Emotions plays a big role in consumers buying process. When you receive a piece of content or a brands advert that produces such effects, it generates an intense influences on your perception with the brand. It can exert a strong feelings like trust, confidence, concern and dislike — are all emotional responses.

Emotions is part of your decision making when you’re making a purchase. We associate emotional branding positioning with impulse purchase decision. The buying choices that makes people quickly or make a basis of few facts and less conscious consideration.

It’s a known fact despite of evolution and development of abstract thought and critical thinking, we humans rely on emotions when making decisions.

Regardless of your data analysis and the pros/cons list in decision buying, it is influenced by one primal brain areas.

With this being said, marketers need to be masters of connecting emotionally with the customers.

According to Douglas Van Praet author of Unconscious Branding: How Neuroscience Can Empower (and Inspire) Marketing said:

What does it mean for marketers who want to influence buying decision or gain a lead?

It means that buyers need to appeal to their  “buyer persona’s” wants and needs. It’s instinct, people see what they want and they take action.

ConversionXL published a great post on “6 neuromarketing stimuli that speak to the old brain” including:

•     The old brain’s self-centered nature
•     The old brain’s sensitivity to the clear contrast
•     The old brain’s love of the familiar
•     The old brain’s responsiveness to openings and finales
•     The old brain’s affinity for visuals
•     The old brain’s responsiveness to emotional persuasion

How to Use Emotions in Marketing

How can these emotions help with getting the content out there?

According to research from the University of Glasgow and suggests 4 core feelings; happy, sad, afraid/surprise and angry/disgusted.

These are the emotions that help us survive the adversities in life and should not be ignored when publishing content.

This is proven on what sells in the Media.

Positive Content vs. Negative Content

***Happy = More Shares

A content that is shared showing positive articles is much more likely to be shared than articles that are sad topics. As a marketer, you can benefit more from highlighting positive news or advancements related to your business or industry.

Sad = More Clicks

Research shows that negative connotations tend to attract more clicks and spends. According to Outbrain found out that negative superlatives work 30% better at getting attention than headline without a superlative at all.

The bottom line is negative news gets clicked and read but happy news is shared more.

Afraid/Surprised

Fear is our natural instinct the one that a helps us to react into threats and increase our chance of survival. It creates urgency and prompts us to take action.

Advertising is based on one thing: Happiness

Angry/Disgusted

I think most people don’t want to have an “anger” — this negative emotion that will cause negative connotations. On the other hand it anger can also awaken people and induce action. While some negative emotions create less viral content than positive viral success happens overnight.

https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/emotions-in-advertising-examples

But How About Conversions?

You can also appeal to people’s emotions to increase conversion and sales, not just clicks or shares.

The right part of the brain communicates in feelings and images and is in charge of emotions, it also affects the visual presentation when trying to invoke an emotional response with your marketing.

When we understand the degree of which our brains rely on emotions when making decisions, marketers can appeal to the feelings of customer and boost leads.

To market successfully, brands need to be aware of their identity and focus on the rational approach. Brands that use high emotional approach aims to build a relationship between customers and the product. The brand’s adverts itself are full of emotional triggers that easily influence our decision.

In the end, the consumers will buy a product or brand that has an emotional relation to them. So, for the brands, it is essential to build a relationship and establish an emotional attachment towards the consumer.