The best way to get someone to buy something is to have a good reason “why.” Do you sell lawnmowers? Well, someone in an apartment doesn’t have a reason to buy your product, but someone with a lawn does. This is a very obvious example, but that’s because having a “reason” to buy a product seems like an obvious way to increase sales. Many copywriters don’t consider selling to a consumer using the “why” behind the product.
In his book Contagious, Jonah Berger discusses the importance of emotion when moving consumers through the sales funnel.
“What makes you talk about something? Or share something on Instagram? Something that makes you feel good, right? In an analysis of thousands of New York Times articles, the positive stories were more likely to be shared than those that were negative.
However, Berger, in his own research, found that people were also likely to share stories that stirred up anger and anxiety. Anxiety and anger, like positivity and happiness, are high arousal emotions. So, when marketing a product, tap into these emotions and drive your consumers to action."
Read more about his book here.
As we focus on the ‘emotion’ element of Berger’s S.T.E.P.P.S., we are going to consider 9 ways to tap into someone's emotions as a marketing tool.
How many times have you purchased something because there was a clock in the cart saying “Save 10% if you buy within the next hour”? This is a really great way to use time as an emotional trigger to close a sale. People feel a sense of urgency to buy and are incentivized by savings!
An emotion frequently used by organizations and businesses that participate in charitable efforts. When customers feel as though they can (or should) help the less fortunate by donating and purchasing goods, they are often more inclined to move through the funnel.
We aren’t talking about the type of fear you are probably thinking about - this type of fear has been nicknamed FOMO. Present some collections as “limited editions” - when they are gone, they’re gone! This is a really quick way to encourage purchases because people want the social currency of a limited item!
We hear about scam, after scam, after scam these days… and consumers are losing trust in brands and businesses. It is so important to make sure (and advertise) that your site is super secure! “Display your seals and let them know how hard you work to protect them.”
Back to social currency, having something that everyone else has encourages a sense of community, and well… belonging, to a group! Apple created iMessage, not because it was a more efficient way of texting, but because it created a sense of belonging to their customers! People want to feel like they “joined” your brand, not just shopped it, which also creates customer loyalty!
While value is important when it comes to the actual cost of your product or service, it is also important to consider the personal/moral values of your customers.
People don’t like to wait, so instant gratification is a big factor for purchases. This is why everyone loves Amazon Prime, how can you beat 2-day shipping? Not everyone can offer this level of quick shipping, but there are discounts you can offer to people who make an account, sign up for newsletters, or follow you on social media.
Tapping into someone's pain points and offering a solution to their problem definitely peaks consumer interest in your product or service. Creating a solution to a problem is a great “why” to buy, like we discussed in the introduction to this concept.
Greed is getting something you don’t deserve. No one gets upset when there is an extra order of fries in their take-out. Offering a free gift with purchase is a really good way to encourage your customers to move through the funnel because consumers feel like you increased the value of their order. (This is also similar to personal gratification because they get a little bonus for making a purchase)
You don’t have to do all of these tactics at once, but it can be beneficial to implement more than one at a time! For example, greed + personal gratification, empathy + values, or time + fear. It’s definitely easier to start small when in the world of digital marketing because too many changes at one time can lead to confusion and distrust!
Let us know which of these nine tactics you found the most effective! If you have any questions about these triggers or inquiries about working with us, schedule a call for more information!