In the bustling and ever changing world of digital marketing, connecting authentically with your audience has never been more crucial – or more necessary.
Amidst a sea of content, how can small business owners ensure their message not only reaches but resonates deeply with their dream clients?
They speak directly to them.
We’re looking at the transformative power of universal experiences in marketing – offering a blueprint for crafting content that bridges the gap between brand and audience through shared human moments.
(You can also check out this week’s episode of the Marketing In The Margins Podcast to hear more about this very topic! Listen on Apple or Spotify)
The Power of Universal Experiences
Universal experiences are the common threads that weave through the tapestry of human life, transcending boundaries of culture, geography, and individual circumstance.
In marketing, these shared moments serve as a golden key to unlocking genuine connections with your audience.
They are the stories, struggles, triumphs and everyday realities that, despite our diverse backgrounds, unite us in a shared understanding. They unite your audience on common ground.
By tapping into these universal experiences, marketers can create content that not only captures attention but fosters a sense of belonging and community among their audience.
What Are Your Audience’s Universal Experiences?
Identifying universal experiences within your niche begins with understanding your audience deeply.
Not sure how to gather this info? Begin here:
- Start conversations, either directly or through social media polls and questions. Pay attention to common themes that emerge in these discussions—these are your clues to universal experiences.
- Analyze customer feedback and testimonials. Often these will highlight shared challenges or desires.
- Use Google or other search platforms to autocomplete around your target keywords and phrases. Use that to see what topics, issues and universal experience are being searched.
By incorporating these insights, small business owners can pinpoint the universal experiences that resonate most with their audience, laying the groundwork for impactful content creation.
Personalizing These Universal Themes
Once universal experiences are identified, the next step is personalization.
This involves taking these broad themes and applying them to the unique perspectives and needs of different audience segments.
Start by creating personas representing your audience segments, focusing on how each persona might experience the theme differently. How might one person in your audience experience this thing vs. someone else?
Use storytelling to bring these personalized experiences to life in your content, ensuring that each piece speaks directly to the individual needs and emotions of your audience members.
This approach transforms generic messages into relatable narratives that captivate and connect.
Content Creation Strategies
You know what you need to talk about, now you need to create the content.
To create content that resonates, focus on storytelling techniques that highlight universal experiences in a way your audience can see themselves in.
Use a mix of formats—blogs for in-depth exploration, videos for visual storytelling, and social media posts for engagement. Each piece should aim to evoke emotion, provoke thought, or inspire action, making your brand’s message memorable and shareable.
Involve your audience by encouraging them to share their own stories, creating a two-way conversation that enriches your content’s impact.
Building a Connection-Driven Content Strategy
Using these stories of universal experiences in your marketing requires a bit of a strategic approach.
- Plan your content calendar with these narratives at its core, ensuring a consistent flow of relatable content.
- Segment your audience and tailor the content to match their specific journey stages with your brand.
Authenticity should be your guiding principle—let your brand’s values and personality shine through every piece of content you create. By doing so, you’ll not only attract your dream clients but also build a loyal community around your brand.
Navigating the Evolving Marketing Landscape
As we move forward, and the marketing landscape inevitably continues to evolve, it’s crucial that you continue to highlight the importance of human connection.
This shift towards more authentic, relatable content reflects the trend we are seeing in the industry – people want and are looking for more meaningful interactions with brands.
Embrace this change by focusing on content that does more than sell—it should tell a story, offer value, and invite engagement.
By prioritizing connection over conversion, your brand not only stands out but also builds trust and loyalty with your audience.
The journey to creating content that connects deeply with your audience is both challenging but comes with a big payoff.
By speaking to these universal experiences and personalizing them for your audience, you’ll be able to create messages and content that resonate on a personal level.
Remember, the goal is to build relationships, not just transactions. With a strategic approach to content creation, centered on authenticity and connection, your business is well-positioned to grow and thrive in today’s competitive landscape.
Embrace the power of storytelling, and let your brand’s unique voice shine through every piece of content you create.
Katie Kastner is a marketing strategist, content writer & fellow entrepreneur mom. She loves marketing, her kids, her terribly patient husband and all forms of trauma healing & personal growth (very niche, I know). She combines the how-to of marketing with the transformative power of mindset shifts.
Follow her on Instagram, TikTok and on her podcast – Marketing In The Margins