If your videos or marketing are getting poor results, you may be missing the biggest ingredient in the decision-making process.

Emotions.

Question: How do you make decisions?

Like many people, you may think you make decisions rationally—using reason and logic. The truth is, particularly when it comes to consumer choices, we decide with our emotions and then justify our decisions with logic. Neuroscientific studies have found that people whose brains are damaged in the area that generates emotions are actually incapable of making decisions.

People are driven by feelings, and the products and brands we remember are the ones that emotionally engaged us. The best marketers can make an emotional connection without people even realizing it. That’s because we all have subconscious desires that contain an emotional component.  

Our desire for self-worth, acceptance, and status attract us to luxury items. Staying connected to family and friends gets us excited about communication devices and technology. Athletic brands draw us with adventure, competition, and victory. Other products lure us with love, laughter, relationships, success, and a sense of value.

Get Your Tissues Handy

During the 2016 Rio Olympics, P&G released a campaign entitled “Thank you, Mom” that honored mothers for the role they play in our lives. The campaign shows athletes remembering times when their mothers encouraged and comforted them as children, which gave them the courage and to compete on the Olympic stage.

P&G is a big company that encompasses a wide range of products for the home. Who is predominately buying those products? Women. Moms. It was a powerful move to produce an emotional commercial honoring mothers that didn’t revolve around their paper towels or laundry detergent. Instead, P&G appealed directly to the emotions of their consumer audience. I dare you to watch it and not cry.

It takes someone strong, to make someone strong. Thanks, Mom.

(My wife just added Tide to the grocery list!)

Sell the Sizzle

It’s fine for your video to focus on the features of your product, but don’t forget to sell the lifestyle and the feelings that come with it. When you highlight the emotional response a person will have when they connect with your brand, keep in mind that the highest emotional response comes through appealing to their different senses.

There’s an old saying by sales guru Elmer Wheeler, “Sell the sizzle, not the steak.”

Sure, the cut of the steak may be perfect, but it’s the sizzle that creates the emotional experience. The sound of the steak hitting the flame, the smell that soon follows—that’s what will make your mouth water.

“Honey, grab the keys, we’re going out for steaks tonight!”

The Right Emotional Strategy

Consistency is essential in approaching your customers. Don't try to cover all their emotions at one time. Select an emotional strategy that best connects with your ideal customer. 

Are they known for being ambitious? Communicate feelings of achievement. 

Do they face the threat of a competitor? Share what’s at stake if they don’t act now—or, better yet, how their life will change if they DO act now.

People are longing to feel something. When you tap into emotions through video storytelling, the power cannot be underestimated. You can maximize your impact by diving into what you want others to feel and how you want them to respond.
…