Psychology is everywhere! More often than not, we don’t realise how prevalent it is. Psychology helps us to understand human behaviour, the world around us, relationships and other aspects of life. The link between psychology and marketing is evident. Psychology enables great marketers to persuade customers and understand their behaviour and is particularly useful when trying to influence consumer decision-making. This is where persuasion marketing comes from.

A bulb displayed up on a blackboard.

What is persuasion marketing?

Persuasion marketing applies what we know about human psychology to develop techniques to market products or services. Marketing that accurately grasps how humans think is more likely to work and be successful. We have put together a guide to explain exactly what persuasion marketing is. So you can see how marketers persuade customers and their behaviour, which could help you market your business effectively.

Reciprocity Principle

Two children reciprocating by sharing a toy.

The idea of reciprocity is that you do something positive to receive something positive back. For example, if a waiter provides excellent service throughout your meal, you will probably tip them. An action so small can make all the difference to the customer and it can result in a reward of some kind.

As marketers, we should be aware that reciprocity can produce lots of benefits such as gaining new customers, customer retention and customer loyalty. Giving a product/service away for free is also a great marketing tool.

Also, a brand may offer a special discount on first purchases, which may compel many first-time visitors to make a purchase. Some may offer a discount to people who sign up, compelling many shoppers to register on the site instead of checking out as guests, which allows them to collect their details to add to their database so they can remarket to them in future.

If a brand gives something away to a customer, such as a discount code or free gift, not only will the customer be surprised and extremely grateful, but also they may tell other people about your brand, which will increase customer engagement and loyalty. In return for your gift, you could get some customers to convert, which will create the positive brand sentiment, which is vital for growth.

Social Proof

Two friends looking at a social media app on a phone.

People are influenced by others all the time, even if they don’t realise it. In marketing, we want people to participate in behaviours that drive sales and generate leads. Therefore instead of telling people what to do in a certain situation, it is easier to get others to change his/her behaviour by telling them about their experience.

One marketing strategy that is great for social proof is testimonials. Testimonials on your website from happy customers will increase the credibility of your product/service and instil confidence in a customer wanting to make a purchase.

In addition, media coverage and other associated partners build credibility if displayed on your website. Usually, this should be displayed directly on your homepage and sales pages so that they are visible to website users. Including trust signals such as memberships, ratings and awards create trust and show legitimacy with customers.

Scarcity

An empty football stadium with blue and red seats displaying scarcity.

The principle of scarcity goes hand in hand with the urgency principle. It is a persuasion marketing technique used by many brands and marketers to persuade customers to make a purchase fast because the product/service is rare. Many marketers ask themselves how do I make my product look rare? It’s simple really and it gets customers every time. Booking.com will show customers how many people have booked that particular holiday and if the hotel has limited rooms left available. Other brands such as ASOS will state that a particular product is low in stock and customers feel compelled to make the purchase right away instead of saving it for later.

We tend to lose interest in something that everyone else can have access to. In other words, exclusivity is what we crave as humans. This is what the scarcity principle is all about.

In marketing, you can offer your customers something exclusive that is unavailable to people who shop from other brands. Maybe your product is exceptional and there is no competition, like with Apple products. Or maybe your restaurant serves a certain dish that tastes amazing but is only available on Sundays. Whatever the case is, people who buy from you should feel like they managed to achieve something that not many people could achieve. They should feel like they’re part of an exclusive group of people.

Authority

Imagine that you are setting up a business and you need marketing advice. Your old business teacher offers you marketing advice and the chief marketing officer of Nike, DJ van Hameren also offers you advice. Who would you listen to?

We are more inclined to listen and trust advice from people we see as authority figure in their line of expertise.  This is because we believe the decision based on advice from an authority figure is less likely to go wrong. These authority figures have established expert knowledge which is proof that they are trustworthy.

This is widely seen in influencer marketing as many influencers have established expertise in their niche, whether it’s in food, beauty, fashion, fitness or tech. This is why many brands work with influencers due to their level of authority, granted it’s nothing compared to the chief marketer of Nike, but it does the trick.

With this increased level of trust, you also have an increased likelihood of driving sales, which is beneficial for any business.

How Can Castle Help You with Persuasion Marketing?

Are you looking to step up your marketing game, or still unsure about persuasion marketing and the ways marketers persuade customers? Castle can help you. We have a team of dedicated experts that specialise in all things marketing from social media and affiliate marketing to SEO packages and content marketing – we have it covered. We can manage all aspects of your marketing and develop unique strategies to help achieve your goals.

Castle is a marketing, web development and design agency that has become one of the fastest-growing agencies in the UK. We are experts in all aspects of marketing and have helped build success for businesses from a variety of industries.

To find out more about how Castle can help you overhaul your marketing strategy, visit our website or contact us on 0330 107 5344 or info@castle.co.uk.