Why You Shouldn’t Be Afraid of Fear in Your Marketing…

A few months ago, my wife and I woke to a loud “thud.” 

She thought the sound came from inside the house…

…and, for her, that meant trouble. 

“What was that!?” she asked, sounding a little frantic. 

We live in the city and crime is a thing so I don’t blame her for worrying. 

I got out of bed, checked the alarm panel (nothing amiss), wandered the halls (all clear), checked the doors and windows (all locked), and returned to bed (“Sleep well,” I said). 

We DID sleep well.  

I thought of that night today after I came across an article in one of those big-time business magazines. A marketing ex-spurt was preaching about the evils of “fear-based marketing.” 

One of his examples: “In the home security industry, the message is that a home without a security system puts the lives of the family at risk.”

That’s bad marketing, he tells us: “While fear-based marketing may lead to short-term results, it may not be useful for creating long-lasting relationships with customers and building your brand. A different approach is to draw your audience in by being authentic and offering real value.”

What a crock of CACA. 

This guy suggests you’re being inauthentic and not offering real value if you speak to a prospect’s fear. 

But here’s the thing…

…and this is important: 

The most authentic thing you can do as a marketer is:

Understand your prospects,
meet them where they are
and speak to their emotions.

If your prospects are anxious, speak to the anxiety. Then show how you move them from anxiety to calm. 

If your prospects are in pain, speak to the pain. Then show how you can move them from pain to relief. 

If your prospects feel stuck, speak to that feeling. Then show how you move them from stuck to forward motion. 

If your prospects are losing sleep and restless, wondering whether their house is secure, speak to their restlessness. Then show them how your home security system can help them sleep well.   

Understand your prospects. Meet them where they are. Speak to their emotions: 

THAT’S authentic. THAT’S providing value.  

Those journeys from anxiety to calm, pain to relief, stuck to forward motion, restless to sleeping well — those are powerful stories that attract prospects, keep them tuned in, and inspire them to act. 

That’s what story-powered marketing is all about. 

And story- powered marketing works.