My experience over the last decade has shown that psychological triggers significantly impact sales copy, marketing, and growth hacking.
Psychological triggers drive human actions essentially in the same way. For your marketing message to be effective, you need to know what those triggers are and how to use them.
How come?
Our minds decide what to buy—knowing how minds work gives you the power to influence the decisions they make.
Here is a list of the psychological strategies I frequently use to increase conversions. Let's take a look!
1. Get Your Prospects Ready for the Future
Make sure they are mentally prepared for success when they receive your offer.
Consider questions like, "Aren't you tired of (insert problem)?" or "Wouldn't it be nice to get relief from (insert problem) right now?"
Or "Are you ready to feel at ease identifying (insert problem)?" or "How comforting would it be to avoid (insert problem)?"
2. Make Sure You Create Open Loops
You should give a reader a hint at the beginning or middle of the story to make them interested in finding out how it ends.
Write a story that creates tension in the reader and forces them to release it by reading the story to its conclusion.
3. Active Voice Is Better Than Passive Voice
Using this method, it is possible to improve fluency and clarity of thought. As a result, it is easier for readers to digest your information.
For example, instead of saying, "Many benefits can be found within our product," — change it to "Our product gives many benefits."
4. Distribute Coherence Markers Liberally
Restate objects that you've already mentioned, even if it seems repetitive. Use words like So, But, and That's why. Don't be afraid to repeat those.
5. Metaphors Help Make Ideas More Concrete
Create a mental image that is more concrete for your readers.
If you want to describe your offer as "amazing," you should come up with a metaphor that embodies that sentiment in a way that is culturally understood by your audience.
6. Your Writing Should Tell a Story
Add statistics instead of making overarching generic claims that are often unsubstantiated. Your copy will be more persuasive if you use concrete terms.
7. Selling the Benefits Is the Key
By telling the story of how your productivity has increased 25 percent, you've become a storyteller instead of selling your product like an infomercial.
8. No One Is Interested in Percentages - They’re Interested in People
Humans prefer to hear about humans instead of percentages.
Therefore, instead of saying "20 percent of people have experienced a 15 percent increase in conversion rates," say "2 out of 10 people have experienced a 15 percent increase in conversion rates."
You just made your copy more compelling.
9. Disarm Your Adversary
In this case, your reader, before you close the deal (rather, the call-to-action).
Come up with a story together. Discuss the problem and extend your pitch.
Once you have their attention, reveal your solution.
10. Copy Should Be Direct and Clear
Making direct claims is never a good idea. Doesn't it sound paradoxical?
The claims in direct marketing are so explicit that customers are forced to rely on advertisers' (probably biased) information.
The customers who come up with their own conclusions are more likely to trust the product because they came up with the solution independently.
11. Discuss the Fears and Anxieties They Have
Even though I told you to be positive with your copywriting, here is another approach. Bring out the pain points of your target market by shedding light on them.
What are their anxieties and fears? For example, do you spend less time with your family? Do you dislike your job?
Empathize with your customers' situations, then offer them your solution like a superhero.
12. Your Arguments Will Be More Persuasive if You Ask Rhetorical Questions
Whenever you ask your readers a question, you engage them and get them to respond.
13. You Should Use Second-Person Pronouns
By using second-person pronouns, you engage your customer base and help them form a more positive view of your product.
Didn't that sound so much better than, "When second-person pronouns are used, customer bases are engaged to develop a more favorable perspective of the product?"
14. Be Able to Demonstrate the Impact You Have On Others, Especially Negative Impacts
You should explain the impact of not pursuing your CTA on others.
15. It Can Sometimes Be More Effective to Describe a State of Being Than What Someone Is Doing
By using descriptive nouns cleverly, the writer creates a memorable impression. For example, instead of thanking people for purchasing your typewriter, praise them for being excellent copywriters.
16. Take Into Account the Length of Time
People tend to look at numbers when they are thinking about immediate events. Even though they're the same length of time, "shipped in 1-3 weeks" is easier to digest than "7-21 days."
When people think of far-off events, they will analyze the unit of time. For example, a delivery estimate of 7-21 days will be better received than one of 1-3 weeks.
This is pretty neat, isn't it?
17. Become a Point of Interest, Then Offer an Upcoming Closure
Humans desire closure. At all costs, they avoid ambiguity. Your copy should reference this strategy through teasers.
Start by making an ambiguous statement. Next, reference the point of closure that will follow. For example, "Last summer, I found myself jobless and homeless. I'll tell you more about it later."
18. Identify the Reason People Complete Your Call to Action
What are they trying to gain, or what are they trying to prevent?
Your copy can be more effective if you use your own words. Agitate on the problem. You will make your message easier to digest, thereby strengthening its impact.
19. Induce a Feeling of Justification
A strong argument begins with "because," or any synonym. We tend to assume mindlessly that the only valid justification is the one offered.
20. Take Advantage of the Primacy Effect
It is more important to present information at the beginning than at the end. You should therefore prioritize your strongest benefits first.
21. According to Studies, Decision Timelines Play an Important Role in Decision Making
Hence, they tend to focus more on feasibility in times of urgency (time-sensitive). Therefore, ads that minimize risks (prevention) are effective here.
People are concerned with achieving a pleasurable goal when making distant decisions (in the future). Therefore, promoting your benefits (raising your value) is a good way of communicating your desirability.
Ad copy should reflect the customer's mindset and where they are at in the decision-making process.
22. Know the Risks You Face
Make sure your arguments are impactful and minimize risk.
Risks vary according to the situation. For example, an online real estate website offers a different level of risk than financial products.
As a result, your customer base will feel more confident pursuing your call-to-action if you address the risk.
23. Make Use of Semantic Visuals
To illustrate your point, use graphics, infographics, photos, etc. Numerical values present a challenge to the brain.
If you illustrate "9 out of 10 people," your customers' brains will absorb the information faster.
24. Use Your Customer’s First Name
Upon hearing your first name, your brain activates certain areas, including the middle frontal cortex, the middle and superior temporal cortex, and the cuneus.
Your first name triggers a positive reaction.
25. It Makes People Feel Good to Be a Part of Something
Make your customers feel like they are a part of the trend by using ingroup pronouns like "we," "our," and "us."
26. Don’t Underestimate BYAF (But You’re Free)
Reduce psychological resistance to persuasion by framing your words. Only through making it your customers' choice will they be motivated to complete your call to action (CTA).
27. Write With Familiarity and Emotion in Mind
You can evoke familiarity by picturing a familiar scene if you're trying to convey understanding. You need to put yourself right beside your audience and make them see what you see.
If you want to make an impact, choose the perspective that evokes the most emotion. Then, identify the triggers of your customer base and write to them.
28. Estimate the Savings Your Product Will Bring Your Customer
Can they save time to spend with their family more often? Are they able to save money that they can use for vacations?
Give your target market a glimpse of the benefits after they have the product.
29. Be Sure to Point Out the Weaknesses of Your Message
You should put a positive spin on them, though. A two-sided argument performs better in research, but there is no reason to put yourself down to accomplish this.
30. You Should Mention Your Competition
You should do the homework for your customers. With a classy and non-militaristic mention of your competition, you stop your customers from seeking out other solutions.
31. Use Pattern Interrupts in Your Content and Copy
Put your own personality into your content, and do things differently than everyone else. Aim for novelty and intrigue.
Final Thoughts
By now, you have probably noticed that this is all about selling from the inside out. Hundreds of websites open and close every day. Use these 31 methods to trigger your customers and unlock your selling potential. Make sure they try your product as well.
Using these proven tactics will definitely help you boost brand value and increase conversion rates on your website.
