Estimated read time: 3 minutes, 5 seconds

Understanding how to market to people will come through understanding human psychology. We are creatures that act very predictably when it comes to our impulses and decision-making processes. Every day, marketing campaigns are slamming us with information trying to appeal to our emotions. They will hit on topics that make you think about your self-confidence and emotional security. Social media has begun to play a significant part in this as well. How many likes on Facebook, or how many tweets a product has will determine its popularity and social appeal. Here are several human behaviors that can be used to exploit the human psyche in order to win trust and likeability for your product or service.

Reciprocity

We all like free stuff and little samples of something. Businesses have been using this strategy for a very long time. Whether it is a free sample of ice cream, free information, or a trial period for a product, giving something away helps to get people interested in your product and lure them in. This technique can be a great way to establish trust and demonstrate the quality of your product or service. The idea here is that if somebody does something for you (gives you an item for free), you’ll be more inclined to do something for them in the future (give them money for more).

Authority

Demonstrating your expertise on a matter gives people confidence that they are dealing with someone that knows what they are doing. We seek authority because we are not experts on the problem we are having, the only thing we can say for sure is that there is a problem to be solved. If a company can demonstrate extensive knowledge about the problem their customers are having, it builds trust. This trust will lead to purchases as the customer will be convinced what you offer is what they need. Compare yourself to other brands out there and be transparent in showing what makes you better. The more transparency you have, the more of an authority figure you will be perceived to be.

Social Proof

This is one of the most common marketing tactics, and is used by just about every business out there. Many companies use celebrities and athletes to endorse their products. By creating the impression that the rich and famous use your product, people are more likely to think the product is good for them. This exploits the fact that we are more willing to try something that our friends have already experienced and enjoyed. Social media is playing an enormous role in this style of marketing. The use of social media influencers with massive followings is slowly replacing endorsements by traditional celebrities.

Headlining

With the massive amounts of information that we humans are bombarded with we find ourselves only able to spare a few seconds on something before moving on. When marketing to the modern day consumer you need to grab their attention in the first 30 seconds or first line of text that they will read. If your headline does not grab their attention, you can bet that they are not going to continue reading into the details of your article or marketing campaign. Businesses need to battle more fiercely for our attention than ever before. We will read something online for a split second, then move onto the next thing in the blink of an eye. Given that, makes sure your headlines offer something to entice your user. Most importantly: it has to stand out from the crowd. If your audience thinks that you are offering something unique and new, they will come flocking because it will be the only thing that doesn’t blend into the background.