Empathy is More Important Now Than Ever with Carol Stephen

Episode 8 April 03, 2022 00:22:46
Empathy is More Important Now Than Ever with Carol Stephen
Launch With Words
Empathy is More Important Now Than Ever with Carol Stephen

Apr 03 2022 | 00:22:46

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Hosted By

Bridget Willard

Show Notes

Do you just post like a robot, schedule everything, and never respond? When's the last time you took a look at your target audience? Who are they -- really? In this episode of the second season of the Launch With Words Podcast, Bridget is joined by writer and social media manager, Carol Stephen, for an insightful conversation on the importance of empathy in our marketing.


"I think empathy is more important than ever. And if somebody's bullying somebody else, for example, that doesn't go over. You know? People are quick to jump in and help that person. I think that's become more evident over the last couple of years" Carol Stephen

Follow Carol on Twitter

https://twitter.com/carol_stephen

Carol Stephen's Blog

https://yoursocialmediaworks.com/blog

 

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Episode Transcript

00:22.64
Bridget Willard
Hey hey! Welcome to another episode of Launch With Words. This is season 2, episode 8 with my very good friend Carol Stephen. Carol, how are you doing today?

00:33.77
Carol Stephen
But I'm doing great today. It's a wonderful day. We just had a big rainstorm and we're in the middle of a drought. So we're very happy. Oh yeah, everybody just loves going outside after the rain.

00:41.50
Bridget Willard
Yeah, that's good and I love the way it smells after the rain. It's just, it just feels, it smells so fresh and clean and it's just wonderful. Gets all the pollen out of the air.


00:59.35
Bridget Willard
So, when it comes to like you're small. I mean I know like you have roots in technical writing and you've worked with a lot of startups in the Silicon Valley area of the Bay Area of California but you also work with small businesses. So a lot of times you're doing the writing but I imagine sometimes people are like where do I even start? I mean what is your advice to small businesses who know they need to be blogging like we've said it enough like how do they even start.

01:32.74
Carol Stephen
Oh my gosh. Well I think the number 1 thing is they have to find their audience. So they need to know who their audience is. Like who is that person in the middle of their target? And I think for some people, that's probably changed since they started their business and they might not have revisited who their audience is. So if it's been two or three years I'd really recommend that people revisit figuring out who their target audience is. Now you don't necessarily have to pay somebody to help you do this but you you know you could find somebody who's just outside your business and someone who'll be honest with you to give you some advice.

02:14.35
Bridget Willard
Yeah, that's really important. Rhonda with Fat Dog Creatives and I are doing a presentation at our small business chamber in a couple weeks. And we're like your website has to talk to your customer. It's not about you and then we both said that to each other and then we both went and looked up our own websites really quick.

02:35.25
Carol Stephen
Ah, well, that's right because I was thinking about my own business and it's changed so much. So I mean this is something that I'm telling myself as much as I'm telling the person listening to this that um that person that you were targeting is not the same person. And that that goes for everybody. So a refresh is good even if it is the same audience is it's a good reminder to do this exercise to figure out who that person is so.

03:03.60
Bridget Willard
Yeah, for sure. So once you know that your audience is like property managers, for example, how do you um, find those topics to you know to write about that will resonate with property managers?

03:21.10
Carol Stephen
Well I think one thing that really helped me was figuring out who my target audience is, you know, what they look like specifically. And that means like physically what do they look like.

03:36.41
Bridget Willard
Okay.

03:39.20
Carol Stephen
But also socially what do they look like? And like psychographically what do they look like? So that means and that's probably the most important thing is knowing what people believe, what they dream about, what their fears are, what their desires are.

03:45.15
Bridget Willard
Wow.

03:57.73
Carol Stephen
That kind of thing that and that's beyond. You know the the very basic thing of knowing the demographics you know like age and sex and race and that kind of thing the invisible ones.

04:09.34
Bridget Willard
Yeah, that's it can you give us an example of when what that would look like for someone? Like psychographically that's that's a ¢75 word Carol, like I've never heard that but it makes so much sense.

04:21.95
Carol Stephen
Um I think Seth Godin used that word and yeah, by the way here's an actionable tip and that is to go and look at Seth Godin

04:28.52
Bridget Willard
That makes sense that was Seth Godin. Ah, how do they think we're going to look at them psychographically.

04:41.68
Carol Stephen
Look at some of his videos on YouTube and that will help you a lot so figuring out those pain points. You know like your audience. Do they have a good grasp of technology? How do they spend their free time? And how does your product or service fit into that person's life?

05:00.13
Bridget Willard
Yeah, yeah, those are all good questions.

05:01.24
Carol Stephen
So you know you may have to go and and do a um you know a questionnaire or something with some of your top audience members to figure out some of these questions. You know what are the answers that these what health issues do they have?

05:17.32
Bridget Willard
Yeah, and we do evolve. Like I love that you're talking about essentially that persona document or those personas and then evolving them. So like you know me I'm bullish on Twitter and I've I've I've said so many times that personas are basically legitimized stereotypes. But at the same time I always say, of course, you have to have a persona but you also need to reevaluate it. And that's why I love Twitter because you can see how people have changed even how they're speaking within your own industry. And the problems that they're having. You know like COVID hass completely shifted the way we think about the houses we want just because a lot of knowledge workers are working at home and they're going to always work at home because they choose it.

06:09.26
Carol Stephen
Bright right.

06:14.10
Bridget Willard
So now they need that third bedroom. But what if you have 2 people that both need an office and they can't be in the same room because they're driving each other banana pants. Yeah.

06:23.83
Carol Stephen
Banana Pants! Another ¢75 word. Well, I think for people you know in the real estate market. It's important to have an outdoor area and you can move your office outside or at least. Work outside a little bit of the time when the weather is good so that's something that people could do.

06:39.91
Bridget Willard
Yeah, yeah, so once the small business owner is like okay I've been doing this for a while. I've reevaluated who Bob is he goes by Robert now because he wants to be viewed as more of an adult. And you know, he's he's still watching science fiction. But really, he just subscribes to Disney plus. And his big problem as a property manager is he doesn't want to have to deal with all these you know electrical. You know, energy costs -- the, the energy costs being so high. So you're a window film company, for example, and how do you? How do you reach Robert who's having to deal with high energy costs and managing his facility?

07:19.30
Carol Stephen
Um, yep.

07:28.55
Carol Stephen
We always talk about energy saving as well as cost saving. And cost saving is something that it doesn't matter whether there's a pandemic or not, everybody is interested in saving money. So that's got to be one of the top things that you talk about no matter what field you're in.

07:38.56
Bridget Willard
Yes.

07:47.27
Carol Stephen
You know, how does this product save you money? You know and if you can make that an emotional topic or you can somehow create some humor around the topic that also helps. You know, so we tend to have a lot of funny content. You know the blog posts are often funny because you know at a certain point. You're just repeating yourself when you're talking about something like window film. And a lot of these niche topics are like that you have to find a new angle.

08:14.32
Bridget Willard
Yeah, and you're really good with using humor Um with throughout content marketing. So like okay so yesterday now this dates this episode, but last night Will Smith um basically bitch slapped Kevin Hart on the stage of the Oscars and I've already seen on Instagram this morning three memes just from businesses here in San Antonio, Texas.

08:37.40
Carol Stephen
Right.

08:48.41
Bridget Willard
I mean like everything can be a joke and it's never like too soon anymore. I was like wow that was like five hours ago you guys.

08:52.18
Carol Stephen
Right? Yeah right, There used to be like a certain amount of time before people felt safe to talk about it. But I think with the rise of social media, that time is like really decreased. And also people are on a lot more.

09:07.72
Bridget Willard
Yeah, yeah, how do I mean? how do you use humor in ah in a good way with you know you like a service-based business?

09:17.85
Carol Stephen
Um, what I find is that you write the blog post or whatever you're you're creating first and then you inject humor into it at the end. Now. Yeah, and then you have to you have to be really.

09:25.69
Bridget Willard
Ah, aha that makes a lot more sense.

09:34.69
Carol Stephen
Careful with humor because it can backfire as as Will Smith found out, right.

09:35.34
Bridget Willard
Oh for sure. Yeah, don't choke about anybody's wife ever and then you're fine. But like, dude I was like I've really liked her outfit but like her face said more than Will Smith's slap.

09:43.57
Carol Stephen
Right? Especially if they're sitting right there in the audience looking at you.

09:53.19
Carol Stephen
Yes, yes.

09:54.14
Bridget Willard
Poor thing. But you know that's the thing is humor is tricky because we all have different things and as it gets closer to our reality, it feels more offensive. like you know, um, but but it's.

10:06.21
Carol Stephen
Um, you can.

10:13.28
Bridget Willard
Nobody wants to read technical papers. You know.

10:15.50
Carol Stephen
Right? right? So what I would do is create some kind of it doesn't have to be a manual but it just a few things that you're not going to talk about or you're not going to write about. So I think it's important to have empathy for your audience.

10:30.47
Bridget Willard
Yeah, that's really where the humor comes in like you can I feel like it's on thing to make fun of yourself. It's a totally different thing to make fun of other people. But you could like you know do a Dave Letterman top 10 reasons why you like paying high energy bills.

10:36.43
Carol Stephen
Right.

10:47.22
Carol Stephen
Um.

10:49.70
Bridget Willard
You know? You could do the opposite you know, Um, instead it's more. It's more like casual and fun. It's not like you really do hate the world and want to ruin the environment. Like it could be like just top level like that.

10:53.83
Carol Stephen
Ah, yeah.

11:08.57
Bridget Willard
But it could be a little more engaging and people are like oh Wow I didn't know that I could get at installation that has a higher R-value or whatever like that. You know, um?

11:16.36
Carol Stephen
Um, right? and it's always adding a little knowledge in there but making it funny too like using more casual language.

11:24.10
Bridget Willard
Yeah, so for people that are looking to hire someone to write for them because they're like you know they're doing their own yoga studio they're doing pilates classes. That's.

11:36.47
Carol Stephen
Um.

11:39.24
Bridget Willard
That's what consumes most of their time their own business Development. You know, creating the flows for example, and how does that person even go and find a ah freelance writer like yourself? How did they even start that journey to find someone to write for their business?

11:56.53
Carol Stephen
I would talk to friends and then you know friends of friends. And you can go online and start seeing you know, like who is writing about this? I mean Google's your best friend you have a library in your pocket.

12:00.95
Bridget Willard
Yeah, just ask them.

12:09.37
Bridget Willard
Ah, that's true. Oh man, it's just come a long way since the ah microfiche and a roll of dimes hasn't it? But ah so like when when a client comes to you.

12:19.96
Carol Stephen
Um, yes, definitely. This.

12:28.21
Bridget Willard
Do you have a qualification process or do you do test projects? How does that work?

12:31.54
Carol Stephen
Um, it's important for me that I don't have to talk them into my services. Like I want that person to already be qualified when they contact me at this point. You know I'm not going to talk to somebody that needs to be convinced about the power of social media. I mean, ten years ago? Maybe. You know, but now there is no way, especially after the pandemic people really have realized how important it is.

12:50.23
Bridget Willard
Yeah.

13:00.27
Bridget Willard
Oh for sure. I'm the same way I'm like listen I'm not evangelizing you to Twitter anymore. I've written some blog posts. If you don't like money, I don't know to tell you. Do you want people to see your stuff or you just don't care like about your business at all?

13:19.22
Carol Stephen
Yeah, no, if yeah and I usually know like right away off the bat If if they don't believe in social media or they don't see how powerful it is. I mean how do people find you?

13:31.35
Bridget Willard
Yeah, my when they say "word-of-mouth," I'm like what do you think social media is? Just a bunch of Will Smith memes today. But like you know, two years ago with some other meme. You know it's just a Karen meme or whatever it's you know.

13:36.24
Carol Stephen
Yeah, exactly right.

13:50.65
Bridget Willard
I I feel like the pandemic has really intensified our use of humor as a coping mechanism. And.

13:55.85
Carol Stephen
Oh for sure. It'll be interesting to see how it that changes after the Pandemic's completely over.

14:02.30
Bridget Willard
Yeah I mean I don't I don't even know how much our society's been indelibly changed by our isolation. You know? And so that's why I feel like even more important now than ever it is to to be top of mind. I mean even even here in San Antonio people are finally going to like chamber events in person and like the small business council I'm on.

14:22.41
Carol Stephen
This is.

14:31.12
Carol Stephen
Um.

14:35.88
Bridget Willard
We're finally having in-person meetings. But they're all virtual before. You know? They were still virtual and and even when you're with the other people and you have a mask you don't see all those smiles. You know? So we've we've lost a lot of what makes us relate to other people and other businesses.

14:37.78
Carol Stephen
Um.

14:45.57
Carol Stephen
Right.

14:51.39
Carol Stephen
Um, and then.

14:54.94
Bridget Willard
And so I feel like it's even more important to convey that through imagery and words on your website and social. Um, how do you think it's changed with people posting Um you know on Linkedin or Twitter? Have you seen any of that really change the last couple of years with small businesses?

15:15.69
Carol Stephen
I think empathy is more important than ever. And if somebody's bullying somebody else, for example, that doesn't go over. You know? People are are quick to jump in and and help that person. I think that's that's become more evident over the last couple of years.

15:28.96
Bridget Willard
Yeah.

15:35.65
Carol Stephen
You know, because like everybody's struggling. Everybody's struggling right now. You know?

15:37.43
Bridget Willard
Yeah, a hundred percent. And that kind of goes back to what you're talking about earlier, which is you know who is the person in the middle of your target? How do they think and how do they feel and what are they afraid of?

15:48.76
Carol Stephen
So.

15:56.81
Bridget Willard
It's almost like method acting would you say?

15:58.52
Carol Stephen
Yeah, you really have to get inside the skin of that person. You have to figure out what's important to them and then find out how you can help that person. You know it doesn't matter so much that it's your service but you know. You can talk about other things that are going to be important or that are pain points.

16:16.55
Bridget Willard
Yeah, what do you feel about more personal blogging when it comes to a business owner? I mean I know like ah some of my clients appear on podcasts and they talk a little bit about why they started their business.

16:31.25
Carol Stephen
um ha

16:33.56
Bridget Willard
And how they started their business where they went to school and things like that. I mean does any of that is that valuable? Or is it too much? Do you have a yeah.

16:41.58
Carol Stephen
I think it is valuable. Because you never know what it is that's going to make somebody hire you or buy your service or product. And I think it is valuable. I mean, of course, if you're a nazi maybe maybe don't talk about that. You know? But I think it's valuable. Yeah.

16:47.98
Bridget Willard
Yeah.

16:53.99
Bridget Willard
Yeah, for well? yeah yeah I feel like it's I think people are reluctant to give up personal details. But I'm always like there's got to be something. If you like golfing then just say you go golfing and then.

17:00.59
Carol Stephen
Now.

17:04.45
Carol Stephen
Um, yeah, if you're crazy about dogs. You know? yeah.

17:13.61
Bridget Willard
Yes, and then it gives us something to talk to you about. Because, you know, a lot of times you you come across a business on social and then go their website and it's just like [sad sound effect]. Like show some personality. There's gotta be something you're willing to tell us.

17:24.28
Carol Stephen
Right? exactly? so.

17:33.43
Bridget Willard
Don't put your social security number up there. And um, stop doing the date of birth things on Facebook. But like it'd be nice to know, you know, if you if you're you know watching March Madness or.

17:40.83
Carol Stephen
Ah.

17:48.31
Carol Stephen
Um, who.

17:50.89
Bridget Willard
If your people already left. Or if you prefer a latte or Chai latte or you don't even drink tea at all? You're just all about mineral water. Like who are you?

18:00.69
Carol Stephen
Yeah I I think those things are are valuable to share. You know, for example, and I was thinking about my own Target audience. It started out a lot older and it was mostly women who weren't very tech savvy. And then it, my whole audience became younger more tech savvy and it included a lot of startups. And now I'd say my target audience my target market are mostly Asian. And I really love that so you know it's a way for me to go back to my roots and figure out what where I came from and it's just so interesting to see how things change.

18:41.97
Bridget Willard
So as you the business owner are evolving your priorities evolve and that's sort of reflected in the persona that of the people that you're working with. Wow.

18:47.98
Carol Stephen
Are.

18:53.48
Carol Stephen
Yes, exactly and you don't know what it is. That's going to attract people.

19:01.25
Bridget Willard
That's so true. I mean when I first started it was it was all about WordPress people. I don't have. I have one WordPress client. Yeah and my other tech client is it is sort of WordPress adjacent. But it's it's not. It's really for Jamstack. So like my my biggest client is of big data company and my second biggest client is a science company and then my next client is ah cremation company. And let me tell you about the death care industry. There's a lot they have their own trade shows. They have their own podcasts. It's really. is a different world. Death death care. Yeah, like cremation, urns, funeral.

19:43.20
Carol Stephen
Um, I'm not sure I heard what you said Death Death. Oh Death care. Wow. Um, wow.

19:53.81
Bridget Willard
parlors, writing obituaries. It's totally like a different. It's like completely opposite of like building websites. Yeah, and so I'm like. But my my experience with being a widow right? And writing about life insurance and understanding life insurance. And one of my clients we write ah for baby boomers and it's just like that's all stuff that I've been through. I understand Medicare. I understand what they cover and what they don't.

20:29.33
Carol Stephen
Wow. You know.

20:31.11
Bridget Willard
So it's like as I've aged and experienced life, people have gravitated gravitated toward me because of my personal story. And I feel like part of what I'm extracting out is like live your life in a truest way to yourself and then allow that to attract the ideal customer for you. You're so awesome. Ah, love it to the moon and back carol. So how do people find you on the internet or how do you want them to find you.

20:53.28
Carol Stephen
Um, yeah I love that. that's that's amazing. No, you. To you for sure.

21:08.56
Carol Stephen
Well I Actually I'm so busy right now. I got even busier during the pandemic and you know for a lot of people or a lot of businesses they their businesses slowed down. So I feel very blessed that my business is really booming.

21:09.75
Bridget Willard
Do you want them to find you? ah.


21:28.19
Carol Stephen
So I'm not really taking new clients right now. But who knows? Anything could happen. Yeah I would love people to read my blog and that is getting more personal, too. So I'll probably be writing about some of these things that we talked about today.

21:33.12
Bridget Willard
Do you want them to read your blog?

21:45.40
Bridget Willard
I.

21:47.32
Carol Stephen
On a blog post in the future because I'm, I'm still continuing you know once a week to be to create some kind of a post. And oh it's YourSocialMediaWorks.com.

21:51.80
Bridget Willard
Awesome! So Do you want to tell people that website address? Awesome! Thank you So much Carol, You're the best. Yeah I'm gonna press Outro. Don't hang up yet.

22:03.58
Carol Stephen
Ah, Ah, thank you is It is that it. What? okay.

 

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