IMAGE: https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2017/11/12/22/50/human-2944064_1280.jpg
Source: Pixabay

In order for a brand to be successful, they need a good marketing strategy. And one way that marketers are doing this is through incorporating tactics from the field of psychology. Fast Company notes how marketers draw from psychological tactics to understand consumer behavior and attraction. When done properly this allows them “respectfully to attract and engage consumers, and compel them to buy.” One reason that marketers are able to do this so effectively is because the field of psychology has expanded over the years to incorporate all aspects of the human mind. Maryville University observes that psychology now encompasses different branches of knowledge from social studies to biology, which has provided extensive insights into how audiences think. Drawing from psychological methods and practices, this article will look at different science-backed methods for connecting with an audience.

Understand your target audience

One of the most important roles of psychologists is empathy: putting themselves in the shoes of their client to understand their actions. In creating a good marketing strategy, we also have to understand our target audience with the same depth. Alex Rodriguez recommends writing a list of the specific criteria that defines your target market, such as their age, location, income bracket and specific interests. This helps in determining what your target market values and what they deem important. In learning what’s important to your audience, it becomes easier to position your brand to suit their needs.

Provide social proof

Humans are social creatures. We value other people’s opinions and use them in making informed decisions. Entrepreneur cites a study in which public service announcements tried to convince locals to use fans instead of air conditioning. The study found that telling people that 77% of their neighbors used fans was more effective than telling them they could save $54 a month. Groupthink is a psychological theory in which people set aside their own beliefs to adopt the opinion of the rest of the group. Thus, peer pressure is a powerful tool in shaping people’s perceptions around your brand. You can do this through the use of product reviews and testimonials. This shows how popular your brand is, which will encourage others to purchase it themselves.

Use the power of storytelling

Storytelling is an essential aspect of engaging people. Storytelling helps us convey our product using narratives and imagery, tools which captivate the mind. Good stories release oxytocin, a neurochemical that enhances trust and empathy. The power of storytelling is a persuasive tool especially for getting people to join in with a cause or make use of a service. For example, people are more likely to buy preventive medicine not when they are presented data on the prevalence of a certain disease, but when they are told how that medicine has changed the life of one person for good.

Build scarcity and exclusivity

Psychology Today looked at research done using two identical glass jars containing the same kinds of cookies. One jar contained 10 cookies and the other held just two. The results showed that people valued the cookies in the fairly empty jar more. This goes to show just how much scarcity affects people’s perception of value. One of the most effective means to grab people’s attention with your product is to package it in a way that shows how scarce or unique it is. This can be done through holding limited releases of a certain product for a brief period. More people will want to buy your product for the fear of missing out.