This is Part 4 of our series: Building Buzz Through Word-of-Mouth Marketing
In this series, we’ll guide you through unlocking the power of word-of-mouth marketing for your local service business (inspired from the books Contagious by Jonah Berger and Talk Triggers by Jay Baer and Daniel Lemin).
In this post, we’ll focus on Emotion for better word-of-mouth marketing: How tapping into your customers’ feelings—like joy, relief, or pride—can inspire them to share their experience with others.
- Emotion: Can your business evoke joy, relief, or pride?
Emotion
Emotion is one of the most powerful motivators when it comes to encouraging word-of-mouth marketing. When something makes people feel good—whether it’s joy, pride, or relief—they’re more likely to share that experience with others. By creating emotional connections with your customers, you can turn everyday transactions into memorable experiences that people want to talk about.
Emotion – Why It Works
Emotions are contagious. When customers feel joy, pride, or relief through your service, they are naturally inclined to share those feelings with others. An emotional connection strengthens the relationship between you and your customers, making them more loyal and more likely to recommend you.
How to Evoke Emotion in Your Customers:
- Create Moments of Joy
- Provide Relief from Pain Points
- Inspire Pride and Accomplishment
- Create Emotional Attachments with Storytelling
- Be Empathetic and Attentive to Your Customer’s Needs
Create Moments of Joy (to evoke emotion)
When people experience something that surprises them or makes them happy, they often feel compelled to share it. Think about how your service can go beyond expectations to delight customers. This could be as simple as a personalized note or a small, unexpected gesture (e.g., a plumber leaving behind a little “thank you” gift for the homeowner). These moments of joy don’t have to be expensive; they just need to make the customer feel special.
Example:
A cleaning company could leave a small scented candle or a bag of gourmet coffee after a job, turning a routine cleaning into a pleasant surprise that customers want to talk about.
Provide Relief from Pain Points (to evoke emotion)
People love a solution to a problem, especially when it provides them with a sense of relief. If your service helps ease a customer’s stress, frustration, or worry, they’re more likely to spread the word. By positioning yourself as someone who can save customers from a hassle or solve a frustrating issue, you can build a strong emotional connection.
Example:
An HVAC company might offer emergency services that come to the rescue in sweltering heat or freezing cold, making homeowners feel relief. When their air conditioning or heating is fixed promptly, they’ll not only appreciate the service—they’ll feel the relief of returning to comfort and want to tell others about it.
Inspire Pride and Accomplishment (to evoke emotion)
People enjoy feeling proud of the choices they make. If your service can help customers feel accomplished or proud of the outcome, they will be more likely to share their satisfaction with others. This is especially effective for home service providers like landscapers, contractors, or remodelers who transform spaces into something beautiful or functional.
Example:
A landscaper could help a customer design a beautiful, sustainable garden, making them feel proud of the final result. When they show off their transformed yard to friends and family, they’ll likely mention how great the experience was working with you.
Create Emotional Attachments with Storytelling (to evoke emotion)
Sharing stories that tap into emotions can enhance the customer experience and encourage people to talk about your brand. Whether it’s a story about your company’s values, a heartwarming customer success story, or a narrative about how you’ve helped others in meaningful ways, storytelling is a great tool for evoking emotion.
Example:
A moving company could tell the story of a family they helped move into their dream home, highlighting how they made the stressful process easier and more enjoyable. By framing their service in the context of this emotional journey, the company not only provides a practical service but also taps into the emotions of the customer’s experience.
Be Empathetic and Attentive to Your Customer’s Needs (to evoke emotion)
Sometimes, the most powerful emotional connection is simply being a compassionate listener and offering empathy. When customers feel heard, understood, and cared for, it creates trust and strengthens loyalty. An attentive, empathetic approach to customer service helps people feel comfortable sharing their positive experiences.
Example:
Imagine a plumber responding to a customer panicked over a major leak. Instead of rushing through the repair, the plumber takes a moment to calmly explain the situation, step by step, while offering reassurance that everything is under control. This empathetic approach eases the customer’s anxiety and fosters a sense of relief and trust.
To extend this sense of care beyond the service visit, the plumber could provide a practical resource, such as a refrigerator magnet or sticker for the water heater that reads: “Plumbing Emergency? Here’s What to Do While You Wait for Help.” This small but thoughtful gesture reinforces the plumber’s commitment to reducing stress for all their customers, making the experience memorable and share-worthy.
High-Arousal Emotions Can Boost Sharing
In addition to positive emotions like joy and pride, high-arousal negative emotions such as outrage or frustration can also motivate people to share. One famous example is the viral “United Breaks Guitars” video by musician Dave Carroll. After his guitar was damaged by United Airlines during a flight and the company failed to resolve the issue, Carroll created a song about his experience. The video exploded in popularity, attracting millions of viewers. His outrage over the situation resonated with viewers, many of whom shared the video to express their own frustration with customer service mishaps. This incident demonstrates how powerful high-arousal emotions—such as outrage or frustration—can be in driving people to share their stories, often leading to mass exposure. (Referenced from Contagious: Why Things Catch On, Jonah Berger)
While negative emotions can also spur sharing, it’s important for businesses to focus on evoking positive emotions that encourage goodwill and pride. However, even frustrations can be a source of content if they lead to a resolution or reveal a customer’s journey toward a better outcome.
If the brand or concept can evoke emotions of anger or goodwill/happiness (but note: not sadness, as people are generally not inclined to share content that could make their friends or family feel sad), then it has successfully captured emotion.
How to Leverage Emotional Marketing
Once you’ve identified the emotions that drive your customers, it’s important to find ways to infuse those feelings into your marketing. Share customer testimonials, success stories, and behind-the-scenes moments that highlight the emotions tied to your service. Make sure your branding, messaging, and customer interactions reflect these emotions as well.
Tip: Don’t shy away from asking your customers to share the emotional impact your service had on them. A simple request for a testimonial or review, especially when they are feeling happy, relieved, or proud, can go a long way in spreading the emotional connection to others.
Emotion – The Takeaway
By tapping into emotions like joy, relief, or pride, you can create powerful connections with your customers that lead to positive word-of-mouth. When people feel good about your service, they’re more likely to share those emotions with others, boosting your reputation and attracting new customers. Whether it’s providing a solution that offers relief or creating moments that spark joy, emotion is a key driver in building customer loyalty and encouraging referrals.
Get Creative with Emotion
Now that you understand how Emotion drives sharing, it’s time to brainstorm how you can tap into your customers’ feelings. What emotions does your service evoke, and how can you amplify that emotional connection to inspire customers to talk about you?
Take a moment to ask yourself: What feelings do you want your customers to associate with your business? Whether it’s joy, relief, pride, or even a sense of security, find ways to make those emotions a central part of your service experience. When you make your customers feel something meaningful, they’ll be eager to share that feeling with others.
Take action now—gather your team and marketer, and start brainstorming ways to create emotional connections that will spark word-of-mouth and bring more customers to your business!
See Part 5 of our series on Building Buzz Through Word-of-Mouth Marketing
In that post, Public for better word-of-mouth marketing, we’ll focus on how to create a service that’s built to be shown and shared, encouraging customers to visibly showcase their experience.
