Why it’s harder to connect with people through writing - And what you can do to still build a strong

Kirsten Back Author

Deep connection requires physical presence - or doesn't it? Some thoughts on how to deeply connect through content...

The last two years especially have severely limited so many things that that we took for granted. Isolation and distancing have taken something that we crave – the ability to be physically present for each other – in body and in mind…

Connection thrives on feeling acknowledged, felt, and understood. Being embraced or being affectionately touched by someone is something that we need.

We feel connected when someone is fully present for and with us. Holding space and allowing energy to flow between individuals.

When we step into a room and no matter what energy pervades the room – we have the power to change the energy of that room through our presence.

You can change the energy from bored to excited, from sad to happy, from angry and heated to calm and considerate.

Your physical presence can replace the energy of any context you may find yourself in because you have the ability to create an emotional difference in people.

You can do that through your body language, enthusiasm, actions, and the words you speak.

Your ability to connect with people on a deeper level is much higher when you’re physically and emotionally present.

But…

How can you compensate for not being physically present?

How can your written words compensate for a lack of physical presence? How can your written words change someone else’s energy and make them feel sensed, felt, and acknowledged?

Is that even possible?

The answer is “YES”.

But it is not necessarily easy to do that.

In this article, I will share a few tips and thoughts that will help you to make your audience feel your presence - so that you can connect on a deeper emotional level through your writing.

Gauge the emotional state of your audience

When you’re stepping into a room, you can feel the energy and the emotional state your audience is in.

Without a physical presence, you have to gauge the emotional state of your audience a little differently. One way is that you can use your existing clients to give you an indication.

If you are working 1:1 or in a group with clients, you can ask questions and make your deductions from each session that you have with your clients. Your clients are representative of how your audience is feeling.

On social media, you can review your feed and evaluate what your audience is posting, you can go into groups and search for keywords or review comments and posts.

If you have your own group, you can run polls and post questions.

You can also take a look at what’s trending on different platforms, what the competition is posting about, and take note of those posts that get a lot of engagement.

Once you get a feeling for your audience’s emotional state, you can think about your optimal response.

One thing that never fails is…

Be enthusiastically interested in your audience and raise their mood

One among many other reasons why I have dogs is that they are always enthusiastic about anything I do.

They are excited when I return home, put on my shoes or open the front door. They are full of energy when I try to weed a flower bed (often too enthusiastic about that one), walk to the field where we do agility, pick up a pinecone, or say their name.

They are interested in anything I do and even when they seem to be sleeping, one of their ears is still following my every motion, ready to spring into action.

It’s the focused attention they pay me and the way that they are fascinated and enthusiastic about anything that I do, that makes my interactions with them so rewarding.

Transfer that thought to your audience…

What if you showed a more enthusiastic interest in your audience? What if you showed more genuine interest in their day-to-day lives? What if you were a lot more interested in their work, family, favourite activities, dreams, and pet peeves?

Then you would understand who your audience is, what they are interested in, and what they are striving to achieve. You would understand what their purpose is, what they are passionate about, and what makes them happy.

Then you would understand what content you need to share to make them feel better, uplift their mood, and empower them to feel more capable…

Connecting with people is a two-way process (or rather a feedback loop). When you are able to sense your audience’s energy, you can respond to it by positively raising their energy through your content.

When you can make your audience feel better through your content, then they reward you with their attention.

So, what makes them feel better?

• Sharing knowledge that empowers them to achieve more
• Being compassionate and showing that you care makes them feel heard and supported
• Sharing uplifting content and a little bit of fun lightens their mood
• Painting a brighter future for them motivates them to take action
• Letting them know how awesome they are so that they forget about that imposter inside
• Recap where they were in the past, what they have achieved so far, and what they can achieve in the future…

And here’s another thought…

My dogs are happy in the here and now. They don’t think about the future. But your audience is capable of imagining a brighter future.

You can lead them there in their thoughts but also in reality.

You can narrow the gap between you and your audience by showing them what’s possible (even if they can’t imagine it yet), by uplifting their emotional state, and by acknowledging and serving them.

You can do all that with your content.

Yes, connecting deeply with people through your content is a lot harder, but you can absolutely do that through the stories, knowledge, and encouragement that you share with your audience through your content.

And…

If you need me to support you with that, then send me a message and we can talk about how I can help you build deeper connections with your audience.

Categories: Brand Messaging, Brand Storytelling, businesskills, Contentwriting, Customer Avatar, Customer dreams, Engagement, Messaging, writing tips