Ideally, you need experience. That’s experience of what works and what doesn't. And most of the top marketing experts gather that experience by analyzing campaigns from the customer’s perspective, not from their own. Whether they know it or not, what they’re actually doing is analyzing human behavior.
Yes – to consistently deliver marketing that works, you need to be something of a psychologist. Here are 4 top tips to help you connect with your audience like never before.
1. Pick your words carefully.
Sounds obvious, so let’s be specific. People put a lot of emphasis on what they read first, so make sure any headlines or initial copy is working as hard as it possibly can be. Remember that visually, less is often more. Take Apple’s approach - when they’re in full ‘product launch’ state, their messaging is less about marketing and more about the product.
Even your choice of individual words will go a long way to dictating your audience’s mood. For instance, research indicates that when we read words like ‘bye’, we automatically think of (and act on) words that have the same sound. Such as ‘buy’.
2. Know what you’re selling and when.
If your advertising strategy is based on long-term brand awareness, it’s not always going to make sense to communicate that. For customers are impulsive and very much driven by what they want right now, not what they’ll consider buying in a month’s time. That’s why sales always end ‘this Bank Holiday Monday’.
So especially if your product or service solves some sort of problem for customers, jump on this and exploit any emotional connection you can.
3. We place a lot of importance on certain numbers and orders.
Research also shows that we’re more likely to think that something has improved in a ranked list when we’re talking about the jump from 11th place to 10th, rather than from 10th to 9th. This may not marry up exactly to whatever you’re marketing, but if you were engaging in a sampling experience for example, bear in mind the numbers of products you line up. It may not always be optimal to stick to ‘round numbers’.
4. We value things if we feel like we own them.
If you’re advertising a service, it should never feel like you’re invading space and taking away something that belongs to a customer. Always allow people to feel like they own a part of whatever you’re selling. This kind of personalization develops a long-lasting sense of attachment and a much readier attitude to buying.
Consider the approach of Sky, the UK satellite broadcaster. Rather than marketing their remote record and Sky Go features in a staid, distant way, the messaging is always based around ‘your TV’. ‘Never miss the TV you love’ and ‘Get more from your TV’ are such taglines they use.