Basic psychology still works in marketing, so marketers in any category, even if they spend their days out in the weeds wrangling recalcitrant creatives, should all have a working knowledge of it. Why? Because “Purchases are 85 percent emotional and impulsive—and based on basic principles of psychology.” I’m betting that concept applies to B2B purchases like the routers and switches you just bought. (You know you liked the salesperson and not the super-fantastic throughput, don’t you?)
Here’s a quick rundown of the basics, thanks to Benedict Brychta (@BenBrychta), a dude from the Czech Republic whose mastery of English puts many native-born United Staters to shame.
In “9 principles of psychology for powerful marketing campaigns,” Mr. Brychta, who is an MBA student based in San Jose, gives us the skinny.
- Give to get. – Give something away; get something back—like the loyalty that leads to repeat purchases. Think Amazon Prime and free shipping. I’m here to tell you it works. And yes, I know Amazon is making money, still …
- Use color to appeal to emotions. – Red, for example. Don’t you feel jazzed up and ready to buy when you walk into Tarjay?
- Promote exclusivity – Think Tesla and product shortages in the early days. How diabolical was that? Consider what you can offer for a short time or to a small group.
- Highlight emotions – People want to get emotional, even your crusty old truck driver uncle. Consider the ill-fated Pepsi/Kendall Jenner commercial. (Probably well-intentioned but fell flatter than half a pancake.)
- Promote urgency – As Mr. Brychta says, “Amazon does this all the time.” (And it works. I placed my last order the instant I saw the notice that there were only three left.)
- Get your foot in the door – Create FUD and then offer a free trial. Then, tell your target how many others have signed on the dotted line.
- Cut down on options – Offering many options creates confusion, followed by paralysis. The fewer the options, the greater the desired action. (Years ago, I read that a surprising number of the Russian dissidents to hit the U.S. decided to return to the USSR, because we offered too much choice.)
- Get them on the bandwagon – Mr. Brychta says, “Everyone want to belong to a group. Make your customers a great group.” (During his presidential campaign, Donald Trump did a brilliant job of this.)
- Educate yourself – This is great advice, though it’s not a psychological principle. And the great thing is that you can do a champion job keeping up through webinars, podcasts, and online courses.
On this last point—educate yourself—I am eternally grateful to smart folks like Mr. Brychta who scout out the information I need, digest it, and offer it up so palatably.
Leave a Comment