Have you ever seen an ad that made you laugh, tear up, or just feel something, and then – days later – you still remembered it? That’s the power of emotional cues in marketing. They don’t just get attention, they help the message stick with us.

Here’s the important part: using emotional marketing doesn’t mean manipulating your audience. It means understanding what they care about and building a connection in a genuine, respectful way.

Why does emotion matter so much? And how can you (ethically) use it for your benefit?

Why Emotion Matters in Marketing

Most decisions (yes, even B2B ones) are influenced by emotion. People don’t buy based on facts alone. They buy based on how those facts make them feel. Whether you’re selling software, business services, or landscaping, your audience’s emotional experience matters.

In marketing, emotion drives attention, increases recall, and builds trust. There are decades of science to back this up: studies in neuroscience and behavioral psychology show that emotionally charged experiences are easier to remember.

Why? Because emotions activate multiple parts of the brain. Especially (and this is key for businesses) those tied to memory and decision-making.

What kinds of positive outcomes has the research found for businesses using a marketing strategy based on emotional connection?

• 70% of decisions are emotion-based, while only 30% are based on rationality
• One retailer saw a 15% increase in active customers and a 50%+ increase in the growth rate of same-store-sales
• Marketing campaigns based purely on emotion do 2x as well as ones using only rational content
• Ads with a high emotional response result in a 23% increase in sales
• Customers who are emotionally connected bring in 2x the value – even when compared to those who are highly satisfied

Where do these numbers come from? Reputable sources like the Harvard Business Review, Nielsen, Gallup, and Roger Dooley at Neuroscience Marketing, who has spent years exploring research on the topic.

None of this is exactly earth-shattering news. Appealing to emotions has long been a marketing and advertising tactic, and it’s been clear for a while that emotional engagement plays a critical role in driving real business results.

But for the best results, you need to understand why.

When You Utilize Emotion, Cognitive Bias and Memory Work in Your Favor

Everyone is influenced by cognitive biases. They’re mental shortcuts that shape how we process information as humans, and they’re pretty much universal.

Some of these biases include:

Peak-End Rule. Simply put, people tend to remember the most intense moment of something and the ending. Leave them with a strong impression and it (and your brand) are far more likely to stick with them.

Mere Exposure Effect. The more people that see your brand, the more that are inclined to trust it. This is also why politicians with the most name recognition typically do the best.

Identifiable Victim Effect. In marketing terms, this means that a single, relatable story is often more persuasive than broad statistics.

Understanding and utilizing biases like these is your own shortcut when trying to reach people. It still has to be done well, but as long as you can manage that, it’s like a cheat code.

Okay, But Am I Just Manipulating My Audience?

Some business owners worry that using emotion means being manipulative. However, there is a clear line that you can stop yourself from crossing over.

Manipulation plays on fear, urgency, or guilt in a way that’s deceptive or heavy-handed. It urges people to do something or they might regret it – sometimes in so many words.

Emotional marketing, on the other hand, is about sharing something genuinely human. Helping your audience see themselves in your story and trust that you understand their needs.

How exactly do you do that?

• Showing the relief your clients feel when your service solves a problem
• Highlighting the pride customers take in supporting a local business
• Capturing the energy and optimism of a growing brand

Those are just a few examples. What you need to understand is that, at its core, manipulation is about applying pressure to get someone to take action, while emotional marketing is about forging a connection.

The Path to Marketing Success? Make It Memorable and Meaningful

Want your brand to stand out? Make people feel something – joy, relief, pride, curiosity. Emotional cues aren’t a gimmick, they’re human. They’re literally how we’re wired to connect!

And when you use them honestly and thoughtfully, you’ll create deeper, longer-lasting relationships with your audience – exactly what helps small businesses grow.

Need help crafting messaging that connects? We’re here to help.