Lead with Empathy
We’re often telling writers, “lead with empathy.”
It’s a key part of connecting with your audience by immediately indicating to them that you understand their state of mind, where they are coming from, and what they’re going through.
Yet empathy is so often understood, in order to be able to ask this of your team, we must first define it and give enough examples that your editorial team can begin to build constructs that help them understand the framework fully.
Meet Readers Where They Are
Leading with empathy means writing your introductory sentence in a way that recognizes where your reader is coming from and the state of mind they may be in. Every reader arrives with their own set of experiences, questions, needs, and emotions. They might be frustrated, down and out, in a negative state of mind – or they could be up to something exciting, ambitious, or just plain fun.
As writers, we do our best to anticipate what readers know, don’t know, and are looking for. Whatever brought you here, my job is to meet you at that point and guide you forward.
If you want to build your bad credit, I’m not going to lament about how you’re missing out on all those high-end travel points. I’m instead going to give you the fastest, most affordable resources to reliably build your credit through your day to day life.
If you’re buying a new house and you can afford it, this first time homebuyer guide is going to be kind of exciting! You’re starting the homeowner process and though it’s complicated, it’s pretty fun to think about paint colors while learning about down payments.
How to lead with empathy
In your intro paragraph, follow this general format:
Start with a sentence that shows you understand the one common denominator that brought everyone to that page. They’re all experiencing the same issue, which is what your article will solve.
“We get it – you’re not the only one trying to jump the Netflix ship.”
Write your second sentence that covers the lede of the article. If the article is about something specific, insert the answer here.
“You can cancel your account right in the Settings area of the app.”
Wrap up with another sentence explaining the promise of what the reader will learn plus the outcome they will walk away with.
“Get it done in under 10 minutes following these steps, or watch the short video.”
Clarity and Honesty: The Universal Language
Regardless of where readers are coming from, they all want the same core elements from content:
Clear and comprehensive information
Honest answers
Guidance to move forward
Avoid Spaghetti Whether
I have a complete list of phrases that I tend to avoid, and this is one of them:
Avoid starting your articles with “Whether you’re X or Y,….”
- if you go on to describe 2-3 personas or ‘types of readers’, this alienates both readers because it feels like you’re talking to everyone, and throwing spaghetti at the wall, instead of speaking directly to the 1 person reading the article.
SOLVE: put all your “whether’s” next to each other. What do all of the problems these problem have in common? Lead with that.
Empathy ≠ Pity
A common misconception: Empathy in writing doesn't mean feeling sorry for your readers, patronizing, pitying, or drowning them in emotional language.
Consider the difference between:
“Bad credit is so frustrating.” vs “A low credit score doesn’t have to be forever.”
Instead, true empathy in content means straightforward delivery and:
Offering kindness through honesty.
Simplifying complex ideas to get to the point using methods like smart brevity and avoiding redundancy and fluff.
Respecting the reader's intelligence and doesn’t assume.
Giving all the information they need to understand benefits and consequences.
The most relatable articles are like good friends: they tell it like it is, give the hot tips, and do it without judgment, fluff, or condescension. You don't want them to sugarcoat things or dance around the issue. You want kindly delivered straight talk that helps you take the next step. And a hug and a walk at the end.
Understand what the reader needs in that moment, and give them the education, context, and options for making an informed choice.
Putting It Into Practice
As writers, we always want to write something that people enjoy reading, not just an IKEA manual for how to solve whatever specific issue is on the page.
Empathetic content isn't about making readers feel pitied or coddled. It's about giving them the tools and information they need to move forward with confidence. And that's something we can all appreciate.
