A Marketer’s Guide to Psychology

What can marketers — anyone with something to say or sell — learn from the field of Psychology?

Simply said, “how to convert visitors into leads, and leads into customers.”

One key to being a great marketer is understanding how — and why — other people think and act the way they do. After all, when you seek to inspire people to take action — buy your product or services, like your FB page, follow you on twitter, sign-up for a demo, subscribe to your list, or watch a video — knowing their desires and problems is invaluable.

Here are tried and true lessons from Psychology that every marketer should know. It’s truly a marketer’s guide to psychology. Take a look:

Reciprocity  ―   The concept of “reciprocity” is simple — if you help someone, they’ll naturally want to help you. So reward your consumers with freebies and rewards, and they’ll reward you with their continued loyalty.

Authority  ―  Your identity―how you’re known―as an authority will make your customers more likely to trust and buy your service or product. If you’ve got it, flaunt it. Let your audience know exactly what credentials you’re holding. What if you’re just starting and have no credibility? Hire a spokesman who does.

Social Proof —  You may have read about the way group thinking effects individual actions. In the case of “social proof,” it comes down to a situation in which your customers adopt the beliefs or actions of a group of people they like or trust. Let your consumer know what others are saying about your service and product, and make it easier to share your content on social channels.

Scarcity —  People want what they can’t have. This psychology principle goes back to the simple formula of supply and demand: the more rare the opportunity, content, service or product is, the more valuable it is. Stress your service or products limited availability and you’ll be sure to increase sales.

Recency Illusion —  Ever learn a new word, or bought a new car only to suddenly find it at every turn? That’s the recency illusion, and it applies to marketing. Develop consistent and repetitious marketing campaigns rather than fragmented “shotgun” ads. People will notice the campaign more after they’ve first been introduced to it.

Commitments —  People don’t like breaking their promises. If someone commits to something — whether it is sending you an email, a meeting for lunch or signing up for your product demo, they feel like they’ve made an obligation to you. Once they make that commitment, people will be much less likely to bail.

Verbatim Effect —  We naturally condense information in our memory. A compelling speech is often reduced to a “fuzzy blur” wherein we remember a few key concepts.  If you’re speaking, writing, or teaching pack as much information into the headline as you can. If you’re on major media medium, aim for short, compelling soundbites.

Whether you’re looking to communicate your brand’s message on TV, radio, online or out-of-home, these concepts are worth remembering.

Bonus: if you understand these principles and weave them into your marketing, you’ll also have “ The Mindset NEEDED to Win.”

Question: What psychology concepts do you use in your every-day marketing?