How to create emotional connections with your brand using personalization

As social animals, forming emotional connections is part of our nature. And this extends to abstract entities, such as brands. It's no surprise that emotional attachment is responsible for about 43% of business value, surpassing the impact of promoting product features. 

So, building an emotional connection with your audience can be a powerful tool in driving business growth. And one potent strategy to foster these valuable connections is through the use of personalization. When we talk about personalization, we mean showing your customers you really understand them. It's not just about selling a product or service; it's about providing a tailored solution that perfectly aligns with their needs. This alignment between your brand and your customers’ values creates a deep sense of understanding and a meaningful connection.  

Here are 5 ways you can achieve this: 

1. Know your audience – deeply 

Having data about your audience’s demographics and professional backgrounds is undoubtedly necessary for personalization. But to truly connect with them, marketers need to know about their customers’ deeper desires. 

According to HBR research, customers develop an emotional connection with a brand when it’s consistent with their motivations and helps them meet deep, often unconscious needs. One such a desire is to ‘have confidence in the future’. In this case, customers will be looking for a brand that exudes confidence and credibility.

Therefore, investing in research that explores your customers’ inner needs is pivotal for creating a brand that resonates with them.

2. Build a brand personality compatible with your customers 

Much like a human, your brand has a personality. In fact, a 2022 paper concluded that using a recognizable, humanlike brand personality positively affects customer reactions on an emotional level, especially in today’s digital landscape. So, for your brand to be chosen by customers, it must be compatible with their own preferences and values, allowing them to express themselves by identifying with your image. 

To become who we aspire to be, self-awareness is key. Similarly, to craft a distinctive, compelling brand personality, marketers must carefully monitor the current perception of their brand. Employing content analysis and text mining techniques are cost-efficient ways to do this.  

 Speaking like a human is also key to driving sales and building loyalty. According to a 2018 study, human communication increased brand loyalty and the likelihood of spending money with a brand by 57% and 58% respectively.

3. Use data to craft personalized stories 

Stories have been bringing people together since the dawn of time. And there’s a reason for their timeless appeal. Research shows that storytelling increases oxytocin, a hormone that promotes bonding and empathy. 

And that’s where data storytelling comes in. Using data about your customers’ preferences and habits, you can create compelling narratives to delight them and even help them understand themselves better. For example, many companies share snapshots of their customers’ use of their service at the end of every year. The audience then gets a big picture view of their habits as well as a highly personalized story. Yet, marketers need to be cautious about coming across as intrusive. There’s a difference between knowing customers well and knowing too much.

4. Show you listen 

Connection is a two-way street. When you tailor your product or service based on your customers’ feedback or preferences, you tell them that you’re listening and that their opinion matters. This in turn boosts their perception of your brand and fosters loyalty. 

Therefore, to get regular feedback from your customers, marketers need to make it as easy as possible. You can add short surveys to your website, apps or even email signatures to facilitate this. Also, it’s crucial to acknowledge your customers’ input and show appreciation when implementing their suggestions.

5. Be trustworthy and consistent 

Trust is paramount when it comes to emotional connection. In fact, 66% of customers name trust as the most important factor in feeling connected to a brand.  

Keeping your brand image, product quality, and customer service consistent reassures your customers. It creates a sense of predictability and safety, strengthening their trust in your brand. Our research has found that this is especially true for email. 58% of respondents said that a professional, branded email signature makes them trust an email from a business or brand. Plus, you can boost the emotional connection factor by personalizing your email signatures.

The final word 

In a nutshell, personalization builds emotional connections by making your customers feel seen and valued. It's about creating meaningful experiences that resonate with them on a personal level. Remember, an emotionally connected customer is a loyal customer. So, keep personalizing, keep connecting, and watch your business thrive. 

And to further supercharge your personalization efforts, turn your business emails into marketing payloads that proactively humanize your brand. Discover the power of Exclaimer’s email signature software and schedule an online demo today to start turbo boosting emotional connections.