When you’re developing a marketing strategy, it’s not enough to just make sure you’re covering all your bases. You have to adopt new techniques to give your business an edge over the competition.
One of the best ways you can give your business an advantage is by using a few psychological techniques to bring in more customers. By carefully using a few time-tested methods, you can increase brand awareness while also maximizing profits.
Here are a few of the most common and effective methods for injecting a bit of psychology into your business strategy.
Prove Your Worth
When a potential customer is researching a company, the first thing they’ll look for is a review – both by trusted sources as well as past customers.
While you likely know that having solid reviews is crucial to your success, you might not be doing enough to maximize their visibility. Make sure reviews from influential people in your industry are displayed prominently on your website (and make sure you share positive reviews on social media). Likewise, make sure your customers can see what others think of your business. Make sure those ratings are very visible.
Additionally, you need to make sure you’re incentivizing customers to write reviews for your products or services. To be clear, this doesn’t mean that you should pay them for reviews, or otherwise bribe them. Instead, simply make sure that your customers know their opinion matters a lot to your business. Make sure they know where to go to post a review (Google, Yelp!, Facebook, etc.) and include quick, easy links to your social media sites.
Recruit the Experts
Consumers are more likely to use a product if it’s backed up by science or some other sort of evidence. This is especially true if the evidence is delivered by an expert in the field.
By enlisting the assistance of an industry expert to endorse your company, you can instantly gain confident consumers who are interested in your product or service.
You may need to ask an expert in your field, such as a doctor, physical therapist, or lawyer, to vouch for your product. You can also request endorsements from local or national celebrities. Potential consumers are more likely to believe the effectiveness of your product or service if a recognizable celebrity confirms it.
Be Elusive
You always want your brand to be recognizable, identifiable, and imprinted in potential clients’ minds as much as possible. However, psychological experts have found that consumers are more likely to buy if they feel a product or service is scarce and may not be around forever.
Creating the illusion that your product or service could run out can create a sense of urgency with your potential clients.
By claiming you have a limited number of products or you’re running limited time offers and discounts, you may be able to increase the number of impulse buys. If you have many potential clients in the sales funnel, running a limited time discount on your product or service may be just what you need to ensure these clients pull the trigger and buy.
These psychological tactics are great ways to boost your sales. However, when you develop your marketing plan, review the verbiage and strategies you use to implement these tactics thoroughly.
It’s important for potential clients to not feel duped, scammed, or coerced into buying your products and services. Be sure you can deliver what you promise so your brand’s reputation remains untarnished.
About the Author
Jodie Shaw is the CMO at The Alternative Board (www.thealternativeboard.com), which provides seasoned, practical advice to forward-thinking business owners who are ready to take their businesses to an entirely new level. Jodie has been involved in B2B marketing and selling professional services for emerging service categories for more than 20 years. She is also currently writing her first book called All Leaders Make Mistakes.
