Empathy is the cornerstone of engagement online  —  so why do so many people make a mess of it?

First, let’s talk about the slimy marketers and salespeople (online or off) who will parrot you, your fears, and your concerns in an attempt to connect with you long enough for you to open your wallet…

(Yes. They ruin everything. They make your job more difficult.)

Empathy – when used for in the context of online communication, and for the powers of good – can have stunning results beyond just the immediacy of keeping you on a website or making an initial sale. In fact, empathy can drive ongoing, enthusiastic supporters who do your selling for you.

(Wow – they really *get* me!)

Too bad empathy is frequently overlooked or faked. We’ve all seen a getting-to-know-you conversation turn into a not-so-disguised getting-to-sell-you conversation. We sense when data is being collected for no good reason other than to serve the collector. In short, we’re all just over it.

No wonder true, sincere empathy in such demand. Especially online.

How do you give it? Well, first, you must understand that you don’t “get” empathy — you give it. The more you give, the more you get. Here’s how in your online content marketing:

Listen.

You can discover a lot about what your audience wants and needs. Your audience is a collection of individuals, but, you can think of them as one person. What do they need? What makes them feel good?

But what if your customers aren’t discussing you?

As Jay Baer writes, “It’s difficult to make listening and opportunistic engagement the nucleus of your approach when there’s nothing to listen or respond to in the first place.

That’s why content marketing becomes steadily more important for brands that don’t have existing social chatter.

If they’re not talking about you, it’s up to YOU to create content that gets them talking. [emphasis added]

In addition:

Make Empathy Part of Your Brand, and Core to Your Brand Communication

Examine the problem your website and/or products solve. Connect with the problem, and convey it’s legitimate role in helping your audience/customer. Make sure all your marketing copy (web, print, otherwise) references this solution from the customer’s perspective.

And if they still aren’t listening and discussing you?

Keep revising until you’re talking directly, and genuinely, to their needs.

Don’t “drop”, as in omit, empathy as an unnecessary, feel-good aspect of your marketing. Add empathy, because it’s powerful and meaningful if it’s genuine.

Hi @twitter friends,

How do you use Twitter and social media? As a commercial writer, let me share how I use it (personally, versus professionally).

I believe social media is a creativity engine, a way to share and spark ideas.

First of all, I rarely answer the literal question “what are you doing?”.  Instead, I try and share information I find useful and think you’ll find entertaining, educational, informative, or thought-provoking.

I tend to follow people who share a similar philosophy.

In alphabetical order, here are the top 10 topics you’ll probably find in my Twitter stream. If we share interests, I would honored for your “follow”.

Environmental Issues – downtown revitalization, smart development, transportation, and everyday environmental choices by individuals and cities

Food/Farm Issues – interests me as co-owner of a neighborhood grocery store (@GeorgeBowers) 

Historic Home Restoration – we are in the slow, yet rewarding, process of doing just that

Microfinance – I’m honored to be part of SPARC-PLUG, a local mico-lending program for economic development; it’s been a critical component to our small business

Real Estate – from architecture and design, to notions of history, community, to real estate as a financial investment…

Social Media – because the evolution of social media tools and use are fascinating … not to mention a cornerstone of business.

@Staunton, Virginia – because I love the walkable, creative, and historic town where I live…

Technology & Society – how are we using technology? How can technology bring about positive changes?

Urbanism -  I am interested in urbanism from design, environmental, and social prospectives…

“Urban Escapee” Themes – wondering if you could live outside the big city? I wondered that, too. Turns out it’s becoming easier and easier…

What are your “Top 10 Topics”? Send me an @reply or DM. I’d love to know.

To our shared creativity,

Katie

@KatieMcCaskey

Challenge: Use a confirmation email to reaffirm a customer’s decision to sign up
Solution: Introduce new customers to other areas of a website
Client: Independent grocery store

—

Thank you!

Thank you for activating your newsletter subscription. You join a select group of people who appreciate good food and support local, independent businesses.

Here are a few more items that may interest you.

EVENTS:
Every Monday we donate 10% of our sales to local charitable organizations. Keep track of other fun events via our Events Calendar:
http://www.georgebowersgrocery.com/calendar/

(P.S. If you use Google Calendars, you can sync it directly to your calendar)

SEE FOR YOURSELF:
Browse behind-the-scenes of local food producers. Isn’t it great to know where your food comes from and who made it?
http://www.georgebowersgrocery.com/photos/

FRIEND/FOLLOW US:
(‘Cuz we’d be flattered!)
On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/GeorgeBowersGrocery
On Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/GeorgeBowers

We always appreciate you passing along some kind words on our behalf. After all, good food should be shared with good friends. We look forward to getting to know you better and seeing you again soon.

Sincerely,
Brian and Katie (and George)
George Bowers Grocery
614 West Beverley Street
Staunton, Virginia 24401
540-255-6811
http://www.georgebowersgrocery.com

Turns out: your friend’s friend’s friend can make you fat.

Yes. It’s true, and one of several concepts explored in a very unusual book about the power of social connections and the spread of influence and information.

Connected: The Surprising Power of Our Social Networks by social scientists Nicholas A. Christakis and James H. Fowler does for average people who use Facebook what the book Freakanomics did for people who thought studying economic behavior might be boring. The book shines a light on everyday events and makes you reconsider how the world works.

It’s hard to remember that just a few years ago we couldn’t so easily see our social connections. Since reading Connected, I’ve been looking at the map of my social connections with renewed interest. One of the things the book stresses is your relative position within a particular social network and how this position affects you. Do most of your friends know one another, or do you orbit outside many cliques?

Just yesterday, The New York Times did a story about small businesses using Facebook.

In the context of small business (my writing services, or our grocery), leveraging your social network makes perfect sense. One topic Connected discusses is the power of your “weaker” social connections. Weaker connections are defined as those people you know casually, and with whom you share few, if any, mutual friends. These can be the best source of leads, customers, and clients.

It makes sense: your close friends and family already know you, your skills, or your products. Your weaker connections may also be familiar, but here’s the key: your weak social connections know people who don’t know you, and those people know even more people who don’t know you. So to effectively put out the word you need to access your weak connections.

Personally, I immediately recall two examples of “major” gigs found via “minor” friends.

Lesson? Businesses of all sizes and descriptions need to focus on crafting the right message, and, communicating that message to the weakest of your social connections.

Introduction to Facebook for Business Use

Today, there are more grandparents on Facebook than teenagers. This broad demographic shift reveals the ever-growing trend of connectivity between all of us. Is your small business capturing this trend?

This hands-on class will showcase specific steps you should take to harness Facebook for promoting and marketing your small business. I’ll use our small business, George Bowers Grocery, as a case-study for interacting directly with our most dedicated core customers.

You will learn:

• How to set up a Facebook business profile and its benefits
• When and how to update your business page
• How to send updates to your fans
• How to feature your page on related business pages
• How to connect your business blog to your Facebook business page

Each participant will leave with a detailed to-do list as well as recommended apps to extend the productivity of your business’s Facebook page.

NOTE: This class is extremely limited due to the personal and direct attention given to all participants.

This class is two hours.

Price: $175
Location: 9 South Augusta Street, Staunton at the Staunton Creative Community Fund offices
Next Session: Saturday, October 17th

Reserve your space now by paying online via debit or credit card.

You may also pay at the door if enrollment space allows.
For more info: 540-466-4141