Why Emotions Make Your Audience Stick Around

Why emotions help creators to attract an audience and how to evoke more emotion with your content

Author

Akta from Passionfroot
February 03, 2023

Hey passionate creator,

Over the weekend I watched A Man Called Otto. It wasn’t the best movie I’ve ever seen, but I found myself recommending it to family and friends as if it was.

This is for one simple reason: it made me feel something.

I spent most of the movie laughing, crying, or trying not to cry. Granted, I am one of those people who gets emotional pretty easily, but the story deeply resonated with me. And when we connect to something, that’s when we’re more likely to share it with others.

Think about the books and movies that have stuck with you: they might not be the highest rated movies of all time. They might not be groundbreaking. But they’re easy to bring up in conversations because you can relate them back to your own life.

And this is exactly how we win as creators: our audience resonates with us and we become part of their conversations.

This isn’t about the content itself. In theory anyone can create content on finance or productivity or other popular topics. But people click follow or share for a more powerful reason: we made them feel something. Whether it’s inspiration, a sense of peace, laughter, or just being understood: emotions leave a lasting impact.

“People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But people will never forget how you made them feel.”

Maya Angelou

So how can you evoke more emotions with your content, even as an educational creator?

  • Share context. Set the scene for your audience by explaining what led you to create this piece of content. Why is it relevant to you? Why is it relevant to them?

  • Show don’t tell. If you're a video creator, this means B-roll. If you're a writer, it means giving your reader a strong mental image rather than simply sharing a statement. E.g. “I felt overwhelmed by all the work I had to do” tells the reader, whereas “the weight of looming deadlines felt heavy on my shoulders” shows the reader.

  • Think about your storytelling structure. How can you build up emotion as you reach the core of your message?

  • Journal. It’s so much easier to convey emotions when you’re sharing your own stories. Get into the habit of doing this by journaling every day.

  • Put yourself in the audience’s shoes. What are they feeling right now? How do you want them to feel after they consume your content? Guide them through their journey of emotions with empathy.

Emotions stick with us. And when we use them effectively, our audience sticks around too.

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Stay passionate,

Akta