IN today’s dynamic social media world, the weight of power has shifted from company to consumer.

It’s no longer enough to set out your stall online, post a few updates and claim a social media presence, companies have to work hard every day, across a variety of channels, to build strong emotional connections with their audiences.

Companies must be available 24/7 to respond and if they are engaging in a human, customer-centric way then better connections will be made, says Claire Dunning of branding and marketing consultancy Creating Sparks. This results in stronger emotional connections, which will ultimately make them more human and that’s what builds business.

Dunning says the customer journey is no longer linear and has often been illustrated as an infinity loop covering all customer touch points facilitated through digital platforms and social media. This provides continuous opportunities to engage and optimise the level of emotional connection and make the customer the hero of your story.

“Emotional connection goes way beyond someone using a product or service - when an emotional connection is made positive experiences are created,” she says. “These experiences take us on a journey and lay down optimistic emotions, memories and evoke a sense of belonging and engagement, in essence they prompt us to enrol in the tribe.”

Dunning, a past president of Glasgow Chamber of Commerce and former vice-chairwoman of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, says statistics show members of a tribe show increased loyalty and higher repurchase habits. Emotionally engaged customers are three times more likely to re-purchase, at least three times more likely to recommend your product or service, are less likely to shop around and are much less price sensitive.

Dunning says: “Creating emotional connections is simple, it’s about being human. Every brand is a fluid, running narrative and should include customers in the script, casting them centre stage as the hero of the story.

“Listening to customers and their market is key, finding out what their interests are, their biggest challenges, talking to them about these and creating relevant solutions.

“It is important to understand how relationships within specific tribes influence and interact with one another. The glue of the tribe is a shared set of values that emotionally connects a community.”

So how do you create a tribe? Dunning says it’s is a lot like making friends, and takes regular communication, quality interactions and shared experiences. She says: “Personalise your communications, this portrays your brand as a friend or peer rather than a faceless product. “A human brand is more likely to get mentions, recommendations and positive reviews in public forums. And remember that community happens wherever and whenever you interact with your target audience so these principles should extend to every touchpoint.”

Michelle Rodger is a communications consultant