You know that building a brand is an art. But there’s also a science behind connecting with your audience.

And in PR, you have to connect with your audience or you're dead.

Channeling all of your efforts into creating a perfectly assembled pitch or video without targeting an audience first is a surefire way to waste your time.

All consumers are different, but the science behind what catches someone’s interest is surprisingly universal.

Here are a few fundamental tricks that will help you craft material for your intended audience and, when implemented, make you stand out to consumers.

Continue reading for tips on how to incorporate the science behind PR in your strategies.

Emotional Communication and Good Storytelling

A good story puts your brain to work, and listening to a narrative is both engaging and effortless.

When we encounter brand stories, our brains receive the information as though we are listening to another person. Such a reaction influences the way we perceive and produce content, because we view the content as personal.

To be successful, PR professionals can’t promote information that is only logically sound. They must recognize the power of making an emotional connection to the brand. Emotional connections happen through stories, and authentic emotional connections inspire your target demographic to act.

Build an honest, human story from your brand and you’ll see audience engagement increase.

Make it Catchy and Memorable

Your brand is unique, so you want it to stand out, right? Of course!

Recognition is even more important than it seems.

Recognizable logos actually trigger the same part of the brain that controls relational emotions and rewards, rather than the part of the brain that registers objects. Our brain’s reaction to seeing a logo is similar to the reaction evoked when encountering an old friend.

Like a logo, a surprising conclusion to a video, a catchy jingle or a memorable graphic can make a huge difference in unlocking your brand's potential and helping your audience remember your brand.

The surprise of the unexpected will motivate help your audience remember what you've produced. And when your audience remembers your brand, they are more likely to act.

Use Graphics  

Those infographics on Pinterest or in magazines that catch your attention are more than just pretty.

When you notice an infographic, there's a lot more going on than you’d imagine. Did you know, for example, that consumers make an impression of web pages in as little as 50 milliseconds (1/20th of a second)?

We already know how important it is to make graphics memorable, but using your resources to create a good first impression is also instrumental.

Powerful visuals help consumers decide that your product or client is trustworthy; good graphics also motivate creators to make their material usable and accessible, and the graphics themselves contribute to building positive impressions.

In other words, consistently good graphics aren’t just pretty. They’re functional, deliberate and expressive tone-setting tools for every brand.

Download our Branding American Beauties e-book for more information about how branding is an essential PR tool.