“Yes” – it may only be 3 little letters, but it’s one big word. That simple response has brought music to the ears of every salesperson, advertising executive, marketer and copywriter since the dawn of advertising. Why? Because it’s convincing audiences to engage with your brand, purchase your product, write a 5-star review, and with hopes in the future, of becoming a repeat customer and a loyal brand advocate. “Yes” is the ultimate goal for any interaction between a brand and its potential customers. But how can you convince your readers to utter this magic word? Join Wordsmith to find out.
The Psychology of Persuasion
Studies into compliance psychology have shown that both animals and humans can display “fixed-action patterns”. A fixed action pattern is a precise and predictable sequence of behaviour, that’s often an instinctive, automatic response. And to set this sequence in motion, you need to know what “triggers” to use. Once you know these triggers, you could use them to set off a desirable fixed-action pattern in a potential customer so that they say “yes” to the request you’re making; that’s the beauty of reliable, fixed action patterns.
Ellen Langer, Harvard social psychologist, shows how this concept works in action with her Xerox machine experiment. She approached people waiting in line to use a copy machine and asked, “Excuse me, I have five pages. May I use the Xerox machine?” About 60% said “yes.” Langer then repeated the same experiment, under similar circumstances, but instead rephrased her question to, “Excuse me, I have five pages. May I use the Xerox machine because I have to make some copies?” In this case, an overwhelming 93% said “yes.” But why?
Even in the absence of concrete information, the word “because” has become, for most, a trigger as it is usually followed by a reason behind it, and people are more likely to be compliant if there is a reason, whatever slight, motivating them to say yes. So, what powerful compliance triggers can you inject into your copy to help you sell? Here are 4 examples backed by psychologists:
1. Reciprocation
As humans, we have an overwhelming urge to repay debts and do something in return when someone does us a favour. Palaeontologist, Richard Leaky, even went as far as to say that reciprocation is the very essence of what it means to be human. Alvin Gouldner, a leading sociologist, agrees claiming that hardly any members of society can escape the pull of the reciprocity principle.
How you can apply this in your copy:
Always ensure that you give your readers something for free if they subscribe to your emails or buy a product. This could be a downloadable e-book, exclusive content, a free subscription or a product catalogue in the post. We always feel indebted to the giver regardless of how expensive it is. The urge to “repay” can then lead readers to make their first purchase or make a repeat buy.
Solomon Thimothy, CEO of growth marketing agency OneIMS, explains, “Customer loyalty is a result of likeability and trust. As a company, we’ve always tried to offer customers 10x more value than they originally expected—we call it the ‘10x factor’. In addition to the service they pay for, we give away valuable resources for free, such as marketing insights, strategies, and ideas. This way, we show them that we are serious about helping them succeed.”
2. Commitment and consistency
In his book “Influence: Science and Practice”, Emeritus Professor Robert Cialdini describes the consistency principle, “Once we have made a choice or taken a stand, we will encounter personal and interpersonal pressures to behave consistently with that commitment. Those pressures will cause us to respond in ways that justify our earlier decision.” This means that, as humans, we’re motivated towards cognitive consistency and when we make a commitment, we will remain more agreeable to making more commitments that are similar to the original commitment we made.
So, when you’re learning how to persuade potential customers further down that yellow brick road to conversion, the key is to get that initial commitment, which most of the time is small and inconsequential to the customer. After they say “yes”, the likelihood of further compliance down the line with larger requests for engagement with your brand is heightened. Salespeople often liken this principle to the foot-in-the-door technique.
The most famous demonstration of this was Jonathan Freedman and Scott Fraser experiment where they went to homeowners in Palo Alto. Initially when they asked a group of participants if they would be willing to put up a large, ugly sign in their front yards that said “Drive Carefully”, only 17% were willing to put it up. However, when Freedman and Fraser asked the second group of houses, they made a smaller request by trying something more subtle. The homeowners were simply asked to place a small, 3-inch sign in their windows that advocated safe driving, a request designed to be so insignificant that nearly anyone would agree to it. Two weeks later, a different person appeared at their doors to ask if they would be willing to put up the same large, ugly sign, and this time, 76% of homeowners agreed to put it up!
How you can apply this in your copy:
Ask for a little “yes” first from your audiences, then build on that and nurture the relationship by opening up new channels of communication. For example, as a content marketer, you can begin by asking your prospect to complete the simplest request, whether that’s getting their contact details when they choose to enter a User Generated Content (UGC) photo competition, or taking the time to complete a short, simple questionnaire that requires an email address. Once they’ve agreed to share their information with you, you can then tailor your communications through targeted email campaigns to encourage them to engage further with your brand.
If you’re wanting to find out how to create captivating content for every stage of the customer journey that will not only hook your readers but keep them making consistent decisions to engage with your brand, click here.
3. Authority
In this age of hyper-specialisation, where industries are developing specific skills and expertise to perform certain activities, we as humans are prone to respond positively to those who we perceive to hold the most ‘authority’. Authority can be an important motivating mechanism to encourage us to comply. We look towards these authoritative experts to show us the way, so we are more likely to be compliant when they encourage us to do something. Emeritus Professor, Robert Cialdini, calls this the ‘Authority Principle’.
People tend to depend on experts and authority figures opinions when deciding to say “yes”. A report from Nielsen and inPowered revealed that 85% of consumers regularly searched for trusted expert content (in the form of third-party articles and reviews) before making a purchase.
How you can apply this in your copy:
Amine Rahal, tech entrepreneur and founder of IronMonk Solutions, stresses that, “Brand authority might be the single most important factor when it comes to going from an average business to a household name in your industry.A good content strategy (and execution) is often what separates brands from a weak or strong brand authority. If your content isn’t serving your customers, you’re never going to earn recognition as an authority source.”
For content marketers and copywriters, there’s no need to boast, but you should make your brand’s expertise evident. For example, through sharing glowing customer reviews, citing recent awards or sharing consistently informative blog posts that meet the needs of your readers, which will in time instil a level of trust, boost brand loyalty and encourage your audiences to see your brand as credible, reliable and authoritative. If you’re looking for innovative ways of producing content that will help your audiences see your brand as a thought leader in your field, click here.
Many successful brands during the pandemic have “borrowed” authority by associating themselves with those who have authority with their target audiences, like celebrity influencers or micro-influencers with large followings. Feeling inspired? Take a look at these 6 influencer marketing campaigns, that will make you want to start one of your own.
4. Scarcity
Studies have proven that time and time again the fear of loss is even more powerful than the hope of gain. Consumer psychologist, Dante Pirouz, explained that when humans perceive something as rare, they become hyper-focused on it. That’s because their heightened cognitive processing kicks in, which often causes stress when forecasting a future that’s absent of said rarity. This means, the more rare or difficult it is to obtain a product, offer or piece of content, the more appealing it becomes. By properly engaging the instinctive tendency to avoid missing out on something, you can easily trigger the “yes response” you’re looking for.
The scarcity mentality affects everyone to varying degrees. Evolutionary theorists even claim that the brain’s instinctive scarcity mindset contributed to the preservation of our species. This is because our human desires are naturally so overblown, we feel like the world is a place of scarcity, which makes us act quickly.
How you can apply this in your copy:
Content marketers and copywriters can use the scarcity principle to persuade their prospective customers and audiences to fill out a lead form, complete a questionnaire, sign up for their newsletters or purchase a product. But how? By creating time limits, limited availability or limited quantity of items. Adding sentences like “Book by 26thNovember”, or “Only 4 seats left”, adds pressure on the customer, and their fear of missing out kicks in, encouraging them to say “Yes”. You can often mix this copy with a perceived benefit for acting quickly, like exclusive discounts, free items, or even an exclusive preview that others have missed out on.
So why does this scarcity tactic work so well? It’s simple; when there is an apparent abundance of something, there’s no urgency for acquiring it. Scarcity encourages action. Even if the scarcity is simply a customer perception conjured up by persuasive copy alone, it’s still just as effective.
It’s your job as a copywriter and content marketer to present your best, winning offer, and convince your prospects to say “yes”. Persuasion isn’t just reserved for charismatic, pushy salespeople, if done right, your prospective customers and audiences won’t even notice your subtle copy tactics on their way to their online checkout. Trust us, it’s an invaluable skill that pays off. If you use these psychological triggers, you have the potential to grow your audience, encourage your customers to see your brand as a thought leader in your field, instil brand loyalty and skyrocket your conversions. Wouldn’t you agree?