose an emotion that is both relevant to your business goals and caters towards the customers needs. Typically for-profit brands aim for a positive emotion, however, you will find that non-profit organisations usually aim to shock their audience or instill feelings of sadness to encourage consumers to donate to a cause or support their mission. Again, it is highly contextual. If you are trying to make a sale, happiness, joy or even curiosity would be appropriate emotions. </p><h3>2. Choose a Marketing Technique </h3><p>Once you have chosen a suitable emotion for your marketing piece, you must select marketing techniques that will help you evoke this emotion. Here are some effective marketing techniques.</p><h4>Storytelling</h4><p>This is an effective way of evoking an emotion as it can take your customers on a journey. If you are a new business, the best story you can start with is your own! Every business has a unique story for how it began and why it exists, so this is a great place to start! If you want your audience to feel inspired, tell your audience about how your mission came about and the challenges you’ve faced. Or perhaps you want to make them feel warm inside, so tell them how your passion developed. </p><h4>Video Marketing </h4><p>This technique is also very effective as it uses more than one sensory cue. It is an opportunity to evoke an emotion through both sound and visuals, enhancing the emotional effect of the message and helping it to become memorable. A memorable message is more likely to be shared by your customers with friends and family.</p><h4>Showcase Reviews </h4><p>Once your customer has used your product or service, it is important to encourage them to leave a review, so they can be displayed on your site or social media profiles (do not include personal information!) Positive comments can help to validate new customers feelings when they see that others were also happy with your product. </p><h4>Build a Community</h4><p>This is a very powerful technique in terms of evoking emotions. Enabling customers to come together and be a part of something has proven to be highly successful, as people enjoy connecting with others just like them. Here, you can provide customers with so much more than just a product! </p><h4>Be authentic</h4><p>Finally, every brand should opt to be its authentic self. By making everything about your brand authentic, it makes it real. There is nothing more heart-warming and admirable than a true and genuine brand. Authenticity also allows a brand to showcase what is unique about them, which can inspire customers and help them to remember the brand! </p><h3>3. Implement Your Strategy</h3><p>With your emotion and techniques in place, it’s time to launch. Ensure consistency across all touch points, from ads and social media to emails and packaging. Every interaction should reinforce the emotional connection. </p><h3><b>Emotional Marketing Techniques</b></h3><p>Here’s a deeper dive into the techniques that can make your emotional marketing strategy soar:</p><p><b>Use Humor - </b>A clever meme or funny ad can make your audience laugh and associate your brand with positivity.</p><p><b>Create Nostalgia -</b> Bring back fond memories with retro visuals or references to simpler times.</p><p><b>Inspire - </b>Share stories of triumph or innovation that motivate your audience. </p><p><b>Foster Belonging - </b>Highlight shared values or interests to make your audience feel part of a tribe.</p><h3><b>In Conclusion</b></h3><p>Emotional marketing is more than a trend; it’s a bridge that connects brands with their audiences on a deeper level. It’s not about selling products but about creating experiences that leave a lasting impact.</p><p>So, think about the emotions you want to evoke, and design your strategy around them. Whether it’s a laugh, a tear, or a sense of wonder, those moments are what your audience will remember, and why they’ll come back for more.</p><p></p>

Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@virginiaberbece?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash">Virginia Berbece</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/a-close-up-of-a-person-near-a-plant-GCmqm5q4AgY?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash">Unsplash</a>

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When you get hit with a marketing message that pulls at your emotions, it sticks. Whether it’s a funny billboard, a tear-jerking video, or a ridiculously cute Instagram post, there’s a reason behind it and that reason is emotional marketing.

Emotional Marketing

How Your Small Business Can Use Emotions to Improve Marketing

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<p>The world of digital marketing is a pretty crowded place. You&#39;ve got Instagram, Twitter (X), LinkedIn, Facebook, TikTok, and Pinterest (for those of us still making our dream vision boards). With so many platforms to choose from, how do you know which one to show up on every day?</p><h2><b>The Problem with Being Everywhere</b></h2><p>Time and time again, I’ve seen startups signing up for every platform they can and proudly listing 8 or 9 social media icons on their website. While I always stress the importance of brand awareness, this approach often backfires. Managing too many accounts with limited resources results in poor-quality, inconsistent content. This is damaging your brand rather than building it. For small businesses, the best strategy is to focus on quality over quantity. Limit yourself to a maximum of three social media platforms that you can consistently show up on. </p><p>But how do you decide which ones are right for your business?</p><h2><b>Choosing Your Social Media Platforms</b></h2><p>Each social media platform has its own purpose, unique features, and audience. This means not every platform will be used by your audience and not every platform will suit your business goals. Think of social media platforms like different parties. If you’re looking for a rave, you wouldn’t show up at a tea party! Let’s explore the popular platforms:</p><h3><b>Instagram</b></h3><ul><li><p><b>Audience size </b>2 billion</p></li><li><p><b>Users</b> Relaxed audience drawn to inspirational, emotional, or visually appealing posts.</p></li><li><p><b>Best for </b>Highly visual, entertaining, and snappy content like stunning images, Reels, and Insta Stories.</p></li><li><p><b>When to use</b> If your business thrives on aesthetics or you can create visually appealing content. If you’re an insurance provider, this probably isn’t your ideal platform unless you can find an entertaining way of communicating with your audience.</p></li></ul><h3><b>LinkedIn</b></h3><ul><li><p><b>Audience size</b> 830 million</p></li><li><p><b>Best for</b> Networking, B2B marketing, and thought leadership.</p></li><li><p><b>When to use</b> If your looking to provide educational insights or business-related content. Keep your posts polished and packed with value.</p></li></ul><h3><b>TikTok</b></h3><ul><li><p><b>Audience size</b> Over 1 billion</p></li><li><p><b>Best for</b> Behind-the-scenes, fun, and genuine short-form videos.</p></li><li><p><b>When to use</b> If your brand has a fun and approachable vibe, and you’re ready to create quick, engaging content to connect with a playful audience.</p></li></ul><h3><b>Pinterest</b></h3><ul><li><p><b>Audience size</b> 500 million</p></li><li><p><b>Best for</b> Inspirational and visual content like mood boards or blog post covers.</p></li><li><p><b>When to use</b> If your business is visual (e.g., photography, design) or you have a blog you want to drive traffic to.</p></li></ul><p>By understanding the vibe of each platform, you can choose the ones that best align with your business goals and audience.</p><h2>How to Perform Well on Social Media</h2><p>Once you have chosen 2-3 social media platforms that both aligns with your business and you&#39;re able to reach your audience through them, its time to explore how to perform well on them.  </p><h3>Consistency </h3><p>The first and most important lesson is consistency. A content planner and calendar are essential tools for achieving consistency. By planning your content in advance, you ensure regular posting. You can also strategically map out the types of content that perform best on each platform, keeping your feed fresh and engaging. When you understand what your audiences content preferences are and consistently deliver content tailored to those preferences, you can build trust with your audience. This approach keeps followers coming back for more and helps you grow your brand with confidence.</p><p>Another way to achieve consistency is through your branding. You should design or use a social media posting template that uses your branding, and use this consistently with only slight variations. This will help your audience to become familiar with your content. Then you should produce a posting schedule to ensure content is produced regularly each week so it can be expected by your audience. </p><h3>Algorithms</h3><p>Social media platforms use algorithms to determine which content gets seen, and understanding how they work is essential for success. These algorithms favour accounts that post regularly, engage their audience, and tailor content specifically for the platform. For example, Instagram prioritises visually stunning, high-quality posts that drive strong engagement, while TikTok rewards short, snappy videos that keep users watching. On LinkedIn, structured, polished posts that spark meaningful conversations are most likely to thrive. By aligning your content with these preferences, you can increase visibility and make the most of each platform! </p><h3><b>Maximising Engagement</b></h3><p>Social media is a two-way street. Respond to comments, answer messages, and participate in conversations. This not only builds relationships with your audience but also signals to algorithms that your content is engaging and worth showing to others. You could share an opinion on an article posted on Linkedin, you could write supportive comments on posts that show struggle, you can even &#39;like&#39; and &#39;share&#39; competitors content to demonstrate good business!</p><h3><b>Optimise for Searchability</b></h3><p>Every post needs a caption, but so often this is underrated. A caption for your post should be simple and easy to read, but most importantly, optimised. The words you use here should be chosen carefully as they are fundamental to your reach. Find out what keywords your audience are using when searching for content and incorporate these into the caption. Many social media platforms provide data on your audience that should not be overlooked, for example; Pinterest has an &#39;Explore tab&#39; providing insight into popular topics and keywords. Twitter provides an analytics platform specifically to help you leverage keywords.</p><h3>Conclusion</h3><p>Navigating the crowded world of digital marketing can be stressful and feel overwhelming, but with the right strategy, your small businesse can thrive on social media. There are just a few important things to remember; instead of spreading yourself thin across every platform, focus on 2-3 platforms that align with your business goals and where your audience is most active. By understanding each platform’s unique strengths and tailoring your content to suit its vibe, you’ll set yourself up for success. Consistency is your superpower so use a content planner, stick to a posting schedule, and maintain cohesive branding to build trust with your audience. Pair this with a solid understanding of social media algorithms, active engagement with followers, and optimised captions that boost searchability. When done right, these strategies will help your brand stand out, increase visibility, and create lasting connections with your audience. Remember, quality trumps quantity, and showing up thoughtfully where it matters most will always outperform trying to be everywhere at once. Take it step by step, and your social media presence will become a powerful tool for growing your business.</p><p></p><p>
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Every social media platform has its very own purpose, its own unique selling points and most importantly its own audience. This article will help you identify the most suitable social media platform(s) for your business.

Social Media Platforms

How to Choose the Right Social Media Platforms for Your Business

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<p>When starting an online business, many entrepreneurs focus on product development, marketing, and revenue generation but often overlook one essential tool: a business planner.</p><h2><b>1. What is a business planner?</b></h2><p>A business planner is not just for jotting down ideas, it is in fact a vital strategic tool or document designed to help entrepreneurs organise and manage all their business activities. It includes many sections that covers the follolwing; setting your business goals, planning daily tasks, tracking finances, and forming your marketing strategy. For online businesses, a planner enables you to outline your content strategy, track your sales, and monitor overall progress.</p><p>It can either be in digital or physical format, tailored to your specific business needs. There are many digital planners available online that can be downloaded and printed. </p><h2><b>2. How do I use a business planner?</b></h2><p>Business planners vary in terms of what they include and the order in which you are prompted to input information. However here is how you will typically use your planner.</p><h3><b>Explain the problem</b></h3><p>Usually you will start with exploring the problem your business is looking to solve and fully explaining the solution your business provides. Outlining this ensure it makes sense. When its just in your head, its easy to miss important details.</p><h3><b>Set your goals</b></h3><p>You will then be prompted to set your business goals. Ideally you will present these as SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-Bound) This will increase your chances of actually meeting your goals. Be sure to include short-term and long-term goals here. Whether it’s launching a new product, growing your email list, or improving customer retention, you can break down these larger goals into actionable steps.</p><h3><b>Decide on branding</b></h3><p>A good business planner will enable you to input details on colour palette, fonts and your logo. This is your visual branding. You will want to check the colours you choose with accessibility guidelines. Certain shades will not work well together and can be difficult to see for those with disabilities. So be sure to check this.</p><h3><b>Analyse your customer</b></h3><p>This is an essential stage in the business planner. A customer analysis will enable you to take all your customer research and present it in an easy to read diagram or table. A customer analysis should consider areas such as; demographics, geographics and perhaps psychographics. Without this valuable information, your will have no idea as to how to appeal to your audience and meet their needs. This information will also provide direction for all your content. </p><p>Some planners will enable you to produce a customer persona profile. This will help you to visualise your ideal customer and input every detail about them. You will then be able to understand their pain points, and how to market your product to them.</p><h3><b>Develop a marketing strategy.</b></h3><p>Successful marketing requires consistent planning and execution. With a business planner, you can outline your social media content, email campaigns, and advertising strategies. Whether you post on Instagram, Pinterest, or run Facebook ads, a planner helps you create a content calendar, plan launches, and keep track of campaign performance.</p><p>It also gives you a bird’s eye view of upcoming promotions, product launches, and sales events, ensuring that all your marketing efforts are cohesive and well-timed.</p><h3><b>Track your finances</b></h3><p>Managing cash flow and expenses is vital to any business, and an online business is no different. Many business planners come with sections dedicated to financial planning, helping you track income, expenses, and profits. This visibility into your finances helps avoid surprises, such as unexpected costs or slow months.</p><p>A planner can also assist with financial forecasting and budgeting, giving you a better understanding of how to allocate funds and when to invest in growth.</p><h3><b>Identify opportunities</b></h3><p>One of the major benefits of using a business planner is its flexibility. While it offers structure, it also allows room for adjustments. Businesses grow and change, and so do their needs. As new opportunities arise or challenges emerge, your planner enables you to adapt your strategy.</p><p>Whether you&#39;re shifting focus due to a change in market trends or reevaluating a product line, a business planner offers the ability to reassess and realign your priorities without losing sight of your bigger picture goals.</p><h2><b>3. Where can I get a business planner?</b></h2><p>You can find business planners in a variety of places, both online and in stores. Here are some popular options:</p><ol><li><p><a href="http://amazon.com"><b>Amazon</b></a> – They offer a wide range of both physical and digital business planners tailored to different needs.</p></li><li><p><b>Stationery Stores</b> – Brands like <a href="https://www.staples.com/">Staples</a>, or local bookstores often carry business planners.</p></li><li><p><a href="https://www.canva.com/"><b>Canva</b></a> – For fully customisable and editable digital planner templates.</p></li><li><p><b>Love Marketing</b> - Yes we do an online business planner! It is filled with prompts and suggestions to keep you on track and get you thinking! It is fully customisable on canva, you can <a href="https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/1784857668/guided-digital-business-planner-workbook">purchase it on Etsy</a></p></li></ol><h2><b>Conclusion</b></h2><p>Starting a business is exciting but can be overwhelming without proper planning. A business planner acts as your roadmap, guiding you from ideation to execution, all while keeping you focused on your goals. From organising daily tasks to tracking finances and developing marketing strategies, a planner is an indispensable tool for online entrepreneurs. By investing time in creating a well-thought-out business plan, you set your business up for long-term success. Having a well-thought-out plan for each day, week, and month enables you to prioritise activities that drive your business forward. </p><p>
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Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@marissacristina?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash">Marissa Grootes</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/person-holding-ballpoint-pen-writing-on-white-paper--837JygbCJo?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash">Unsplash</a>

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When starting an online business, many entrepreneurs focus on product development, marketing, and revenue generation but often overlook one essential tool: a business planner.

Blog

How Your Small Business Can Use Emotions to Improve Marketing

How to Choose the Right Social Media Platforms for Your Business

A Guide to Using a Business Planner for Your Online Business